Area Realtors, Keith School launch Embry Riddle campaign

From press release

Rockford Area Association of Realtors (RAAR) kicked off a mass media public service campaign Sept. 29 to motivate area residents to take part in the community-wide effort to land Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s third campus. The campaign was produced with help from Keith Country Day School, which provided a great location for the photo shoot, as well as the student models featured within the billboard art.

RAAR’s Steve Bois said: “We helped create this campaign because we believe in the power of our community. We see this as a great match with our existing aerospace cluster. We have an infrastructure of aerospace resources in place that is ripe for the picking by Embry Riddle.”

Alan Gibby, head of Keith Country Day School, added: “At Keith, we put a strong emphasis on science, mathematics and technology so we know we can benefit tremendously from having a top-ranked flight training, aerospace and engineering university in the area. We were thrilled and flattered RAAR asked us to help with the campaign.”

The media campaign, titled “Cleared for Landing,” features outdoor billboards provided by Lamar Outdoor Advertising and LED Sign Corporation at five locations throughout the area. The campaign will reach more than 50 percent of the market on a daily basis, directing viewers to rocktheair.com, where they can sign a petition of support for the Embry Riddle campus.

Starring in the billboards are students from Keith’s lower, middle and upper schools. The students are Danny Morales (10th grade), Khaley and Khayla Caruthers (seventh grade) and Matthew LaMonica (fourth grade).

Using Keith students for the campaign was a perfect match. Keith graduates have a long history of pursuing careers in aviation and engineering. During the last three years, several graduates have matriculated to aviation programs at the University of North Dakota and the University of Dubuque, and 10 percent of the Class of 2010 was accepted directly into engineering programs at their respective college of choice.

Keith administrators are also supporting the campaign on campus as well. Several students, faculty and administrators are participating in the Embry Riddle effort by contributing letters of support to the Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC). In addition, school e-blasts are going out weekly to the Keith constituency promoting the petition drive and encouraging letters of support for the RAEDC.

Keith Country Day School is an independent, nonsectarian, college-preparatory school founded by Belle Emerson Keith in 1916. On a 15-acre campus overlooking the Rock River, Keith serves students from age 3 through grade 12 from the northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin area. The school is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools and fully-accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. More information about Keith School is available at Keithschool.com.

From the Oct. 6-12, 2010 issue