Challenge:
Founded to bridge the gap between education and real-world integration for young adults with disabilities, Project Focus is a non-profit organization that provides unique programs and services to foster social connections and community integration. It serves as an umbrella organization supporting Focus Academy and additional initiatives aimed at enhancing the lives of young adults with developmental disabilities.
Focus Academy, established in 2013, offers middle school, high school, and transition programs for students in grades 6 through 12 and extends services up to age 22. It integrates social skills therapies, drama therapy, and tailored academic programs, ensuring each student receives a well-rounded and individualized learning experience. The Transition Program further supports students who have completed 12th grade, offering training in job skills and independent living.
Beyond its educational focus, Project Focus operates a range of programs, including:
- Focus Outreach & Support: Offering seminars and coaching on topics relevant to families, caregivers, and young adults with disabilities, this program provides critical guidance and support. Project Focus also offers scholarships for essential services, such as transportation or guardianship fees, to ensure accessibility for all.
- Focus Café: A student-staffed, non-profit café located at the Temple Terrace Family Recreation Complex, where Focus Academy Transition Program students gain hands-on experience in customer service, inventory management, and using a cash register.
- Focus Forward: Launched in January 2021, this program extends opportunities for young adults aged 22 and up, helping them increase their employability through daily activities and community outings.
- Focus Employment Training: Set to launch in fall 2024, this new program will establish a VR Service Provider initiative to assist students and young adults with their job training needs, further enhancing their readiness for the workforce.
- Focus Connect: A future planned phase of the Focus family of projects, Focus Connect aims to create an integrated living community for developmentally disabled adults, offering both supported and independent living options. Project Focus is actively raising funds for the purchase of real estate to make this vision a reality.
With the need to secure funding for these diverse programs and initiatives, Project Focus sought to elevate its brand and clarify its message, aligning its offerings under a cohesive vision that emphasized the transition from education to independent living.
Solution:
HCP Associates partnered with Project Focus to develop a comprehensive strategy that would amplify the organization’s reach and build community awareness around its services. The process began with a strategic planning session with senior leadership and the board of directors, utilizing HCP’s proprietary branding and positioning platform to enhance the brand identities of Project Focus, Focus Academy, and its affiliated programs.
The planning session provided a clear roadmap, enabling HCP to focus on a cohesive vision under the new tagline, “Where Education Meets Life.” The strategy included:
- Targeted Messaging: Clarified and refined key messages that highlighted Project Focus’s commitment to providing real-world skills and community integration for young adults with disabilities. The messaging emphasized the seamless transition from school to life.
- Corporate Identity & Digital Presence: Developed a fresh corporate identity for Project Focus, including new websites and digital assets. HCP also created a digital press room with a modern digital media kit, making it easy for media and stakeholders to access key information.
- Media Relations & Community Outreach: Crafted press releases and built relationships with local media and community organizations to raise awareness about Project Focus and its innovative programs, including Focus Academy, Focus Café, Focus Forward, and the Focus Outreach & Support seminars.
- Event Support: Assisted in organizing and hosting the flagship annual fundraising events, which were crucial for building community engagement and securing support for future initiatives, including the Focus Connect residential community.
- Executive Search & Placement: Led a successful search for a new first-time director of the non-profit, identifying a leader who could advance the organization’s mission and guide it through its next phase of growth.
The outcome was a cohesive strategy that effectively positioned Project Focus as a leader in transitioning education to practical life skills for young adults with disabilities. The efforts have resulted in increased community support, stronger enrollment interest, and improved fundraising for future initiatives, including the Focus Employment Training program and Focus Connect residential community.
HCP continues to support Project Focus, working closely with leadership to maintain an elevated brand that truly embodies the philosophy of “Where Education Meets Life.”