Scripps PRSSA 2013 Bateman Case Study Competition

5/27/2018 Scripps PRSSA 2013 Bateman Case Study Competition

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2013 Bateman Compet it ionOhio University: Scripps PRSSA

Nicole SpearsTheresa Ianni

Marisa DockumMelaina LewisMarissa McDaid

Faculty adviser: Professonal adviser:

Dan Farkas Devin Hughes


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Table of ContentsExecutive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Key Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Key Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Situational Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Our Sponsor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Problems & Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . 2SWOT analysis of region. . . . . . . . . . . 3

SWOT analysis of campaign . . . . . . . . . . 1

Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Objective 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Objective 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Objective 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Secondary Research. . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Primary Research. . . . . . . .. . . . . . .3

Nicole SpearsTeam Leader

Theresa IanniDirector ofDigital

Promotions

Marissa McDaidDirector of

PrintPromotions

Melaina LewisDirector of Event

Planning

Marisa DockuDirector of

Community Outr

Dan FarkasFacutly Adviser

Devin HughesProfessionalAdviser


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1

Among the many types of violence in the United States, bullying is the most

common. Even worse, bullying occurs in schools where students are supposed to feel

safe while experiencing one of the most important fundamentals of healthy devlopment:

education. There needs to be a more effective way to stop bullying and to allow kids to

feel safe in school. The Reach Out for Friendship campaign aimed to meet that need.

The goals of this campaign were to educate and inform students and parents of the short-

and long- term effects of bullying while teaching them a proactive, behavior-based way to pre-

vent bullying. Although it was an anti-bullying campaign, Reach Out for Friendship took a unique

approach. Instead of only focusing on how to prevent bullying, we found the most effective way to

stop bullying is to teach others not only how to stop bullying when it occurs, but also how to be a

friend from the start.

1) There are many ways to combat bullying, including proactively acting as a friend.

Research rationale: Bullying stems from the most basic of human behaviors. By displaying that

bullying is not a socially acceptable behavior, it can be possible to truly reverse this function.

2) There are both long- and short-term effects of bullying that not only affect the victim,

but also the bully, family members and bystanders.

Research rationale: According to The Bully Project, suicide is a known and legitimate consequence

of youth bullying.

3) Bullying is a serious and potentially threatening problem in the city of Athens, Ohio.

Research rationale: As observed in our primary research conducted within Athens City School

District classrooms, students on average reported that they have witnessed bullying within the

past week.

Key Audience The key audience of this campaign

was students and community members,

ages 10 to 19. With that in mind, we

reached out to elementary school, middle

school, high school and early college

students. Additionally, we focused on

raising awareness to parents and

educators who impact students on a daily

basis. They were our secondaryaudience.

SWOT Analysis of Campaign

Strengths Weaknesses

ThreatsOpportunities

Positive perspective-

does not blame bully

or victim

Anthropological

focus on changing

behavior

Bullying may not be

considered a serious

problem compared to

other regional issues

Aversion of college

students by low-

income locals

Connections to

local schools

Partnerships with

local businesses

Credible anti-bullying

programs are already

in existence

Limited by budget

and time frame

Executive Summary

Key Messages


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Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Athens County is the

second poorest county in Ohio, with 31.1 percent of its residents under the age of 18

falling below the national poverty line according to 2011 U.S. Census data. Increased

media coverage of bullying issues, such as the 2011 lm The Bully Project, recently

brought the issue to the attention of school administrators in the Athens area.

Founded in 1984, the Appalachian Peace and Justice

Network (APJN), a regional non-prot, has spent the last several

decades working to advocate non-violence, environmental health,

diversity and social equality. During the 2011-2012 school year,

APJN implemented the Second Step Bully and Violence

Prevention curriculum, a national program used to teach the

social and emotional skills needed to prevent violence and bullying

in schools. A Second Step lesson was taught once a during a 23

week period in classrooms at Athens Middle School, EastElementary, West Elementary, Morrison Elementary and The Plains

Elementary. The Reach Out for Friendship resource kit was reviewed by APJN director

and trainer Mara Giglio before its implementation in classrooms.

Our Sponsor

Problem:Increased security measures in public schools- In light of recent instances of school

violence such as the shooting in Newtown, Conn., local schools have taken extra precautions to

ensure that strangers do not have open access to school facilities or students. Any materials being

distributed to students must be approved by school administrators. All visitors to Athens school

buildings must have their destination within the building and the purpose of their visit approved by

administrators before receiving a guest pass.

