Green Street Academy

ENROLLMENT CAMPAIGN TO LAUNCH A NEW GREEN CHARTER SCHOOL

Our challenge was to help Green Street Academy secure over $1 million in federal and state grants by meeting a new charter school’s enrollment requirements.

In 2015, Green Street Academy (GSA) broke ground on the $23 million restoration of the abandoned Gwynn Falls High School building in Baltimore. Already a client of What Works Studio, GSA asked us to develop a student enrollment campaign to identify potential students and drive enrollment in order to secure the additional funding.

What Works Studio developed an integrated campaign that included focus groups, marketing assets, landing pages, a social media campaign, digital advertising, radio advertising, live events, and guerrilla marketing tactics that included hiring hip-hop artists and sneaking a p.a. into the Baltimore School Choice Fair for an impromptu performance at the GSA booth. The goal was to introduce the community to the school, generate excitement around opportunities for city families, and inspire them to apply to attend the school during its inaugural year at the newly renovated campus.

Green Street Academy received over 1,000 applications which increased enrollment over 300%. As a result, the school qualified for and received over $1 million dollars in federal and state grants.

Green Street Academy is now recognized as a premier public charter school and community anchor in West Baltimore. After the successful enrollment campaign, we went to work developing a new Green Street Academy website as well as the development of print collateral including assets to support the capital campaign to raise funds for renovations, signage, environmental design, and banners to support the groundbreaking ceremony, and printed collateral to support enrollment campaigns.

Outcomes

• Our campaign increased enrollment by 300%

• Over 1,000 student applications collected

• $1 Million in additional state and federal grants

• Established Green Street Academy as one of the premier charter schools in Baltimore City