How ImpactTulsa leverages different advertising streams to increase awareness about pre-K enrollment

We do everything from billboard campaigns to knocking on doors to make sure we reach the most people we can to spread the word about the importance of pre-K education. 

 

Educating the public about the importance of pre-K education coupled with explaining how to get students enrolled are strategies used by ImpactTulsa to increase the number of Tulsa-area 4-year-olds attending pre-K. We disseminate awareness through commercial and grassroots communication channels.

 

“We try to get the word out through every possible medium,” said Jessica Smith, ImpactTulsa director of early learning. “We try to meet parents where they are – by providing special books and messaging at doctor’s offices, knocking on individual doors, targeting high-traffic billboards and zip-code specific Facebook algorithms. We want the information to be readily accessible so parents don’t have to seek it out but rather we are organically showing up where they are already visiting.”

 

Smith said both avenues – the broad-based commercial advertising and the more grassroots approach of holding events and meeting with families and service providers – are equally important.

 

“We want this information to saturate the market as much as possible,” Smith said. “We want our families to see and hear our message several times throughout their normal, everyday life. For many, the importance of pre-K to their child’s life is not widely known, so it is good to see the message repeated in multiple locations and from trusted sources.”

 

ImpactTulsa partners with trusted community organizations like Tulsa Housing Authority and the Tulsa City-County Health Department to share its message about pre-K. In partnership with Reach Out and Read, ImpactTulsa works with doctors as an early source of information to families. Partner doctors provide every 4-year-old with a copy of the book “Biscuit Goes to School” and flyers and resources for parents who come in for a well-check appointment.

 

“It is this multi-pronged approach that we believe is effective in helping increase enrollment rates in the Tulsa area,” Smith said. “Many families just simply do not realize that pre-K education is an option for them. Or, they don’t know how to go about enrolling. Our communication touch points are designed to bridge that gap – and it is working.” 

 

Advertising and communication efforts have helped Tulsa’s pre-K enrollment increase from 69 percent to 72 percent in just a few short years. In some areas, demand for pre-K education has grown so much that schools are adding another pre-K class or offering pre-K for the first time. Check out our efforts: Our full advertising offerings on our website to allow an additional avenue for people to review or download the information. For a full review of all the advertising resources, visit our Resources web page.

 

Visit prektulsa.com today to learn how to best take advantage of Tulsa’s nationally recognized pre-K program, learn about the specific pre-K offerings in schools near you or read more about the benefits of pre-K education for your child.