Aligning with State Standards to Launch New Summer Camp (2020)
Project Synopsis: I created and launched a new 3rd-8th grade summer camp for my full-time employer in 2020. Following start of the pandemic, I met biweekly with our school Task Force and the State of California Health Department to monitor state guidelines on programming for K-12 schools. Following these meetings, I sent email updates to registered families to keep them abreast of developments.
Contributions: I was the lead content writer on summer camp planning documents and/or the summer camp planning section (when broader school plans were required) for the Contra Costa Health Department. The scope of the planning documents shifted throughout five cycles (across eight weeks) to align and map with state reopening and local guidelines. In partnership with our school principal, I provided frequent updates on the "preview" of our school's plan to move forward with the launch of the camp in June to state officials.
Key Skills Used: Adaptability, Teamwork, Communication, Copywriting, Leadership, Motivation
Outcome: My final plan was approved by the Contra Costa Health Department in May 2020 and the summer camp was permitted to open with limited capacity in June 2020. Subsequent information on these plans was communicated to families in detail to showcase our dedication to keeping their children safe while preparing for a fun summer with the new programming.
Flyer for Middle School Outreach Event (2024)
Project Synopsis: Since 2022, I have hosted an annual autumn event for middle schoolers in partnership with a local nonprofit. This event, which is open to 5th-8th graders usually focuses on wellness and is an integral tool of recruitment for future enrollment at the high school I work at. This flyer was sent directly to families and also posted in 30+ local shops to promote the event in September 2024.
Contributions: I was the sole creator of this document. I designed it in Canva from scratch incorporating brand colors and also wrote all of the text and CTA.
Key Skills Used: Design Intuition, Copywriting, Marketing, Creativity, CTA Development
Outcome: 72 middle schoolers registered for and attended this event, an increase of 10 registrants from 2023. Additionally, 60 percent of the 2024 attendees were new to this community event programming.
Lesson Plan: Silly Summer Storytellers for 3rd - 4th Graders (2024)
Project Synopsis: Each year at the middle school summer camp I run, I teach a class for 3rd and 4th graders called Silly Summer Storytellers. This fun enrichment class offers the kids a chance to use their imaginations and explore the concept of stories and writing through different engaging activities.
Contributions: I am the sole creator of this activity and fully develop the lesson plan for each weekly session I lead every year.
Key Skills Used: Lesson Planning, Critical Thinking, Imagination, Creative Skills
Outcome: 2024 was the fourth summer I have taught this course and it is always a success. In particular, students LOVE the Storytelling through Clay activity (photos of this activity are included below. In 2024, I led this activity for 22 eight and nine year olds for one session of camp.
3rd-8th Grade Summer Camp Welcome Packs & Summary Reports
Project Synopsis: Effective communication is a key part of my interactions with 3rd-8th grade families each year and also with internal school key stakeholders once the summer season is over. The examples below are some of the collateral I have created to welcome families on-campus and reports to recap on results.
Contributions: I am the annual sole producer of these welcome packs and summary reports. Design is primarily based on ensuring the reader can quickly get the information they are looking for.
Key Skills Used: Data Gathering, Design Intuition, Content Writing, Research
Outcome: Parents in particular always appreciate the welcome packs for camp. One of the key pieces of feedback I have received over the years is that they appreciate the thorough approach to the information compared to other camps their children have attended. They feel more connected to the programming and understand that their children will be taken care of from the documentation. Note: Names and information of students under 18 has been redacted.
Launching K-12 Learning Resources in Alignment with California State Library (2018)
Project Synopsis: In this role with TeachingBooks, I was responsible for collateral and marketing communications following their successful bid to enter all libraries in the state of California as part of a five-year bid initiative. One of my primary projects included hiring and managing freelance customer service agents to call each school district throughout the state to notify them of this new resource. I also created regular print and digital assets to promote the new statewide contract, in partnership with the company founder.
A key component of this outreach included asking district leaders sign up for a test trial and signing up for training with our implementation team before they rolled out the service to their schools. I also assisted the Founder and Business Development team with three RFPs /RFP renewals in other states.
Contributions: I was the sole manager of contract customer service agents and implementation of communications for over 300 school districts. This included aligning outreach language with CA education department published language to share these free resources with district leaders. I was a co-manager of multiple digital assets and a lead collaborator and researcher on the RFPs I worked on.
Key Skills Used: Leadership, People Management, Project Management, Copywriting, Marketing, Adaptability, Technical Writing
Outcome: This resource was successfully implemented in 50 percent of all California schools in 2019 and is now currently in all public school districts and used by most private schools statewide, as well as all libraries statewide. The biggest challenge when starting and ongoing has been helping schools understand how the free resource works and coordinating with the State of California Department of Education to share the importance of this free resource.
