Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Introducing.....for today anyway
I haven't heard anything from CPS yet, but I decided to go ahead and start working on a new logo. I worked on CS-xpress for a while yesterday. This evening, as I was talking to my husband, he suggested I stay away from the letters and do something like "StudentsXpress." I like it. I'm working on that logo now. It will have no mention of Chicago Public Schools, so it should be fine.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
It's All in the Name
Over the summer I e-mailed Jean-Claude Brizzard, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, to show him the magazine and get his feedback. He liked it and asked if there was anything he could do to assist me. I asked that he put me in touch with someone from CPS who could talk to me about the magazine.
On July 13, I went downtown to the CPS headquarters and met with two women. I showed them the magazines I have done in the past and explained what I was doing and where I planned to go with it. They were very nice and helpful. Though they couldn't assist me directly, they gave me some good ideas of which directions to try. This was mostly about funding. I know there are no extra funds in CPS, and that is one of the benefits of the magazine. Once it is funded (by advertisers or what have you), it is a free publication for the students.
At the end of the meeting, I was told that the name "CPSxpress" might be a problem, which I understood. They were worried that, with that name and only a limited number of schools involved, those that are not involved might feel excluded. That cannot be associated with CPS. So, they were going to run it by "legal."
Now I'm in the process of getting everything ready for the first issue this year, and that includes social media, a web site, this blog.... I e-mailed my CPS contacts to let them know and ask what has been decided about the name. They have still not heard from the Board, and without written permission, I cannot use CPS in the title or in subhead (Connecting Chicago Public Schools through words and art). It was also mentioned that I might not even be able to mention individual schools by name. I'm not sure about this last one, since I feel like the schools can do what they want with individuals and outside companies, but I might be wrong about that.
Hopefully I will speak with someone today. I really believe in this project, and I hope to move forward. My son came up with the title "NSxpress" (meaning North/South xpress), and I like that. I also like CKxpress (Chicago Kids), CYxpress (Chicago Youth) and CSxpress (Chicago Students). Perhaps this last one is the best, since it is the closest to CPS, which I have been using. The tagline could read: Connecting Chicago Students from the North to the South Sides...or something like that.
I'm happy to go in a different direction. I'm just ready to start moving.
On July 13, I went downtown to the CPS headquarters and met with two women. I showed them the magazines I have done in the past and explained what I was doing and where I planned to go with it. They were very nice and helpful. Though they couldn't assist me directly, they gave me some good ideas of which directions to try. This was mostly about funding. I know there are no extra funds in CPS, and that is one of the benefits of the magazine. Once it is funded (by advertisers or what have you), it is a free publication for the students.
At the end of the meeting, I was told that the name "CPSxpress" might be a problem, which I understood. They were worried that, with that name and only a limited number of schools involved, those that are not involved might feel excluded. That cannot be associated with CPS. So, they were going to run it by "legal."
Now I'm in the process of getting everything ready for the first issue this year, and that includes social media, a web site, this blog.... I e-mailed my CPS contacts to let them know and ask what has been decided about the name. They have still not heard from the Board, and without written permission, I cannot use CPS in the title or in subhead (Connecting Chicago Public Schools through words and art). It was also mentioned that I might not even be able to mention individual schools by name. I'm not sure about this last one, since I feel like the schools can do what they want with individuals and outside companies, but I might be wrong about that.
Hopefully I will speak with someone today. I really believe in this project, and I hope to move forward. My son came up with the title "NSxpress" (meaning North/South xpress), and I like that. I also like CKxpress (Chicago Kids), CYxpress (Chicago Youth) and CSxpress (Chicago Students). Perhaps this last one is the best, since it is the closest to CPS, which I have been using. The tagline could read: Connecting Chicago Students from the North to the South Sides...or something like that.
I'm happy to go in a different direction. I'm just ready to start moving.
Monday, September 26, 2011
The Waiting Game
Just as I had to wait when I first started CPSxpress two years ago, I once again am in the waiting mode. A lot of changes have taken place with CPSxpress, and I have not been keeping up with this blog at all. I hope to change all that. Though I'm not going to fill in all the holes right now, I will post about where I am at the moment. Waiting. Wondering if I will get a sponsor (I have tried many companies, received many rejections, and am waiting to hear from a few) or a grant (I've applied for a few and am still waiting).
Last year we printed one black-and-white issue, and then as funding was running low, I decided to do an online-only version, with the option to purchase a printed copy. This was great since the issue was done in color, and I didn't have to worry about limiting the page count.
This year, we have added five new schools to the mix. Many of the students on the south side do not have access to computers and would benefit more to a printed version of the magazine. And, from my experience, parents, teachers and students from anywhere prefer the printed version over the digital format. This year I hope to offer both, with maybe an extended magazine online.
Ideally, I would love to have the funding come through and have a color, printed magazine. If it does not come through, a digital version might be all I can offer. Like I said, I'm just waiting to find out in which direction I will be taking this next. Whatever the case, I am so excited to move forward!
I truly believe in this project, and I think it would be a wonderful opportunity for a sponsor to help cover the costs of printing and production. CPSxpress will only get bigger, and it has a lot to offer a company that is ready to help us out financially.
I will check in when I know more, or if I feel like blogging about some of the things that have happened over the last year to get us where we are now.
Last year we printed one black-and-white issue, and then as funding was running low, I decided to do an online-only version, with the option to purchase a printed copy. This was great since the issue was done in color, and I didn't have to worry about limiting the page count.
This year, we have added five new schools to the mix. Many of the students on the south side do not have access to computers and would benefit more to a printed version of the magazine. And, from my experience, parents, teachers and students from anywhere prefer the printed version over the digital format. This year I hope to offer both, with maybe an extended magazine online.
Ideally, I would love to have the funding come through and have a color, printed magazine. If it does not come through, a digital version might be all I can offer. Like I said, I'm just waiting to find out in which direction I will be taking this next. Whatever the case, I am so excited to move forward!
I truly believe in this project, and I think it would be a wonderful opportunity for a sponsor to help cover the costs of printing and production. CPSxpress will only get bigger, and it has a lot to offer a company that is ready to help us out financially.
I will check in when I know more, or if I feel like blogging about some of the things that have happened over the last year to get us where we are now.
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