As we started working on this issue, a total solar eclipse passed over North America, an event that won’t be repeated for another 20 years. At our office in Little Rock, Arkansas, we were in the direct path of totality. Leading up to the big moment, we were all excited—but I don’t think we really understood the magnitude of what we were about to witness. After all, most of us had seen a partial eclipse before. How different could it be?
We couldn’t have been more mistaken. We weren’t prepared for evening darkness to fall over the sky at 2 p.m., for the sound of birdsong to be replaced by chirping crickets. We weren’t prepared for the awe of standing in a park with hundreds of other people—tourists and locals alike—all of us cheering when the last sliver of sun slid behind the moon. And I don’t think we were prepared to still be thinking about that experience three months later, but here we are. Some of us cried. Some of us bought astronomy guides and telescopes afterward. At the risk of sounding cliché, we’ll remember that moment for the rest of our lives.
The eclipse taught us a lesson that we want to pass on to you: In-person experiences are powerful. When a moment surprises and moves you, it makes you see the world differently. It can even change your behavior. And if you experience that moment with others—even strangers—it has the power to bring you closer together.
So in this edition of SchoolCEO, we’re focusing on the experiences, both big and small, that bind people to your school district. We’ll teach you about what the private sector calls experiential marketing and the ways it can benefit your schools. We’ll show you how real districts have created incredible, showstopping experiences for their stakeholders, from a surprise teacher shopping spree to a districtwide musical to a series of themed playgrounds. We’ll also consider the day-to-day experiences—the moments between science fairs, award ceremonies and other big events—that show families you care all year round.
There’s one more thing the eclipse showed us: The smallest shifts can make a world of difference. The eclipses we’d seen in the past may have been 90% of the way to totality, but that extra 10% made this one a life-changing moment. As you plan experiences for your schools, from the daily classroom experience to big events, think about how you can add that extra 10%. It might just win your district a lifelong advocate.
As we started working on this issue, a total solar eclipse passed over North America, an event that won’t be repeated for another 20 years. At our office in Little Rock, Arkansas, we were in the direct path of totality. Leading up to the big moment, we were all excited—but I don’t think we really understood the magnitude of what we were about to witness. After all, most of us had seen a partial eclipse before. How different could it be?
We couldn’t have been more mistaken. We weren’t prepared for evening darkness to fall over the sky at 2 p.m., for the sound of birdsong to be replaced by chirping crickets. We weren’t prepared for the awe of standing in a park with hundreds of other people—tourists and locals alike—all of us cheering when the last sliver of sun slid behind the moon. And I don’t think we were prepared to still be thinking about that experience three months later, but here we are. Some of us cried. Some of us bought astronomy guides and telescopes afterward. At the risk of sounding cliché, we’ll remember that moment for the rest of our lives.
The eclipse taught us a lesson that we want to pass on to you: In-person experiences are powerful. When a moment surprises and moves you, it makes you see the world differently. It can even change your behavior. And if you experience that moment with others—even strangers—it has the power to bring you closer together.
So in this edition of SchoolCEO, we’re focusing on the experiences, both big and small, that bind people to your school district. We’ll teach you about what the private sector calls experiential marketing and the ways it can benefit your schools. We’ll show you how real districts have created incredible, showstopping experiences for their stakeholders, from a surprise teacher shopping spree to a districtwide musical to a series of themed playgrounds. We’ll also consider the day-to-day experiences—the moments between science fairs, award ceremonies and other big events—that show families you care all year round.
There’s one more thing the eclipse showed us: The smallest shifts can make a world of difference. The eclipses we’d seen in the past may have been 90% of the way to totality, but that extra 10% made this one a life-changing moment. As you plan experiences for your schools, from the daily classroom experience to big events, think about how you can add that extra 10%. It might just win your district a lifelong advocate.