Opportunity:The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education & Athens City School

partnership- Student teachers from Ohio Universitys Patton College of Education can assist us by

implementing our Reach Out for Friendship resource kits in their classrooms or by passing our kits

along to other teachers who are able to use them. Having a pre-established connection between O

University students and Athens City School teachers will help us gain credibility and trust in each

school.

Problem:Vast rural, impoverished area- Athens, Ohio has a population density of 128.6 people pesquare mile, classifying it as a rural area according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Some residents do

not have adequate transportation to get to town, affecting the attendance of campaign events that a

held on campus or uptown.

Problems & Opportunities

Situational Analysis


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SWOT Analysis of RegionStrengths Weaknesses

ThreatsOpportunities

Local business &

community support

Ohio Universitys

academic resources

Vast rural areas

Poverty &

socioeconomic

strains trickle down

to children

Appalachian Peace

& Justice Network

partnership

Ohio Universitys

partnership with

Athens City Schools

Resentment and fear

toward organizations

such as Childrens

ServicesAversion of college

students by low-

income locals

Opportunity:Well-established activists

within the community- In addition to the

Appalachian Peace and Justice Network, Reach O

for Friendship can utilize other well-established community organizations and local non

prots such as Big Brothers Big Sisters or the

Sorjourners Care Network. Athens, Ohio is also hom

to a state-of-the-art community center that hosts

sports programs, tness classes and educational

events for residents of all ages.

Research

Guidance Counselors Primarily teenage girls and students of low socieconomic status

Bullying has changed in the last ten years

Generally takes place online

Adminstrators can intervene if online bullying is found

The best way to combat bullying is to start addressing and educating

on the issue at a young age

Teachers, Principals, Superintendent Athens has little funding for outside educational programs

The area is in need of bullying education

Students are more attentive and receptive when working with

college students, instead of their everyday teachers

We conducted interviews with guidance conselors, high school

teachers, elementary school teachers, prinicpals and

superintendents all over Athens School District, parents and

Ohio University experts.

A local youth takes her anti-bul

pledge by painting her handp

on the Grafti Wall.

Primary


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Athens parents do not take advantage of free programming

Stigma exists between community and Children Services

Many Athens families to do not have access to the Internet and technology

Parents are concerned about bullying in the community

They want their children to be aware of bullying

Rationale: In a 2012 census, the Athens County population was estimated at 64,304. Thisincludes Ohio University students who may be temporary Athens residents. By reaching 1,500

community members, our impact would reach over 2 percent of the Athens population.

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Ohio University experts

Parents

Ohio University Bullying Expert, Dr. Hogan Sherrow, applies primatology and

anthropology to modern youth bullying issues

Society needs structure, and adults give children structure by fullling authoritative roles

To prevent bullying, we need to address the basic behavior

Secondary Bullying has been linked with low self-esteem, anxiety, impaired concentration, truancy, depressiand suicidal thoughts. (Thompson, David Bullying 2002) Bullying is a pack behavior- related to the formation of cliques. Low-status people are alienated

from these groups. (Thompson, David Bullying 2002)

Children are reluctant to intervene in bullying situations (Thompson, David Bullying 2002)

31.5% Athens County residents below poverty level. (2007-2011 Census).

There are higher levels of bullying among low-income students (Thompson, David Bullying 200

Bullying is the most common form of violence in our society (Crew, The School Board of Miami-

Dade County, Florida 2007)

A study done in the College of Social Work at The University of Tennessee shows that bullying is

signicant problem in rural areas. In the previous 3 months, 51 percent of students surveyed reportbeing bullied. Additionally, 26 percent of parents stated that their child has complained of being bullied

15 percent reported their child was afraid to go to school. Teachers were reported to have intervene

in bullying behavior 56 percent of these times.

Objective #1: Increase awareness of youth bullying and its consequences by reaching1,500 members of the Athens community with the Reach Out for Friendship campaign.


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Tactic #1: Launch a Wordpress website to serve as the hub of the Reach Out forFriendship campaign containing bullying facts, resources and campaign information. In order to

align as best as possible with the Reach Out for Friendship brand, purchase a unique domain

name: www.ReachOutForFriendship.com.

Tactic #2:Create and share powerful imagery across digital channels in order to increase levof social and digital engagement. By sharing pictures we will increase the likelihood of online

engagement and reach.

Tactic #3: Utilize a Twitter (@ReachFriendship) and Facebook account to inter-act with the local community. Update Facebook daily and Tweet at least three times per

day in order to build a consistent presence.

Strategy #1: Engage and inform the community through the strategic useof social media and digital channels.

