BUILD

The Charles B. Rangel Infrastructure Workforce

Initiative (RIWI)

Community Outreach & Awareness Plan

Project Collaborators: Alicia Tuff, Samiha Aktar, Maria Arias, Hasib Rashid, Dequan Williams, Valentina Preciado

The Client

The Charles B. Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Initiative (or RIWI), kicked off in the Spring of 2022. The program, located at the City College of New York (CCNY) in Harlem, has a mission to train and prepare individuals from underserved communities for careers in the infrastructure industry. They want to recognize the shift in the job market as skills and experience become more favorable for job placement rather than traditional 4-year degrees.

The Audience

22 - 34 years old (Older gen z, younger millennials)
Varying education levels
Earns less than $60,000
Works part-time or is recently unemployed and seeking employment

The Stitch-uation

How do we increase enrollment for a relatively newer program when awareness is so low?

Key Insight

The communities people grew up in subconsciously make up a large portion of their personalities.

Choosing the Pattern (Strategy)

Increase potential student awareness of program.

Build relationships with key community stakeholders.

Overall, PR has the power to secure new cohorts of interested students while simultaneously securing local funding to bolster the bounty of future opportunities for them.

"The pattern" for this campaign tackled the problem from both a micro standpoint (the individual prospects) and from a macro standpoint (the larger community), implementing tactics that spoke to both parties.

The "Invisible String"

The Feeling of "Togetherness"

When we feel like we are working toward something together, we are empowered to do things that are scary, new, or even risky.

Stitching It Together
The "Threads"

The PR tactics employed parallel to each other for the strongest narrative.

Thought Leadership

Build Credibility and Prestige

RIWI can submit individuals or the program as a whole for infrastructure awards and

speaking engagements.

Leadership can speak on how RIWI is providing a supportive network for students to make their next big career move--right in the comfort of their neighborhood.

Community Outreach

Build Connections with
Community Stakeholders

RIWI can go business to business with a “package” of promotional materials business owners can share in their windows, therefore, becoming advocates for the program.

This "boots on the ground" approach allows RIWI staff to share the program's mission with local community members, fact-to-face.

Potluck Dinner

Create Physical Visability

RIWI leadership and students alike can celebrate their past semester together. Select members of local media will be invited to interview students for human-interest stories.

This acts as a way to bring together all members of the community: locals, RIWI staff, media, and students alike.