Some say schools and their leaders are forced to treat their schools more like businesses these days. Competition for resources, classroom space and even students are rumored to be common place among the city’s schools. One new school, which will open this September, is beating the odds by getting creative. The School for Tourism and Hospitality (STH) is a new Career and Technical Education high school which opens this fall in the Morrisania section of the Bronx. The school’s instructional focus uses a hands-on problem-based curriculum to engage and prepare students for college and careers in management. Potential parents and students alike are dazzled by the school’s new ad campaign. The campaign – which was created for less than $150 – sets images of students and teachers (on billboards and in other ad space) in familiar and recognizable places throughout New York City; Times Square for instance. The outcome is a “larger than life” impression that STH is THE school to get into; in other words, it is a marketing success! That is quite an accomplishment for a brand new school with the same limiting budget and resources as its peers. When asked about the success of the campaign, David Martin, the school’s proposed leader/founder said “The truth of the matter is, this ad campaign embodies the vision we have for the eventual success of our school. We’ve worked tirelessly – with lots of support – to create a school with a vision and mission that we believe will connect with today’s students; students who seem to be waiting for educators to embrace the idea that the best kind of learning is not tied to a desk, a chair or even a building. Learning should be fun and we make it a priority at STH!”
The School for Tourism and Hospitality is a NYC Department of Education public CTE high school and is currently accepting 9th grade students for the 2012-2013 school year. Students who are interested in enrolling should list the school’s code “Y59A” on the high school choice form that they receive from their 8th grade high school guidance counselors. For more information about STH, visit their website at www.sthnewyork.com. The ad campaign can be viewed here.