Tactic #4:Originate an impactful, short Youtube video to be shared across all social and digitchannels. The video should be approximately two minutes in length and feature a diverse group of activ

students.

Reach Out for Friendship Social Media Statistics

Wordpress Website

Reach Out for FriendshipFacebook

Reach Out for FriendshipYouTube Video

Reach Out for FriendshipTwitter

Campaign website boasts a high of

969 views throughout

the whole campaign and a daily high of 149 views.

Facebook viewed by three different countries, had all-time high

weekly reach of 3,776 people, received 130 likes and impacted

over 69,000 friends of fans. Of the 130 likes, 85 likes were from

the Athens area. With an average of 76 people talking about

Reach Out for Friendship per day, 30 of the people were fromthe Athens community

Retweets and mentions in 15 days left over 195,000

impressions.Twitter following of 170 at the end of the month.

On Facebook alone, video received 8,352 impressions. On

YouTube, video received 1,109 views and was shared by nine

viewers

Strategy #2: Implement activities and events that challenge key audience to think aboutbullying in a different way.


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Tactic #1: Host Friendship Day on February 23rd from 4 to 6 p.m. at the AthensCommunity Center to bring together those in the community involved with the campaign.

Plan a family friendly event with games and activities for all ages.

Tactic #2: We will include the logo and color scheme in all print materials to build a cohesivebrand presence.This includes posters, lesson plans, infographics, resource sheets, and more.

Tactic #2: Through the direct application of primary and secondary research, design aunique anti-bullying platform, that includes a resource kit, assessment survey, social media and

event layout that properly addresses the issue of bullying. Continually reinforce the messagethat by being a friend to others, we can stop bullying.

Strategy #3: Clearly and consistently present the purpose of Reach Out for Friendshipthrough the use of strategic brand essence and positioning.

Tactic #1: Employ professional standards of graphic design to unite the message and brand othe Reach Out for Friendship campaign. For example, our logo, a handprint, represents our messag

by symbolically reaching out.

Objective #1 Outcome - Exceeded:From our social media outlets alone The Reach Out team gathered over 250,000 impressions. Wor

press gathered 969 views, 130 likes on Facebook, generating 69,000 fans. Twitter reached 170

followers and generated 195,000 impressions. The YouTube video recieved 1,109 views generating

8,352 impressions. Friendship Day hosted 40 attendees and gained 760 impressions through multi

methods. The Resource Reach Out Kit was implemented in nine classrooms impacted 150 student

across Athens county. Over 200 pledges were signed througout the campaign.

Objective #2: Educate 300 local youth on the consequences of bullyingand how to prevent and report bullying.

Rationale: According to interviews and pre-evaluation sheets, we discovered numerous Atheyouth were unable to dene bullying, and how to prevent and report it. The best way to educate you

in the Athens community was through lesson plans and hands-on activities.

Strategy #1: Create a Reach Out Resource Kit for teachers and student teachers.


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Tactic #1: Provide resources for teachers to reference and use by taking advantageof existing resources. The resources will include hotlines, websites, tips and steps to

recognize and combat bullying.

Tactic #2: Design posters and infographics for classroom use that are tailored to the campaigtheme and will serve as content visual aids.

Tactic #3: Produce infographics, such as Ways to Reach Out posters, to demonstrate bullystatistics based on research. The team will assemble 28 Ways to Reach Out posters that will

provide students with ways to reach out and be kind for everyday the campaign is implemented.

Tactic #4: Design a lesson plan, materials and activities for teachers to educate their studentabout bullying. Specic activities will be created for different grade levels. The lesson plan will teach

students how to dene bullying, how to recognize bullying and the importance of being a friend rath

than a bully. Each student will complete an assessment before and after the lesson plan. The kit wil

include a Links project, explained below, as an in-class activity.

Tactic #5: Create the Links Project, an activity where each student will link a strip of coloredpaper to another students strip. Each resource kit will be provided with enough strips for a classroo

to complete the project. Students will be divided into groups, and teammates will discuss things the

have in common and write them down on their strip. After the students write their commonality on th

strip of paper, they will be linked together, literally and symbollically. At the end of the project every

link would be bonded together, representing the friendship they shared.

Strategy #2:Partner with student teachers to spread Reach Out for Friendship message.

Tactic #1: Host workshops for current student teachers to attend. The Reach Out team will wowith student teachers to educate them on how to handle bullying situations in schools by designing

a presentation that will feature the lesson plan, activities, posters, bullying videos and examples of

bullying situations. Expert advice from Dr. Sherrow, an Ohio University professor, on how to handle

situations and background information on bullying will be utilized.

