{"modal":{"name":"case-modal","html":"
\n\t\t

The College Board and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Case Study<\/h2>\n\t
\n\t\t

Overview<\/h3>\r\n

The College Board and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launched the Young Epidemiology Scholars (YES) Competition in 2003 to inspire high school students to study epidemiology and enter the public health field. With generous scholarships, nationally recognized sponsors and prestigious judges, the YES Competition initially generated growing awareness and entries. In 2010, after several years of shrinking media coverage, the College Board made the decision to reinvigorate PR and marketing. Engaging program alumni in all aspects of the campaign was an essential objective. The agency team set out to identify and integrate their stories throughout the program.<\/p>\r\n

The Program<\/h3>\r\n

The fully integrated media and marketing campaign positioned the YES Competition as the nation’s leading public health competition for high school students and linked the program and its scholars to today’s most urgent public health issues. Program alumni were contacted on a regular basis with carefully structured questionnaires to capture the most compelling “Where Are They Now?” stories. Alumni were engaged to speak at key competition events, interviewed and profiled for the program website and newsletters, and utilized as media ambassadors with the press.<\/p>\r\n

The team also conceptualized and launched an online Epidemiology Calendar, www.epicalendar.com<\/a>, an interactive resource for teachers and students that linked alumni profiles to the events, people and institutions that have shaped the course of public health from the 14th century to today. The marketing campaign included newsletters, flyers and the creation of the first YES Scholars Bio Book, a 136-page full-color booklet telling the stories of the students and the inspirations behind their projects.<\/p>\r\n

Results<\/h3>\r\n

In 2010, print coverage rose nearly 500 percent; broadcast coverage over 100 percent. In 2011, the campaign reached more than 295 million people through some 400 media placements. Fully 83 percent of the coverage included College Board and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation mentions. The central positioning of the program and its mission to encourage new generations to enter the field of public health gained significant play in major news outlets including the Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, FOX News and National Public Radio.<\/p>\r\n

A special initiative with the Georgia Department of Education brought program alumni into the Atlanta public school system to share their success stories in public health education with the next generation. The initiative connected program alumni with hundreds of Atlanta students and generated significant media coverage, including a major feature in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.<\/p>\r\n

To celebrate eight years of YES, the team organized a special event in Washington DC for YES alumni to network and explore present-day health concerns with nationally renowned epidemiologists and public health professionals.   The YES Experience<\/em> was attended by YES Scholars from all eight years of the program with special guests including Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Michael McGinnis of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, and many former judges who supported the program since its inception.  A commemorative YES Experience<\/em> magazine was also published, telling the story of YES from the diverse perspectives of students, judges and organizers.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>"}}