“telling your story” – outreach and communication for travel training providers ati annual...
TRANSCRIPT
“Telling Your Story” – Outreach and Communication for Travel Training
Providers
ATI Annual Conference, BostonPresented by Alan M. Voorhees
Transportation Center and NJTIP @ RutgersAugust 14, 2015
Presenters
• Karen Alexander - Managing Director
• Nieves G. Pimienta - Bi-Lingual Travel Instructor
• Andrea Lubin - Senior Research Manager
• Louis Hoffman - Program Manager
Purpose
Understand How our Program Stories Get Shared and Amplified…
Agenda
Community & Amplification Telling Meaningful Stories Using Data StrategicallyBreakout Session Tools and Tips
Our Community
• Program Participants/Graduates and Families
• Community Based-Agency Partners • Schools• Transit Agency• Funders/Supporters• Committees & Groups • Professionals • Press/Internet• Other Transit Riders
Amplifying“If I tell two friends, and they tell two friends…”
• Reputation
• Recommendations
• Referrals and Risk
Recipe for a Good Story
• Meaningful Characters • Theory of Change • Hearts and Minds
Agencies,
organizations
(middlemen)
Project criteria,
Agency’s mission
Target(s)
Naturally occurring groups
(lifestyle)
Finding the middlemen• Agencies/organizations • Events• Naturally occurring groups• Partners• Funders• Be daring • Stay connected
Make it real with testimonials!• Search, research, request
feedback• Articles • Narratives• Thank you notes• Pictures with narratives, etc.
NJTIP Stories
Marjorie Payen You Tube Video
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2WMULjcWJY
NJTIP Stories
Why Evaluate in General?
• Continuing feedback
• Smart program decisions
• Share information with stakeholders: funders, customers, etc.
We are all evaluators!
Measuring the Benefits of Travel Instruction
• Improved access • Quality of life• Decreased isolation• New opportunities• Increased
independence• Improved confidence• "Chauffeur retirement"• Modal switch• Other…
DOCUMENT & DEMONSTRATE
Travel Instruction BENEFITS
Travel Instructors Nationwide are Evaluating – You Can Too!
• RTA Chicago (IL)
• Riverside Transit (CA)
• Palm Tran (FL)
• King County Metro (WA)
• WMATA (DC)
• RideWise (OR)
• Pierce Transit (WA)
• Paratransit, Inc. (CA)
• Via Easy Rider (CO)
Who Benefits from Travel Instruction Evaluation?
• Customers • Staff• Funders• The travel training community worldwide!
NJTIP’s ‘TIP SMART’ Project: Evaluating Program Success
• Overwhelming participant satisfaction
• Perception changes• Skill & knowledge gain• Post training outcomes• Additional NJTIP
support
Let's Breakout - Winning Hearts and Minds• Group 1 - Hearts How do you tell stories and to who?
• Group 2 - MindsWhat data and information do you collect?
What did we learn from each other?
From Middlemen to Ambassadors
• Brevity• WIIFM• Repetition• “Leave behinds” • Displays• Responsiveness• Resources: Ask to be listed
Final Thoughts
“ There’s always room for a story that can transport people to another place.”
- J.K. Rowling
For More Information
NJTIP @ Rutgers
Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center
The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
33 Livingston Avenue
848-932-4499
njtip.rutgers.edu
http://www.facebook.com/VTCrutgers