District 191 • Burnsville - Eagan - Savage (MN)
Faced with shrinking enrollment and a nagging perception issue at the middle school level, the District 191 team knew they had to take decisive action to help change the narrative.
The Story
When five-year projections showed that District 191 was on pace to lose hundreds of students, the news — while jarring — inspired action. One of those actions was to work with CESO Communications on branding and enrollment marketing work that would help the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage community more fully understand the unique characteristics that set District 191 apart.
And the timing was perfect, as their renowned Pathways program — a program powered by student curiosity and real-world opportunity — was in the first year of a three-year expansion plan to include learners from PreK all the way through high school.
The Outcome
A branding overhaul started in 2020 and was centered on the Pathways Program, leveraging the terms "Spark," "Fuel," and "Blaze" to describe the progression from elementary to high school and beyond. A new graphic identity featuring extensive iconography and a striking logo helped capture attention.
Using creative work as a foundation, CESO Communications partnered with District 191 staff to find and share inspiring stories of students discovering their passion and following it into adulthood. These stories fueled the ensuing enrollment marketing work — including landing pages, paid social, virtual open houses, and even a brand-new District 191 magazine!
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