How Outbound Engagement Boosted Visibility for Baltimore Charter Schools
Schools are the heart of their communities. But for many, their presence in the community begins and ends at the school doors: pick-up lines, drop-off traffic, and the occasional flyer sent home in a backpack.
The reality is that schools are tasked with something much bigger than education alone. They are responsible for communicating with parents who are juggling a thousand responsibilities, building trust with community partners, and creating an environment where families feel connected and involved. That kind of relationship doesn’t happen on its own. It has to be built intentionally.
More and more schools and nonprofits are turning to social media as the bridge between their mission and their community. When used strategically, social media gives schools a direct, accessible, one-to-many channel to reach the parents, guardians, partners, and community members who are already online. The question isn’t whether schools should be on social media. It’s whether they’re showing up in a way that actually works. This case study is about what happens when they do.
Meet Baltimore Curriculum Project
The Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) has spent three decades transforming public education in Baltimore City. Founded in 1996, BCP operates six neighborhood charter schools serving more than 3,000 children in grades Pre-K through 8. Their mission is simple but powerful: every child deserves an excellent education, and every community deserves a strong school at its heart.
The Strategy
Baltimore Curriculum Project enlisted our help in June 2023 to create and execute a social media strategy with two clear goals: increase brand awareness and strengthen community communication. We manage their Facebook and Instagram accounts, and for the purposes of this case study, we will be measuring results on Instagram.
Our team at FWC, with over 35 years of collective experience, built a custom Strategic Roadmap for BCP and three of their schools: City Springs Elementary/Middle, Frederick Elementary, and Pimlico Elementary/Middle. The strategy combined two key elements: consistent, strategic content that builds rapport with the community, and our signature tactic of Outbound Engagement.
While many schools post consistently, most overlook what happens after they hit Publish. “Outbound engagement” means our team stays active on each account throughout the week, engaging in the feed, finding new local followers, and creating meaningful connections in the DMs. It ensures the community feels heard and the school feels present. Not just broadcasting, but actually being social on social media. You can get the full breakdown of Outbound Engagement in this blog post.
Pairing consistent strategic content with Outbound Engagement is a powerful combination. Here are the results from this strategy:
The Results
With brand awareness and community engagement as our goals, we tracked two metrics: impressions — how many eyes saw each post — and follower growth — how many members of the local community joined their online community on their social accounts. We measured both over nearly two years, from March 2024 through February 2026, across BCP and their three schools.
Here’s what happened.
Across all four accounts, every single account grew. Combined, the four accounts added 1,159 new local followers to their online communities. Monthly impressions grew across the board, with increases reaching as high as 378%. That means more parents, neighbors, and stakeholders are seeing these schools show up in their feeds every single month. Now let’s break it down.
Baltimore Curriculum Project
BCP had one of the strongest runs of the group. Their monthly impressions had a 378% increase. Their follower count grew by 355 new local community members. Nearly four times as many people are seeing BCP’s content today than when we started. That’s a mission-driven organization becoming visible to the city it serves.
Pimlico Elementary/Middle
Pimlico was the standout for follower growth. They went from 465 followers to 833, nearly doubling their online community with a 79% increase.
This is what intentional local growth looks like. For a neighborhood charter school, a massive worldwide following isn’t the goal, and frankly, it shouldn’t be. When a school’s audience is filled with people outside the community, it dilutes the impact of every single post. The real win is 368 new followers who live down the street, drop their kids off every morning, and are now seeing this school show up in their daily feeds. That’s not small growth. That’s the growth.
City Springs Elementary/Middle
City Springs came in as the largest account of the group and kept growing. Followers climbed by 297 new community members. Monthly impressions grew from 406.7 to 714.5, a 76% increase. But the numbers only tell part of the story.
City Springs is a place where students take pride in their education — and the community shows up to celebrate them. One of the most beloved posts was a first day of school carousel that stopped thumbs mid-scroll.
View this post on Instagram
That post earned a 9% engagement rate triple the industry average of 3%. And it makes sense. Students who see their photo feel appreciated. Parents feel a sense of pride. That’s the power of social media done right. Not just communicating about PTA meetings and snow days, but helping students and families feel genuinely excited to be part of their school community.
Frederick Elementary
Frederick Elementary showed steady, consistent growth, but the numbers aren’t the goal. Community connection is.
Over the last two years, social media has given Frederick a way to bring community celebrations beyond the school walls. Like when the whole community gathered to celebrate Principal Jackson’s birthday.
View this post on Instagram
On average, Frederick’s posts reach around 300 community members. To put that in perspective, Frederick has approximately 330 students. That means nearly every single family in the building is seeing this school show up in their feed. That’s 300 people reading important reminders, cheering on student achievements, and feeling connected to the school their children call home.
More Than Metrics
Brand awareness and community communication are so much greater than the numbers. It’s about how the real-life community feels about their school. For BCP and the schools they operate, social media has helped families feel like they are truly part of the school. Not just dropping off kids or writing a check. That sense of belonging helps parents stay more involved in their child’s education, strengthens community programs, creates new opportunities within the school system, and builds the kind of trust that keeps a neighborhood school thriving.
“It takes a village” is not a false saying. BCP is on a mission to Transform Schools and Strengthen Communities, and that mission requires a strong, consistent online presence to do it.
Is Your Organization Ready to Show Up?
If you run a school, nonprofit, or mission-driven organization, your community is already out there. On Instagram, in the feeds, looking for connection. They want to feel proud of the work you do. They want to celebrate the students, the staff, and the milestones. They want to feel like they belong.
Social media “done right” doesn’t just build a following. It builds a community. And that community is the village your mission needs to thrive.
We’d love to help you get there. Book a free Discovery Call and let’s talk about what consistent, strategic Outbound Engagement could look like for your brand. We can’t wait to hear about your mission.