Tactic #2: Contact student teachers in the Patton College of Education to givethem a Reach Out Resource Kit.

Tactic #3: Gain support from local businesses and the Athens County Chamber of Commerce byproviding them posters and pledge sheet for their stores.

Tactic #4: Interview on-campus bullying experts and human behavior experts to gain insighton bullying.


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Strategy #3: Design a campaign that can easily be continued after thecompletion of the Bateman Case Study Competition.

Tactic #2: Designed campaign with a long shelf-life with a pre-made lesson plan and activitiethat can be easily implemented in all grade levels.

Strategy #4: Work directly with youth in community.

Tactic #1:Host a Friendship Day, at the Athens Community Center where kids can come anplay a variety of games that emphasize the implications of friendship. The event will have a variety

activities for children, such as Mario Kart, Corn hole, Links project, Get to know me game and col-

oring contest. Each game will emphasize the importance of friendship and will challenge students toquestion bullying and how they would personally combat bullying in their schools. The event will allo

the team to work one-on-one with students and discuss bullying.

Tactic #2: Teach high school and middle school classes to combat bullying by visitingclassrooms. Our team will create a Prezi presentation for classrooms and interactive activities for

student participation. The Prezi is designed to educate students on the consequences and impacts

bullying. A discussions-based activity will follow a deep discussion about bullying on a more person

level.

Tactic #1:Implement Reach Out for Friendship in community summer camps. Afterpartnering with the Athens Community Center to host Friendship Day, the center director

decided to implement our campaign into the centers summer camps. The campaign will

have a lasting effect in Athens community.

Tactic #3: Paint the Grafti Wall and pledge against bullying. Both events promoted our campaign and encouraged people to pledge against bullying. Our team planned the events to spread th

awareness on campus and through the community.

Team members deliver the Reach Out

lesson plan at Athens High School.


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Objective #3: Inform 50 community stakeholders on bullying prevention methods.Rationale: To ensure our campaign impacted the community we worked with 17 businesses ocampus, 20 businesses throughout the community, involved 500 Ohio University students an

connected directly with 10 faculty members. From our research on the local community and t

various problematic factors, the best way to spread our campaign was directly into the community.

Strategy #1: Raise on-campus awareness with students and faculty members.

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Objective #2 Outcome - Exceeded:The Reach Out Resource Kit and lesson plan was implemented in nine classrooms, and

reached a total of 150 students- exceeding our goal by 50 youth. Post lesson plan, the

average of 37 fourth through eighth graders answers rose from being unaware of bullying

consquences to highly aware. The same trend followed for answers concerning awareness

of how to help a bullying situation and being comfortable in the classroom and with peers.

The average out of 113 high schoolers reported that they are somewhat concerned about

the harmful effects of bullying may have on them or peers and became highly concerned

about the harmful effects of bullying after the lesson. High school students also reported

having a low interest in taking initiative to end bulying, but noted being more interested post

lesson. Similarily, students were uncomfortable helping their peers if they became a victim of

bullying, but reported being signicantly more comfortable after the lesson.

Tactic #2: Reach out to the Ohio University Dean of Students, Jenny Hall-Jones, and VicePresident of Student Affairs Lombardi to inform them of the campaign. The team will establish an

email relationship, giving Jones and Lombardi regular updates, and will have an in-person meeting

with Jones. Speak about the campaign goals at an Ohio University Student Senate board meeting

with more than 100 students and administrators in attendance.

Tactic #1: Paint the Richland Bridge grafti wall during Ohio Universitys Sibs Weekend.The grafti wall, a prominent campus location, is passed by thousands of students daily. The team

will paint Reach Out For Friendships logo, Twitter handle, slogan, and it will encourage passing

students and sibs to mark their hand on the wall.

Tactic #3: Send emails to each Greek organization Presidents, Community Service Chairs anPublic Relations Chairs to inform them of our efforts and offer a way for them to participate.

Tactic #4: Email Patton College of Education staff members, student teachers and studentorganizations to inform them about efforts and invite them to events.

The completed Reach Out for FriendshipGrafti Wall was painted with hundreds of

handprints from students and

community members.


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Strategy #3: Connect with local community leaders and change agents who have a positivreputation throughout Athens.

Tactic #2: Contact the Athens Community Center to host the Friendship Day event.Tactic #3: Invite the Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Appalachian Peace and Justice Networkto all events, and inform them of the campaign.

