Expand PEDC's Influence, Reach, and Impact in Pennsylvania and Beyond
Expand PEDC's visibility, influence, thought leadership, strategic partnerships, and public engagement across Pennsylvania and beyond to strengthen collective action, amplify educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education, and position PEDC as a trusted statewide leader with growing national relevance and global influence.
Strategic Narrative
Meaningful influence does not happen by accident. It is cultivated through visibility, credibility, relationships, trust, engagement, and a shared commitment to collective action. As PEDC continues to grow its impact across Pennsylvania and beyond, strengthening the organization's influence, reach, and public presence is essential to advancing educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education at scale.
For five years, PEDC has served as a trusted connector, collaborator, and catalyst, bringing together educators, policymakers, institutions of higher education, school districts, researchers, community leaders, advocacy organizations, and other partners to address some of the most pressing challenges facing Pennsylvania's education system. Through its statewide network, regional and statewide convenings, working groups, partnerships, and collaborative initiatives, PEDC has helped create opportunities for learning, relationship-building, problem-solving, and collective action.
The next phase of PEDC's evolution requires building upon that strong foundation. As conversations about educator diversity, educational equity, workforce development, and culturally relevant and sustaining education continue to evolve, PEDC has an opportunity to strengthen its role not only as a trusted convener, but also as a recognized voice, thought leader, and resource for educators, communities, institutions, policymakers, and partners throughout Pennsylvania and beyond.
Expanding PEDC's influence, reach, and impact is not about increasing visibility for visibility's sake. It is about ensuring that more people have access to trusted information, promising practices, meaningful learning opportunities, research, resources, and partnerships that advance educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education. It is about elevating the voices, experiences, and successes of educators, students, families, faculty, and communities whose stories can inspire action, strengthen understanding, and influence change regarding educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education. Most importantly, it is about creating the conditions necessary to mobilize collective action and accelerate progress toward more equitable educational systems and outcomes.
Between 2027 and 2030, PEDC will invest intentionally in strategic communications, storytelling, public engagement, thought leadership, partnership development, and network-building. Through these efforts, the organization will expand awareness of its mission and impact, strengthen its credibility and influence, deepen engagement with existing and new audiences, and position itself as a trusted source of expertise and innovation related to educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education.
This work recognizes that influence is built through relationships. People first learn about an organization, then engage with its ideas, trust its expertise, participate in its work, and ultimately become partners in advancing its mission. Visibility creates awareness. Credibility builds trust. Relationships foster engagement. Influence inspires action. Together, these elements create the foundation for meaningful and sustained collective impact.
Achieving PEDC's 2030 Future State will require more than a communications plan or increased public visibility. Becoming one of Pennsylvania's leading conveners, trusted voices, thought leaders, and catalysts for educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education will require a communications ecosystem—not just a communications position. It will require intentional investments in strategic communications, storytelling, media engagement, digital platforms, branding, public engagement, thought leadership, strategic partnerships, and the people, systems, and infrastructure necessary to sustain long-term influence, credibility, and impact.
Rooted in Pennsylvania, relevant nationally, and connected globally, PEDC is uniquely positioned to help shape conversations, strengthen partnerships, elevate promising practices, and inspire collective action that advances educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education. By expanding its influence, reach, and impact, PEDC will continue building a stronger movement for educational excellence, opportunity, and equity across Pennsylvania while contributing to broader state, national, and global conversations about the future of education.
Visibility creates awareness. Credibility builds trust. Relationships foster engagement. Influence inspires action.
2030 Future State and Success Indicators
Future State
By June 2030, PEDC is recognized as one of Pennsylvania's leading conveners, trusted voices, thought leaders, and catalysts for educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education. Through strategic communications, storytelling, partnerships, and public engagement, PEDC has expanded its influence across Pennsylvania and increased its national visibility, credibility, and relevance.
Educators, policymakers, families, community leaders, researchers, funders, media outlets, and organizational partners regularly seek PEDC's expertise, resources, perspectives, and leadership on issues related to educator diversity, educational equity, and culturally relevant and sustaining education. The organization is recognized as a trusted source of information, innovation, expertise, and collective action that helps shape public understanding, strengthen partnerships, influence educational practice and policy, and accelerate systems change.
