Disclosure: My daughter Fallon attends Caraway Elementary, and my wife Liz is the Parents Support Specialists for the school.
I ran across a great example of simple, offline idea to revitalize community. Every year school starts back, new families move in, returning families get back in routine of drop off/pick up of school children. But challenges are always present with start of school year, one in particular is encouraging volunteerism. Caraway Elementary (Austin TX) is no different. During the busiest time of the school day, the end of the day with child pick up; is when new and old families brush shoulders, but never have cause to stop and connect.
Watermelon Wednesday was started (not my idea, Liz is the brains on this) to get families to stop and connect. Eating watermelon outdoors drives a social behavior and it is healthy (moms like healthy). People stop, talk, and eat watermelon. You don’t see people eat watermelon in the car or walking quickly across the parking lot. But watermelon gives families a chance to stop and socialize. And when families stop and socialize, it opens up the discussion to learn about volunteer opportunities.
How do you know it is a success?
- Traffic: Families come back a second, third time, fourth time
- Mentions: Kids ask when is next Watermelon Wednesday. Event becomes part of the week they plan for.
- Conversion: New volunteers sign up for school volunteer vacancies
- Costs: 4 watermelons a week
This concept is not new, but reminds us about ways companies can have simple and meaningful ways to connect with customers. Companies should be in a position to host forums for stakeholders to connect and let the conversation flow. Too often the event turns into just the company talking about its agenda – not the type of party I go to a second time around.
Next challenge is that watermelons will soon be out of season in Austin. What replaces Watermelon Wednesdays in October (and beyond) to keep the school community connecting? If you have ideas for Caraway Elementary or an observations of a business connecting, please comment below.