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Communications & Marketing

From Service Partnerships to Marketing

Success: One Chapter’s Story

Many chapters and state organizations in DKG are engaged in service projects: grants, tutoring, support
to homeless and/or abuse shelters, book drives, road clean-ups, and much more. But few chapters think
to use these projects as an opportunity to spread the word about organizational goals and impact. Few
consider marketing DKG through these projects and using them as a recruitment tool.
One chapter in Washington State Organization used a service project and partnership with another
organization not only to support early-career educators but also to market DKG. As is evidenced by
this chapter’s story, successful marketing with partners can have significant benefits for growing chapter
membership.
Chi Cowlitz Chapter in southwest Washington has a long history of supporting women and children in
their area, especially those experiencing food insecurity, homelessness, and abuse. However, after hearing
a presentation at a DKG Convention, chapter members decided to initiate an additional service project that
would support early-career educators.
Recently, Lower Columbia College, located in the same area as Chi Cowlitz Chapter, started a 4-year
teacher certification program. In fall 2019, the chapter invited the program coordinator to speak at one of
its meetings, followed up with a coffee a few weeks later. The idea of establishing a partnership between
the university’s education training program and the chapter developed from their conversations and was
initiated in October 2020.
Developing the Partnership

Initially, the partnership consisted of a 15-minute presentation to the third-year university students,
offering mentorships and DKG collegiate membership. Brochures were distributed to the female students
in the class. There were no takers that first year, but the chapter did not give up. Working with the university
instructors, DKG member Barbara Clausen created a PowerPoint presentation on interview tips and the
hiring process that was shared with students in their final year of training. As COVID hit, the interview
tips presentation was delivered virtually. By spring 2022, following the interview tips session, Chi Chapter
members were able to conduct mock interviews in-person and give
students immediate feedback on their performance.
Each year of the program, student input was collected by
the university professors and shared with Chi Chapter leaders.
As a result, the program expanded in fall 2022 to include an
in-class session with a carousel activity. DKG members signed up in
pairs to discuss topics important to beginning teachers; the students
rotated among the tables to interact with each DKG team. Initially,
Clausen supplied questions and talking points to each DKG team so
that they had basic preparation for the activity. Such topics included
instructional strategies; student behavior management, including
classroom community and routines; working with special needs

Chi Cowlitz Chapter member students; the rewards of substitute teaching; and hiring. At an additional
Anne Hall talks about the joys station, members asked how DKG could support these early-career
of substitute teaching with educators. Students in their third year of the university program rotated
prospective educators. among the topic stations about every 8 minutes during the class, took

Collegial Exchange · 51