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9 Apr 2020 | |
Building Your Community |
COVID-19 has undoubtedly affected people, jobs and industries everywhere. Traditional methods of communication, events, and engagement can no longer be performed in parts of the world due to social distancing. However, that doesn’t mean they have to stop altogether. Many schools and organizations have turned to the online world in order to keep connected to their communities and to keep planned events on the calendar. Below are five ways to keep your alumni communities engaged during COVID-19.
1. Go Traditional with Letters
In a period when many of us are social distancing, why not break up all the online communication with some tangible letters! Here’s how it can work:
2. Virtual Reunion Events
Have your events been canceled due to COVID-19? If this is the case, you can still create an online community where you can host pub quizzes and virtual coffee meetups to stay connected. If a school reunion was due for the year, you can still create a portal where people can share posts and photos. That way old classmates can still catch up with one another.
3. Online Auction
Many spring auctions have been cancelled but that does not mean you can’t move them online. One school who has been doing this particularly well is St. James School. Eleanor, Development Officer of SJS, explains how they have moved their art event online:
4. Stay Engaged Forum
Create a new discussion forum for people to share ideas and chat. In fact, if you’re interested in joining one, check out the AROPS forum for alumni officials to share ideas here: https://arops.org.uk/homepage/forum.
5. Social Distancing News Series
Now that many social activities are cancelled, some people may find themselves with more time on their hands. This is the perfect time to share new blog posts or create news series to keep your community engaged and informed! Lady Eleanor Holles School (LEH) has recently started an alumni news series on the 'Joy of Staying In'. Alumnae Communications Officer of LEH, Susanna Frayn, talks about the impact it has made on the alumni community:
And over at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, they have started sharing thought pieces from students. It's a great way to let your final year students relate and talk about their feelings of leaving school early and moving to online learning.
ABOUT TOUCANTECH:
ToucanTech is a community database software for schools and companies to manage their alumni, marketing, development and careers activities. Learn how you can use ToucanTech software to engage your community online by requesting a demo here.
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