Announcement Toolkit: 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence

Bridget DeSimone, Burness
P: 301.280.5735
E: bdesimone@burness.com

Tiffany Yoon, College Excellence Program, The Aspen Institute
P: 202-736-3531
E: tiffany.yoon@aspeninstitute.org

Full text of the national press release is available below

Local releases for the winner(s), finalist(s) with distinction, and rising star(s) are available below. For remaining finalist institutions, we have uploaded statements from Josh Wyner recognizing each institution’s accomplishments and highlighting outstanding data points that led to the community college being selected as one of this year’s finalists.

Video sound bites from Josh Wyner commenting on the winner, finalists with distinction, and rising stars, as well as a full recording of the March 14th ceremony, available below:

• 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence (Full Ceremony): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_QQxCJi7Hk
• Josh Wyner on 2017 Aspen Prize Winner and Finalists: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDI7wI7NYNM
• Josh Wyner on Lake Area Technical Institute, Winner of 2017 Aspen Prize: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS4BVS8RT1o
• Josh Wyner on Indian River State College: 2017 Aspen Prize Finalist with Distinction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVgYqcWEwCM
• Josh Wyner on Broward College: 2017 Aspen Prize Finalist with Distinction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdrm2aNmPcI
• Josh Wyner on San Jacinto: 2017 Aspen Prize Rising Star: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os3tJzeC7pU
• Josh Wyner on Odessa College: 2017 Aspen Prize Rising Star: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-YQJR6AYoo

This section contains new logos for institutions who receive further recognition. Institutions who are not identified with further designations may continue to use the “Finalist – 2017 Aspen Prize Top 10 for Community College Excellence” logo.  This logo is the only approved logo to be used. It may not be edited in any way. You are welcome to include it on printed materials, electronic media, and signage for your institution.

Photographs from the 2017 Prize Event available below. Please credit photographer: Patrice Gilbert

In the weeks leading up to the event, we will use social media to actively promote the accomplishments of all the finalist institutions and increase interest in the March 14^th announcement. During the event, we will live tweet and use Facebook LIVE to broadcast key moments. If you have not already, be sure to connect with us!

TWITTER: @AspenHigherEd. Tweet with #AspenPrize

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/aspenhighered/

INSTAGRAM: @AspenInstitute

Below are some suggestions on how to help amplify our efforts and spread the word about the Prize event and the exceptional, innovative, and effective practices being implemented at your institution and within the Aspen Prize Finalist network.

• Retweet @AspenHigherEd tweets, share our Facebook LIVE videos, and re-post Instagram posts with your followers leading up to the March 14^th announcement and on announcement day.
• Live tweet and post during the event and encourage faculty, staff, students and other supporters to spread the word.
• Use #AspenPrize in all of your social media posts across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
• Ask individuals and organizations in your networks to help spread the word about the event announcement on their social media channels – such as college staff, students, parents, partnering organizations, vendors and others.
• Write a post for your own blog or as a guest blog on another site that talks about why your college is making a difference, what designation you received in this competition, about what this recognition means to your community college and to the communities you serve.
• Share photos with your supporters/students/staff via Instagram, Flickr, Twitter, and Facebook; or post a short slideshow afterwards and share it across networks.

Suggested Tweets:

• Will [insert name of your institution] win the #AspenPrize? Tune in to the live broadcast on March 14^th [insert local time] to find out: LIVESTREAM LINK
• Learn more from @JoshWyner of @AspenInstitute on why community colleges like ours are so vital #AspenPrize [link to YT video]
• [Tweet stats about your college’s student outcomes: graduation rates, median earnings for graduates, etc] #AspenPrize
• [Tweet photos of your president at the event or students watching the announcement] #AspenPrize

Storify: At the end of the event, we will create a storify, highlighting tweets from campuses, moments from the event, and other mentions of #AspenPrize. Please feel free to share after it has been created. For an example of a Storify, please see https://storify.com/AspenHigherEd/aspen-presidential-fellowship-for-community-colleg.