Grounded in authentic relationships and community voice, PEDC has expanded its reach across regions, sectors, and audiences; elevated the stories, experiences, and successes of educators and communities; strengthened engagement and collaboration across Pennsylvania; and positioned the Commonwealth as a leading example of what is possible when educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education are prioritized and sustained.
Rooted in Pennsylvania, relevant nationally, and connected globally, PEDC serves as a bridge between communities, practice, research, policy, and innovation—amplifying local voices, contributing to national conversations, and helping shape the future of educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education.
Visibility, Reach, and Brand Recognition
- Increase statewide and national recognition of PEDC as a leader in educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education.
- Increase website traffic, newsletter engagement, audience growth, and digital reach.
- Increase media coverage, interviews, features, and public visibility.
- Expand participation in PEDC convenings, learning opportunities, and events.
Thought Leadership, Influence, and Strategic Positioning
- Increase invitations to provide keynote addresses, presentations, facilitation, expert consultation, testimony, and participation in state, national, and international discussions, convenings, and learning opportunities.
- Increase publication and dissemination of articles, policy briefs, reports, toolkits, media contributions, and thought leadership resources.
- Strengthen PEDC's role as a trusted voice, thought leader, and source of expertise on educator diversity, culturally relevant and sustaining education, educational equity, and systems change.
- Increase opportunities to contribute to public discourse, educational practice, policy conversations, and strategic initiatives at the state, national, and international levels.
Strategic Partnerships and Collective Action
- Expand strategic partnerships across education, philanthropy, business, government, and community sectors.
- Increase participation in statewide working groups, communities of practice, convenings, and collaborative initiatives.
- Strengthen engagement across PEDC's regional, statewide, and national networks.
- Increase opportunities for collaboration, shared learning, and collective action.
Storytelling, Communications, and Public Engagement
- Increase engagement with communications, storytelling, and public awareness initiatives.
- Amplify the voices, experiences, and successes of educators, students, families, and communities.
- Expand public understanding of educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education.
- Increase use of multimedia, digital communications, and storytelling platforms to share PEDC's work, learning, and impact.
Leadership and Accountability
- Executive Directors
- Managing Director of Operations
- Director of Research
- Regional Coordinators
- Mercury Communications
- Website and Digital Platform Support
- Fitler Square Strategies
- Social Media and Digital Engagement Specialist (when established)
- Graphic Design and Creative Services Specialist (when established)
- Director of Communications and Public Engagement (when established)
- Strategic Communications, Branding, and Media Relations consultants/firms (as needed)
- Individuals and organizations within PEDC's network
- Researchers
- Thought leaders
- Communications, media, and marketing partners
- State, national, and international organizations and networks that help amplify PEDC's mission, elevate its work, expand its reach, and strengthen collective action.
- Board members with expertise, relationships, and influence in communications, marketing, media, education, philanthropy, business, strategic partnerships, and public engagement.
Strategic Objectives and Three-Year Plan
Strengthen Strategic Communications, Storytelling, and Public Engagement
PEDC will strengthen its visibility, reach, and public engagement through strategic communications, storytelling, media engagement, digital platforms, and public awareness efforts that elevate educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education while expanding understanding and support across Pennsylvania and beyond.
Key Actions and Measures of Progress
- Conduct a communications, branding, and digital presence assessment and develop a comprehensive communications and public engagement strategy aligned with PEDC's 2030 Vision and strategic priorities.
- Refresh and strengthen PEDC's website, messaging, branding, and digital platforms to align with the organization's evolving identity, strategic priorities, and 2030 Vision.
- Develop and implement a coordinated storytelling strategy that elevates educator, faculty, student, family, and community voices and highlights the impact of educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education.
- Expand public engagement, storytelling, and communications initiatives through multimedia content, campaigns, newsletters, digital platforms, and strategic outreach.
- Design and implement public awareness and engagement campaigns that elevate educator diversity, culturally relevant and sustaining education, and PEDC's role in advancing educational equity.
- Increase media engagement and visibility through earned media opportunities, interviews, articles, podcasts, and strategic communications partnerships.
- Institutionalize communications, storytelling, and public engagement systems and practices that support long-term visibility and influence.
- Expand strategic communications capacity through staffing, partnerships, and communications infrastructure investments.
