Vibank School Strategic Partnership Proposal

OUR STUDENTS’ FUTURE: COMMUNITIES GROWING AS ONE

Strategic Partnership Proposal

Prepared for: Prairie Valley School Division & Vibank Regional School Community Council

Submitted by: Vibank Community Group Submitted: June 2, 2014

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary .......................................................................................... 3 Project Timeline ................................................................................................ 4 Planning For The Future ................................................................................. 5 Proposed Funding Sources ............................................................................ 5 Communications ................................................................................................ 6 Phase I – Signage Installation ....................................................................... 8 Phase II & III – Landscaping / Sidewalk ...................................................... 9 Phase IV & V – Driveway & Exercise Equipment ..................................... 10


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Strategic Partnership Proposal was commissioned to examine the ways in which the Vibank Community Group (VCG) can work with the Prairie Valley School Division (PVSD) & Vibank Regional School Community Council (SCC) and surrounding communities to further enhance community development, involvement and growth. The recent completion of Vibank Regional School’s $7.5 million renovation presents an excellent opportunity for the communities of Vibank, Odessa, Sedley and Francis to work together to reach a common goal. This goal, of course, would be to fundraise the necessary amount of funds required to complete and install signage, zero landscaping and outdoor exercise equipment on the school grounds to promote physical activity. This proposal seeks to highlight the various ways in which the VCG can work with PVSD and Vibank Regional School SCC to develop a strategic plan aimed at boosting community involvement and participation, while raising the required amount of funds to complete this ambitious project. Though the project has a strong focus on raising a significant amount of funds, it is important to note that this project can’t be completed without the help of the entire school community at large; this includes students, parents, faculty, staff, businesses, community groups and individuals. Recommendations as to how PVSD and the Vibank Regional School SCC can set out to begin to implement and execute a community-led development project include:

• Creating a Steering Committee – which consists of parents, teachers, students, members of the surrounding communities, among other key stakeholders – that will work toward planning and executing the project’s strategy and implementation;

• Establishing specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-sensitive objectives – to support more wide-ranging goals that will benefit the community at large; and

• Utilizing a series of public relations tools and tactics – to successfully execute a community-wide communications campaign from which all members of the Vibank Regional School community and PVSD can benefit from.

Choosing a holistic approach at eliciting feedback and recommendations, in addition to obtaining volunteer assistance from the community at large, will serve to benefit students first and foremost, in addition to helping to establish a sense of vibrancy and community spirit that will last both now, and well into the future.


PROJECT TIMELINE !

PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE Phase I

Signage Installation

• Sign unveiling ceremony at the school (AM), with media to attend

• Project fundraising kickoff event in the Gym (PM) at Vibank Regional School’s Open House

Fall 2014

Phase II

Grass Planting / Landscaping

Spring 2015

Phase III

Sidewalk Construction

Summer 2015

Phase IV

Driveway Renewal

Summer 2016

Phase V

Exercise Equipment Installation

Summer 2017

Note: Project timeline will depend on secured funding, cash flow, approvals and contractor/consultant availability.

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PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE Should this Strategic Partnership Proposal be approved and adopted, the Vibank Regional School SCC, PVSD and VCG will need to form a Steering Committee to plan, develop and execute a strategic plan to see the successful completion of the project. In order to have representation from as many community stakeholders as possible, it is proposed that this Steering Committee consist of: students; parents; faculty and staff; members of the surrounding communities; and other key stakeholders deemed necessary to ensure the successful development and completion of the project. Student involvement throughout the project’s planning, development and execution phases is paramount; it will provide students with input, and will provide them with an opportunity to shape the project’s future, in addition to developing other life skills that will be beneficial toward student growth, community involvement and academic success. After all, this project is for them; it’s important that they have a say, and play an active role in seeing the project through.

PROPOSED FUNDING SOURCES Multiple sources of funding will need to be secured in order to ensure the successful completion of the project. The VCG is suggesting that the steering committee seeks to secure funding from the private and public sectors, in addition to individual monetary contributions. Since this document is only a Strategic Partnership Proposal, an outline detailing suggested percentages that will make up the funding model will not be provided; instead, the VCG would like to provide some of its ideas related to some of the ways in which funding could be secured. These methods can include:

• Individual pledges – contributor names and amounts would be collected, and would be used to create a contribution display that would be officially unveiled after each phase is completed;

• Corporate sponsorship – approaching local and provincial corporations both large and small to secure funding for the project; and

• Strategic funding partnerships – securing funding and/or services from the private sector that will help offset costs.


