Enrollment Insights Podcast #57 – Jake Sturgis, APR and Using Student Voices to Drive Institutional Change
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In this episode:
In the Enrollment Insights Podcast, you’ll hear about novel solutions to problems, ways to make processes better for students and families, and the questions that spark internal reflection and end up changing entire processes.
In this episode, you will hear from Jake Sturgis, APR, Founder and CEO of Captivate Media.
Jake brings nearly 20 years of experience in education and strategic storytelling to the Captivate team. After working directly in school PR for over a decade, he launched a full-time business in 2014. His work has garnered national attention, leading to multiple awards and public speaking engagements on visual storytelling and authentic student engagement.
:32 – Meet Jake!
1:18 – Something Jake tried that didn’t work and what he learned
3:29 – Jake’s approach to brainstorming with a shout-out to Duncan Wardle
6:50 – Captivate’s Voices Framework and the internal challenges it can help with
9:31 – Bridging the perception gap between students and adults
12:14 – “Some of the most difficult work in schools is changing adult mindsets”
14:41 – Positioning student voice work internally for buy-in
16:12 – The importance of rooting student voice work in broader strategic planning
19:08 – “What’s best for students isn’t always what’s best for adults.”
20:20 – Questions to consider at the start of a student voice project
22:04 – How to choose students to participate in a student voice project
26:07 – “This is heart work and this hard work.”
27:24 – How student voice videos are used once the cameras are turned off
32:40 – Jake’s reflections on the impact of student voice work and what happens when students feel seen
34:10 – “There are systemic things that need to change, but there are individual things we can all do.”
34:48 – How to connect with Jake and Captivate Media