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America Online Launches "Sign Up Your School" Campaign

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

In an effort to raise awareness about the availability of free customized Web sites to every school in the country, America Online (AOL) launched the "Sign Up Your School" campaign in partnership with the FamilyEducation Network. The initiative aims to improve local parent-teacher communication by harnessing the power of the Internet. The campaign, a key element of "Back to School@AOL," began on August 25, 1998, and ran through October 31, 1998. Parents and teachers were encouraged to sign up for the program by visiting AOL's Keywords: FEN or Education, or by going directly to FEN's Web site at http://familyeducation.com.

Key Takeaways:

  • The "Sign Up Your School" campaign was a key element of "Back to School@AOL," a program designed to improve local parent-teacher communication by harnessing the power of the Internet.
  • The campaign was launched in partnership with the FamilyEducation Network, with the goal of raising awareness about the availability of free customized Web sites to every school in the country.
  • Parents and teachers were encouraged to sign up for the program by visiting AOL's Keywords: FEN or Education, or by going directly to FEN's Web site at http://familyeducation.com.
  • Each school participating in the FamilyEducation Network would be assigned an AOL Keyword to allow AOL users to navigate directly to a specific school's site.
  • Participating schools would also take advantage of AOL's Instant Messaging technology, which enables real-time private communication between Internet users.
  • In addition to the customized Web sites, schools would also receive a video with important information about Internet safety for children.
  • A total of 150 free AOL accounts for a year would be awarded to schools that sign up during the back to school season.
  • The campaign aimed to tap the potential of the Internet to play a more central role in education through improving local parent-teacher communication.
  • In just over 12 months, 335 school districts - representing a total of 2,855 schools - had signed onto the FamilyEducation Network's initiative.
  • The FamilyEducation Network had built a unique public/private alliance with leading grass roots education organizations, including the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), the National PTA, and the National School Boards Association (NSBA).
  • FEN had partnered with private sector companies like AT&T Learning Network, Fleet Financial Group, and Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley to provide its program at no cost to school districts.

Statistics:

  • 43% of the over 12.5 million households in the AOL community have children ages 6-17, making back to school a busy time for many AOL members.
  • AOL's Back to School area receives over 1 million homework help questions per week.
  • Back to School@AOL has five categories: Homework Help, Parents' Guide, College Preparation, Back To School Shopping, and Continuing Education.
  • Over 150,000 users participate in AOL's Back to School area each month.
  • 1 million users visit AOL's Back to School area each month.

Sources:

  • "Company Kicks Off Campaign to "Sign Up Your School" on the Internet with FamilyEducation Network" (Business Wire, August 25, 1998)
  • "America Online Helps Parents and Teachers Around the Country to Get Their Schools 'Connected' With Free Customized School Web Sites" (Business Wire, August 25, 1998)
  • "Back To School@AOL Launches" (America Online Press Release, August 25, 1998)

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