COMMUNICATIONS Since multiple sources of funding will be required to successfully complete the project, it is imperative that the project be organized and executed in a strategic and consistent way. Some of the communications tools and tactics for the campaign’s communications strategy development process can include:

• Special Events/News Releases – the use of special events to bring community members together face-to-face in one location is an excellent means of inspiring action, not to mention serving as a great visual for print and video media. Mobilizing people to attend a special event so that they can see the kickoff and development of the project is good on its own; what’s even better, though, is to supplement this by letting the media know the same. News releases would serve as an excellent means of informing both local and regional media about the project, and would serve as an official way for the committee to communicate its message in a consistent and official way.

• Facebook – establishing an official Facebook page for the project that would provide updates via infographics and funding announcements. The page could also feature photo updates on the project, as well as provide sneak peaks to fans and followers of the project. The Facebook page could be managed by select members of the steering committee, and could also serve as an excellent means of including students in the communications process – teaching valuable and marketable skills, while practicing marketing and communications principles and practices.

• Twitter – establishing an official Twitter feed for the project that would work in much the same way as Facebook, but would provide project updates and information in a more instantaneous fashion. Live tweets during events and conducing online consultation sessions (via the use of an official hashtag for aggregation purposes) would serve as an excellent means of creating online dialogue, and would serve as an excellent way of broadening the project’s audience and reach. Much like Facebook, working with students to manage the feed would be an excellent opportunity to teach responsible social media use, and build upon students’ creativity and experience.


• Print advertising – purchasing paid advertising would be advantageous for a

campaign such as this, as it would provide a cost-effective means of reaching out to the region, and surrounding area, in a professional and consistent way. Though this approach will be one of the most costly means of reaching out to our audience (as compared to social media, which is at a far lower cost); that’s why it is important to forge strategic partnerships with print and electronic media to offset costs, and increase exposure.

• Blog or website – establishing a blog or website would serve as a great means of providing information to key publics and would make it easier to point individuals to one central (and official) location for updates. Besides posting periodic photos and videos, the website could also serve as a means of processing online donations, in addition to displaying a virtual wall of donors (in their respective categories).

• Email updates – since not all key publics will be used to accessing social media or websites for updates or donation requests, it would be extremely valuable to utilize a mailing list that can provide targeted emails to those who have donated already, and those who are considering making a donation.

PHASE I – SIGNAGE INSTALLATION


PHASE II & III – LANDSCAPING / SIDEWALK !The proposed approach for completing the school’s landscaping is based on the “zero landscaping” methodology. This zero landscaping approach is being recommended due to its aesthetic and modern appeal, in addition to its low maintenance cost. Most importantly, however, this approach speaks to the community’s commitment to environmental sustainability and stewardship – reducing the community’s ecological footprint, and use of water.

Rocks, pebbles and assorted small shrubbery and wild grass (as illustrated in the picture above) are low-maintenance and add to the new look and feel of the school.


PHASE IV & V – DRIVEWAY & EXERCISE EQUIPMENT !Though the exact details and project timeline will need to be solidified by the Steering Committee, it is recommended that the school’s proposed new landscaping and sidewalk be supplemented by constructing a paved driveway. This driveway could follow the same environmentally conscious model used throughout the proposed project, and could be made out of reclaimed asphalt – similar to the asphalt used for the renewal of the south service road in the Village of Vibank. The use of this environmentally friendly material would serve as yet another means of demonstrating the school’s commitment to environmental sustainability, not to mention substantially reducing the cost of creating a paved driveway at the front of the school.!!

!!The project can culminate with the installation of outdoor exercise equipment. Students and community members alike could utilize this equipment, and would allow the project to leverage grant availabilities – not to mention the fact that students could create active and healthier lives for themselves, and the lives of those in the future. The installation of the outdoor exercise equipment would complement the eventual renewal of outdoor recreational space near the school, and would solidify the community’s focus and commitment to health and physical activity.

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Education

Vibank School Strategic Partnership Proposal