Best of CASE District VI Award
 

Institution: Colorado State University

Title of entry: Denver Broncos’ VP Presents Guest Lecture: Social Workers Are Everywhere

About this entry: Colorado State University alumnus Ray Jackson (B.A., social work, ’99) has achieved a high-profile role, building on his athletic performance and his deep love for people. As the Denver Broncos’ Vice President for Player Development, he is a powerful ambassador and strategic connector for his alma mater and the field of social work.

The School of Social Work invited Jackson to speak to current social work students, alumni, faculty, staff, and retirees at the November 2022 Leadership in Social Work Speaker Series. To document the lecture, the College of Health and Human Sciences communications team planned a multimedia strategy for recording and sharing Jackson’s message with video, photography, and a story for its news site, SOURCE. The team distributed story elements in a variety of social media posts and in recent e-newsletters to external and internal audiences.

The lecture has yielded positive and lasting results. The message that “social workers are everywhere” is one that can be shared with a variety of audiences to promote the degree to prospective students and to elevate alumni accomplishments. The follow-up coverage engaged a large audience, with high-performing social media posts on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and high click-through rates on the School of Social Work e-newsletter.

The interaction also advanced individual relationships: Jackson has joined the College’s Executive Leadership Council and will speak at the Spring 2023 undergraduate commencement ceremony. He has reunited with his faculty mentor, who is an engaged faculty member emeritus and donor to the college.