equality charter school

championing meaningful

repositioning a bronx charter school

project

ECS: Brand Elevation

INDUSTRY

Education

WHAT WE DID

Advertising, Art Direction, Branding, Campaigns, Concepts, Creative Direction, Graphic Design, Identity, Illustration, Naming, Print, Strategy

creative direction: fabrice frere
art direction: michelle keller
graphic design: michelle keller
illustration: michelle keller
copywriting: fabrice frere & michelle keller

How do you inspire a charter school in the heart of the Bronx to embark on a transformative journey from institutional to a scalable, now-recognized success story? Baby steps!

Equality Charter School(ECS), located in Co-Op City and Castle Hill communities in the Bronx, is one of the highest-performing charter schools in New York City. Founded in 2009 by Caitlin Franco, Equality Charter School serves all students, regardless of their prior academic performance or needs, including those who are under-performing or from families in need of more resources.

For the 2019-2020 school year, PlanetFab partnered with Equality Charter School, bringing a visionary approach that played a pivotal role in crafting and reshaping the school’s offerings and redefining its direction. Rather than conforming to conventional demographic expectations, we championed a new ethos characterized by uplifting change. We aimed to redefine the essence of “Equality” within “Equality Charter School,” challenging the notion that only privileged schools should embrace thoughtful and purposeful design.

This innovative design approach allowed us to transcend conventional limitations and infuse new life into Equality Charter School. It commenced with the creation of the manifesto, centered around meaningful “E” words, which culminated in the powerful mantra: “EMBRACE EXCELLENCE, ENCOURAGE EMPATHY, ENABLE EMPOWERMENT, ELEVATE EDUCATION.” This shift in perspective became the catalyst for a remarkable transformation, fostering an environment where every student, parent, colleague, and community member could genuinely experience the impact.

transforming equality charter school's message & introducing a cast of characters to kick off the 2019-20 school year

the implementation of our "e" word concept, created to inspire, becomes equality charter school's new manifesto

shifting perceptions by transforming ecs's annual appeal postcard with original artwork and messaging to encourage donations

I want to thank you for your hard work. Everything has come out so fabulous! I am really grateful for all that you did to make it as incredible as it has all become. I've received a few texts today from faculty, friends and family who just love it. GREAT WORK :)
Caitlin Franco
Equality Charter School

'open to all' marketing brochure crafted to emphasize equality’s dedication, utilizing persuasive messaging and statistics to advocate for a charter renewal and elementary school expansion

the annual portfolio, featuring the punctuation cover concept, design system, and template, created to effectively convey and showcase ecs's accomplishments and progress

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