Tactic #4: Send nal links to all social media outlets to the President of the Ohio School BoaAssociation, Rick Lewis.

Tactic #4: Design materials for the ease of use for teachers. To ensure credibility of materialscomply with Ohio Department of Education standards and obtain professional approval.

Tactic #3: Have eight classrooms implement the Reach Out Resource Kit, teach students abwhat bullying is, the short- and long-term effects of bullying and ways to reach out. The classrooms

will then hang Reach Out posters and contact information on the walls for display.

Tactic #2:Campaign representatives meet with Athens City School principals tointroduce the campaign and to assist with reaching out to teachers.

Tactic #1: Two campaign representatives meet with Athens City SchoolsSuperintendent, Carl Martin, for campaign approval and support.

Tactic #1: Contact Athens Chamber of Commerce President, Wendy Jakmas. Chamber willsend along social media links and storefront posters to all Chamber business members.

Objective #3 Outcome - Exceeded:The Reach Out team directly contact

562 community stakeholders via phone, email and events, exceeding our goal by 512 people. A totaof 20 business owners were aware of the campaign and hung up posters in storefront windows, ten

Greek organizations were informed about the initiative, ve student teacher organizations were

contacted and ten Ohio University faculty members were contacted or met with. The team had

in-person meetings with a total of four principals, four teachers and one superintendent for the Athe

City Schools. Directors at the Athens Chamber of Commerce and the Athens Community Center fu

supported the campaign, along with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

Conclusion: The Reach Out for Friendship team has been acclaimed a success by participancommunity members, and educators! We met our goal of raising local awareness on the issues

surrounding youth bullying within the Athens community by presenting a new perspective of choosinfriendship. Our key accomplishments that made Reach Out for Friendship a success were raising

awareness with 7 media placements, attracting more than 1,000 viewers to our Reach Out YouTube

video, garnering the support of more than 50 local leaders and stakeholders including the Executive

Director of the Ohio School Board Association, and ultimately producing various quantiable results

that displayed the true impact that Reach Out for Friendship was able to achieve.

Strategy #2: Establish relationships with Athens City Schools.


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Appendix I: Print Materials

Storefront posters weredistributed to local Athensbusinesses.

Infographic inserted in eachReach Out Resource Kit and huup in each classroom for themonth of February.


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*Reach Out Resource Kits are included in package*

Invitations to Friendship Daythat were printed and distribat a Ohio University basketbgame, Athens CommunityCenter youth basketball gamand were emailed to each

Athens City School principa

An example of the 28 posters wdifferent ways to reach out. Eaday one was posted on socialmedia outlets and examples weincluded in the Reach OutResource Kits.


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Appendix II: Digital Presence

Website


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Twitter


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Facebook


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Tumblr


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YouTube: Reach out for Friendship Video


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Appendix III: Press Clippings

http://www.athensnews.com/ohio/article-39002-ou-students-to-comba.html


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http://thenewpolom/2013/02/12/oprssa-works-to-

combat-bullying/


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http://thepost.ohu/category/tags/out-friendship


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http://www.ohio.edu/compass/stories/12-13/2/Bullying-campaign.cfm


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http://blogonthks.com/2013/0/spotlight-reacout-for-friends


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http://bit.ly/WocvCW


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http://www.athensohiotoday.com/news/ou-students-to-launch-anti-bully-campaign-as-part-

of/article_9fb20d65-1f70-5ea4-9ee2-ef42852afa99.html


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Appendix V: Recommendations

Lynn Stevens, Athens High School English teacherMy students loved this program. This is the best, free program that wascome to Athens schools in a long time.

Your team has changed my perspective on Ohio University students. Iam so glad I did not pass it off like I normally do when university studentscontact me.

Brian Dearing, Athens High School Sociology teacherThe presentation was very organized and interactive. I feel that yourmessage really connected with my students.

I would love to have you and your program back in the future.

Nicole Rhinehart, Professional Intern and Student TeacherThe Reach Out for Friendship campaign really helped my fourth gradestudents become more aware of the issue of bullying. It also helped buildour classroom community through an open discussion about our safeschool environment.

Rich Campitelli, Director of Athens Community Arts, Parks and RecreationThis is a worth-while program that the Athens community needs. Wewould love to continue the program in our summer camps.

Allison Jordan, Scripps PRSSA PresidentI couldnt be more proud of our Bateman team. I have seen that this campaignis much more than a competition for them, and they have become passionateabout fighting bullying in the Athens community.

Documents

Scripps PRSSA 2013 Bateman Case Study Competition