Education and Youth

Providing effective communications strategies, creating campaigns, and developing messaging to influence policies that benefit children and youth are unique strengths of Douglas Gould and Company. We are committed to helping non-profits actualize their missions to advance the health, well-being and potential of all children and youth.

With funding from the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, the Connecticut Voices for Children convened a collaborative of child advocacy organizations and sought our expertise to create a statewide communications advocacy campaign to advance early care and education policies within the state. Following an extensive review of the research in Connecticut, we worked closely with Collaborative members to develop a comprehensive communications plan, including a campaign concept, messages, timeline of activities, budget and staff requirements.

Funded by a collaborative group of foundations, Douglas Gould and Company engaged a broad array of early care and education providers, business leaders and public officials in creating a new brand identity, messages and a comprehensive communications strategy including staff descriptions and assignments to promote Pennsylvania’s expanding pre-k programs.

Under Governor Rendell, the state has energized numerous departments and undertaken a major reorganization of programs to help children and families. Douglas Gould and Company conducted a communications audit of the state's early childhood efforts and created a comprehensive communications campaign. We worked with staff to train advocates and stakeholders across Pennsylvania.

A national group committed to mobilizing research, policies and action nationwide to benefit students, families and communities, the Coalition for Community Schools is helping today's schools and communities transition to meet the needs of the 21st century and a global economy. Our strategic communications support came at a critical point as the group transitioned from a decade of conducting research toward a new era of policy influence. Participating in a multi-phase planning effort with coalition leaders, we facilitated discussions on values, purpose and practice that led to new mission and vision statements, a research-informed messaging strategy and tagline.

Our work spans several years, beginning with a strategic communications plan and continuing through implementation, media and message training, Web site redevelopment and a host of media relations supports. Working closely with staff and leadership, we drafted and placed policy op-eds and letters in the Christian Science Monitor and the Minneapolis Star Tribune and secured appearances on Air America and National Public Radio. With a commitment to building internal organizational capacity, we helped them structure their communications efforts and bring in a staff director to lead their work moving forward.