Case Study
Multimedia Storytelling for Impact
by Jessica Johnson, Former Program Manager, MakerUSA & Outreach and Advocacy Manager, STE(A)M Truck
Summary
STE(A)M Truck is a fleet of mobile makerspaces (and now an in person makerspace) based in Atlanta, Georgia, founded by Jason Martin in 2014. STE(A)M Truck provides hands-on, project-based STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) learning experiences that ignite creativity, foster critical thinking, and prepare students for future careers. View the story from Jason Martin here. STE(A)M Truck serves primarily students from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds in the Metro Atlanta area, ranging from elementary to high school age. The program also engages educators and community members, offering professional development and community workshops to further disseminate STEAM education and practices. This case study highlights how a non-profit can effectively counteract generalized and rushed content, developing meaningful, long-standing multimedia narratives to solidify its brand as a community staple.
The Challenge
Challenge 1: Generalized Content in Social Media and Newsletters
Initially, our social media and newsletter content was too generalized, failing to engage specific audience segments effectively.
Challenge 2: Inconsistent and Rushed Social Media Content
Our social media strategy initially suffered from a lack of planning, leading to sporadic and thoughtless posts.
Target Population
Multimedia storytelling is designed to serve multiple stakeholders: the nonprofit organization itself by boosting its visibility and funding opportunities; the community, particularly students and educators, providing engaging and informative content; and donors and partners by showcasing the impact of their support and the outcomes of collaborative efforts.
Program Structure
Creating a holistic and integrated approach to multimedia storytelling encompasses:
Social Media Campaigns: Timely and thematic content campaigns aligned with STE(A)M Truck's activities and community events.
Newsletters: Regular updates that segment the audience based on engagement levels to maximize the relevance and impact of the content shared. Newsletters should be a secondary platform to highlight events that are upcoming as well as showcase those that have passed (and thank sponsors). This is incredibly important to use as an article/reference for grant reporting.
Printable Resources: Flyers and brochures are developed to provide tangible insights into STE(A)M Truck's work that are distributed during events and through partner networks.
Recommended Tools:
Monday.com: Used for project management, ensuring that all team members are on track with their tasks and deadlines.
Canva: For designing engaging graphics for social media, newsletters, and printable materials.
Inkscape: Free, advanced design tool used for creating high-quality visual content for diverse platforms.
Otter.ai: For recording and transcribing interviews and meetings, useful for content creation.
QDA Miner Lite: For analyzing qualitative data from community interactions to enhance storytelling.
Tableau: For showcasing data visualizations.
Helpful Tutorials:
Invest in training for your teams to effectively use multimedia tools and develop a strategic content calendar that aligns with your operational calendar. Regularly assess the impact of your storytelling efforts through engagement metrics and community feedback to continually refine your approach.
Example social media post for Engineers Week
This STE(A)M Truck Postcard highlights the importance of STEAM education.
Informational signage used at a conference.
Key Designers
Outreach and Advocacy Manager: Leads the narrative creation and ensures alignment with outreach goals.
Executive Director: Provides strategic oversight and aligns the storytelling with organizational objectives.
Impact Team: Including a grant writer, data coordinator, and social impact director, this team ensures that all content is evidence-based and reflects the true impact of the organization.
Social Media Team Members: Responsible for crafting and executing engaging social media content.
Key Partners
Programming and Implementation Teams: These are essential for providing authentic stories from the ground, offering firsthand insights into the daily impacts of the nonprofit's work.
Community Members: Engagement with the community allows for the gathering of both qualitative and quantitative data that enrich storytelling and provide a basis for authentic narratives.
Program Timeline
STE(A)M Truck operates year-round with the fiscal year running from August - July as peak activity is during the school year (August - May). Special events and camps are held during summer months (Educator Summit and Girls Camp). STE(A)M Truck’s storytelling is ongoing, with special emphasis during key education-related dates and fundraising periods.
Example Timeline:
Summer (June - August): Planning phase, content strategy development, and initial content creation.
Fall (September - December): Launch and implementation of the storytelling campaign, with a focus on back-to-school activities and end-of-year fundraising.
Winter to Spring (January - June): Continued content delivery aligned with educational cycles and community events, preparation for the annual report.
Key Education-Related Dates:
International Day of Education - January 24
National Mentoring Month - January
Black History Month - February
National Engineers Week - February (Varies each year, usually the third week)
Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day - During National Engineers Week
Digital Learning Day - February (Varies each year)
Read Across America Day (Dr. Seuss Day) - March 2
Women’s History Month - March
National Robotics Week - April (First full week)
Earth Day - April 20
School Library Month - April
National Library Week - April (Second full week)
Autism Awareness Month - April
Math Awareness Month - April
Asian American and Pacfic Islander Heritage Month - May
Teacher Appreciation Week - First full week of May
Teacher Appreciation Day - Tuesday of the first full week of May
Disability Pride Month - July
Intersectionality Awareness Month - August
National Book Month - October
World Teachers’ Day - October 5
Earth Science Week - October (Second full week)
Hispanic Heritage Month - September 15 to October 15
National Arts in Education Week - September (Second full week)
American Education Week - November (Third full week)
Indigenous/ Native American Heritage Month - November
National STEM Day - November 8
National Career Development Month - November
National Children’s Book Week - Usually in May and November (Varies each year)
Universal Human Rights Month - December
Computer Science Education Week - December (First full week)
Fundraising Periods:
Organization’s Anniversary Date
National Non-profit Day (August 17)
Giving Tuesday (November)
National STEM Day - November 8
Challenges
Lack of Team Training in Content Capture: Previously, our team lacked the necessary training to effectively capture and produce content in the absence of the outreach and advocacy/comms team. To address this gap, we conducted comprehensive training sessions focused on photography styles, layouts, and audiovisual techniques.
Lack of Team Training in Content Design: We provided multiple training sessions on design using Canva and Inkscape, empowering team members to create and design content independently. This initiative enhanced our team's capability to produce quality content consistently and also ensured continuity and timely updates around our engagements, irrespective of the availability of our small communications team.
Outcomes
Generalized Content in Social Media and Newsletters:
Audience Segmentation: Continue refining audience segmentation for newsletters and social media to focus on highly engaged users. Implement regular audits to identify and reactivate disengaged segments.
Content Personalization: Develop targeted content streams based on user interaction history and preferences to increase relevance and engagement.
Interactive Campaigns: Expand interactive elements like live Q&A sessions, user-generated content campaigns, and real-time event coverage to boost engagement and foster community involvement.
Partner Engagement: Strengthen collaborations with local organizations by co-creating content and cross-promoting events, effectively amplifying reach and impact.
Analytics and Feedback: Regularly analyze engagement metrics and gather user feedback to continuously adapt and refine content strategies.
Inconsistent and Rushed Social Media Content:
Content Calendar Development: Establish a detailed content calendar linked directly with programming and event schedules to ensure timely and thematic content production.
Team Coordination: Enhance coordination between communications and programming teams to anticipate content needs and gather materials in advance of events.
Quality Assurance: Implement a review process for all posts to maintain consistency in tone, style, and quality across all platforms.
Training and Resources: Provide ongoing training for team members on best practices in content creation and the latest digital media tools and platforms.
Success Metrics: Set clear performance indicators for social media engagement and adjust strategies based on analytics data to improve the effectiveness of posts.
Contact
Dr. Marsha Francis, Executive Director, STE(A)M Truck
marsha@steamtruck.org