Overview

• Recognizing the transformative role of computing and the need to bolster computer science at all educational levels, Widmeyer Communications worked with The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) to build public awareness of the first Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek), designated by the U.S. House of Representatives as the first full week of December 2009.
• In addition to building a strong pipeline to support students in pursuit of computing careers in an increasingly tech-focused society, the nation needs to engage all students in computer science education and its lessons in computational thinking—an important 21st century skill among all career paths. To spread this message, ACM tapped Widmeyer to develop and carry out a campaign to launch CSEdWeek and build awareness among a variety of audiences, including policymakers, educators, educational organizations and national and local media.

Communications Challenges

• Raise awareness of the critical role of computing for our global information society
• Promote efforts to expose students—particularly in grades K-12—to robust computer science education
• Provide a social platform to share ideas and celebrate CSEdWeek at the national and local levels
• Highlight the challenges facing computer science education
• Widmeyer faced the challenge of garnering attention for the week-long event, while weaving in the importance of exposing students to computer science education among all of the other competing education issues

Strategy

• Develop a central resource hub not only for CSEdWeek, but also to serve as a leading computer science education resource
• Target thought leaders in the fields of computing, technology and education
• Use social media to promote the effort and build an online community of interested audiences

Tactics

• Designed an interactive Web site to provide a central resource hub for CSEdWeek and computer science education information, including reports and presentations; data and facts; computer science curriculum; programs, event and ideas; videos and contests; and distributable posters, brochures and classroom kits.
• Created a brand identity and consistent messaging that were utilized throughout all CSEdWeek marketing and communications, including the Web site.
• Built a comprehensive set of CSEdWeek social media tools, including an official Facebook Fan Page, Twitter Profile, YouTube Channel and LinkedIn Group.
• Worked to build early support for CSEdWeek and its social media channels by engaging organizations and tech bloggers such as Alfred Thompson, K-12 Computer Science Academic Relations Manager for Microsoft and Dr. Dobb’s Journal bloggers to post teasers about CSEdWeek and the accompanying site in the weeks leading up to the launch of the effort.
• Drafted an op-ed outlining the importance of computer science education and implications of ignoring the challenges facing this field of study. The op-ed was signed by Maria Klawe, President of Harvey Mudd College and a member of Board of Directors at Microsoft, Inc.; Andrew Chien, Vice President at Intel Labs and the director of Future Technologies Research; Rick Rashid, Senior Vice President of Research at Microsoft, Inc.; and Alfred Spector, Vice President of Research and Special Initiatives at Google, Inc.

Results

• Working with ACM, Widmeyer fostered partnerships with leading associations, government entities and technology industry leaders, including the Computer Science Teachers Association, the Computing Research Association, the National Center for Women & Information Technology, the Anita Borg Institute, the National Science Foundation, Google Inc., Intel and Microsoft.
• Widmeyer created and supported a vibrant online community through the CSEdWeek social media networks. The sites were active from the day they were created, continuing through CSEdWeek and beyond to be the central hub of computer science education dialogue.
• Through targeted media outreach efforts, Widmeyer secured coverage of CSEdWeek in prominent publications such as front page Business and Metro section pieces in The New York Times and The Washington Post respectively, Education Week, Examiner, Dr. Dobb’s Journal, The New York Times Tech Talk Podcast as well as blogs and media from CSEdWeek partners and a host of additional media and blog hits.
• Widmeyer placed an op-ed in The Huffington Post, which has the second largest number of page views of all online news sources.
• Building on the support seen in the House of Representatives for H.Res. 558 designating CSEdWeek, Widmeyer worked with the congressional staff of Congressmen Jared Polis (D-CO) and Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) to secure personal video messages from each on the importance of computer science, which were posted to the CSEdWeek YouTube channel.
• Widmeyer’s strategic communication efforts helped elevate the dialogue about the importance of computer science education to a larger audience.  In addition to providing an interactive online community, creating a central resource hub for computing and raising awareness of the issues facing computer science education, computer science education has made its way into the general education reform dialogue.