Rockingham Community College’s promise is to provide equitable opportunities and resources for all local high school students and to establish a foundation for a strong, skilled workforce to stimulate economic expansion in the greater Reidsville, N.C. community. The Rockingham Promise is a scholarship fund offering two years of free, in-state tuition.

Problem is, very few high school students had ever heard of it. So the funder, Reidsville Area Foundation, hired 1000 Feathers to gather data through interviews, listening sessions, and a literature review, in order to make recommendations about how the college can fulfill its promise to local youth as well as the community-at-large.

1000 Feathers began by convening a steering committee of 40 students, teachers, and administrators from the college and four local high schools. By including the voices of all key stakeholders, 1000 Feathers created a shared sense of ownership and commitment to the work. When the first phase was complete, the college immediately re-engaged 1000 Feathers to help implement the recommended strategies.

Not only did the firm revamp both the college’s and public school system’s website, social media, marketing, and public relations to place emphasis on Rockingham Promise, 1000 Feathers also developed key performance indicators and data communication protocols. Now, Rockingham Community College and Rockingham County Schools are engaging and supporting more students, eliminating financial barriers to attend college, and increasing enrollment in workforce-development and technical-skills courses.