COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT + STORYTELLING
THE SCHOOL OF YOU
Uplifting student culture in the Youngstown Schools
The School of YOU Promotional Campaign
This project replicates our city’s branding of “City of YOU” with its youngest stakeholders in a “School of YOU” project to empower students to be the best that they can be and drive home the same message as “City of YOU” — that just as the city is what its residents make it, your school is what YOU make it. We want to create an awareness with the students about the branding but also need to involve them as owners of our transformation by drilling down into what it personally means to each of them, starting initially with the Core SEL Competencies of self awareness, self management, and responsible decision making.
The ability to accurately recognize one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior; the ability to assess one’s strengths and limitations, with a sense of confidence, optimism, and a growth mindset.
The project will enhance CHAMPS, an evidence based PBIS model for deployment at the classroom level by creating “School of YOU” Ambassadors who model good citizenship. As a result of this project, schools will realize improvements that include reductions in classroom disruptions, referrals, and in-school/out-of-school suspensions, expulsions and juvenile court incarcerations, along with corresponding increases in teachers’ perceptions of efficacy and student motivation.
In addition to improved climate and culture, this project will empower individual students to be their best, generate a collection of artifacts of high quality that are suitable for publication (artwork, podcasts and writing) to be displayed citywide, statewide, and nationally.
The School of YOU Community Culture Video
The School of YOU Podcast
The School of YOU Promotional Campaign

Design by Carly Redmond, +Public Design Intern







The School of YOU Community Engagement Program
English
Hey everyone! I need your help. I’m doing an exciting project called ‘School of You’ for the Youngstown City School District. This project is looking to inspire students in the district through stories told through podcasts, photography, and design – and I need your help! Would you be willing to record a video for me?
Here’s all you have to do: make your camera landscape or horizontal, open your camera app, make sure you can see yourself, hit record, and say the following:
“You’re smart. Hard-working. Determined. And you’re not alone. Your family, friends, and teachers are right by your side, pushing you forward. Your journey to becoming your best self will have little steps and huge leaps, but your school will get you to where you need to go. By being your best self, you’re making your school the best it can be – this is the School of YOU. You will make the future. “
We’re going to make a video collage of people reciting this statement. The text is in the description box on YouTube. All you need to do is make you recording and e-mail it to me at pluspublicdesign@gmail.com. If it’s too big, e-mail me anyway and we can work together to get your video in the project. Dropbox or Google Drive links preferred, if you use those tools. Otherwise, I can help.
Everyone is welcome to participate – so long as you believe in the potential of YCSD students and the bright future they will create for themselves and others!
Spanish
Necesito su ayuda. Estoy involucrado en un emocionante proyecto llamado “School of You” en conjunto con Youngstown City SD!. Este projecto busca inspirar estudiantes en el distrito a través de historias de diversas personas contadas en podcast, fotografía y diseño – y necesito su ayuda! Estarían dispuestos a grabar un video para este projecto?
A continuación una descripción de lo que tiene que hacer: usando la versión paisaje (o landscape) en su aplicación cámara y asegúrese que su imagen aparezca en la pantalla. Presione grabar y diga lo siguiente:
“Tu eres inteligente, trabajador, determinado y no estas solo. Tu familia, amigos y maestros están a tu lado, empujándote hacia delante. Tu trayecto hacia ser la mejor versión de ti mismo tendrá pequeños y gigantescos pasos, pero tu escuela te llevara a donde necesitas ir. Al ser la mejor versión de ti mismo, estas llevando a tu escuela a ser la mejor que puede ser- esta es la escuela de ti (the School of YOU). Tu eres el futuro.”
Haremos un collage de todas las personas recitando el párrafo anterior. Este texto esta en la descripción en YouTube. Todo lo que tiene que hacer es hacer su grabación y mandárla por correo electrónico a la dirección pluspublicdesign@gmail.com . Si el archivo esta muy grande, déjeme saber por correo y buscaremos otra manera de manar el archivo. Preferimos enlaces de Dropbox o Goolge Drive si usted utiliza estas herramientas. Si no, puedo ayudarle a buscar otras opciones.
Todos pueden participar – mientras crea en el potencial de los estudiantes de YCSD y en el brillante futuro estos estudiantes crearan para si mismos y para la comunidad.
Por favor, comparta!
Gracias!