- Evaluate and refine communications, storytelling, and public engagement strategies based on outcomes, audience engagement, and organizational priorities.
Measures of Progress
- Increase statewide and national recognition, visibility, and public awareness of PEDC as a leader in educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education.
- Increase website traffic, newsletter engagement, audience growth, digital reach, and engagement with communications, storytelling, and public awareness initiatives.
- Increase media coverage, interviews, features, and public engagement opportunities that elevate PEDC's work and impact.
Expand Thought Leadership, Influence, and Strategic Positioning
PEDC will strengthen its role as a trusted voice, thought leader, and resource by sharing expertise, publishing resources, contributing to public discourse, participating in state, national, and international conversations, and elevating promising practices that advance educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education.
Key Actions and Measures of Progress
- Develop a thought leadership and publication strategy that identifies priority audiences, topics, publications, platforms, and opportunities for influence.
- Increase PEDC's presence at state and national conferences, convenings, and learning opportunities.
- Develop and disseminate articles, reports, toolkits, resources, and thought leadership content that elevate educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education.
- Expand thought leadership activities through publications, presentations, keynote addresses, media contributions, and strategic communications efforts.
- Increase participation in state, national, and international conferences, convenings, professional learning opportunities, and collaborative initiatives.
- Increase PEDC's visibility and participation in national networks, publications, partnerships, and strategic initiatives.
- Position PEDC as a recognized statewide leader with growing national relevance and increasing global influence.
- Establish PEDC as a trusted source of expertise, resources, and promising practices related to educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education.
- Evaluate and strengthen thought leadership and strategic positioning efforts based on reach, influence, engagement, and impact.
Measures of Progress
- Increase invitations to provide keynote addresses, presentations, facilitation, expert consultation, testimony, and participation in state, national, and international discussions, convenings, and learning opportunities.
- Increase publication and dissemination of articles, policy briefs, reports, toolkits, media contributions, and thought leadership resources.
- Strengthen PEDC's role as a trusted voice, thought leader, and source of expertise while increasing opportunities to contribute to public discourse, educational practice, policy conversations, and strategic initiatives at the state, national, and international levels.
Strengthen Strategic Partnerships, Convenings, and Collective Action
PEDC will deepen relationships and strengthen collaboration among educators, policymakers, researchers, community leaders, advocacy organizations, institutions, and partners to advance collective action, shared learning, and statewide impact.
Key Actions and Measures of Progress
- Assess, strengthen, and map PEDC's network and strategic partnerships to identify opportunities for growth, engagement, and collaboration.
- Develop a partnership and engagement framework that strengthens collaboration, shared learning, and collective action.
- Expand opportunities for networking, collaboration, learning, and engagement across PEDC's network.
- Strengthen and expand strategic partnerships across education, philanthropy, business, government, and community sectors.
- Increase participation in statewide convenings, collaborative initiatives, communities of practice, and partnership opportunities.
- Expand opportunities for regional, statewide, and cross-sector collaboration that advance educator diversity and culturally relevant and sustaining education.
- Institutionalize partnership and engagement practices that support long-term collaboration and collective action.
- Expand statewide, national, and international partnership opportunities.
- Evaluate and strengthen collaborative initiatives, partnership strategies, and network engagement efforts.
Measures of Progress
- Expand strategic partnerships across education, philanthropy, business, government, and community sectors.
- Increase participation and engagement in statewide working groups, communities of practice, convenings, collaborative initiatives, and PEDC network activities.
- Increase opportunities for collaboration, shared learning, collective action, and engagement across PEDC's regional, statewide, and national networks.
Innovation Horizon: Looking Beyond 2030
Storytelling and Narrative Change Lab
Establish a statewide Storytelling and Narrative Change Lab that brings together educators, faculty, students, families, researchers, artists, communicators, and community leaders to develop and test innovative approaches for shifting public narratives about educator diversity, educational equity, and culturally relevant and sustaining education.
Pennsylvania Educator Diversity Observatory
Develop a publicly accessible digital platform that combines research, storytelling, policy analysis, educator workforce data, interactive maps, and promising practices to help educators, policymakers, researchers, journalists, and community leaders better understand educator diversity trends, challenges, and opportunities across Pennsylvania.
National Center for Educator Diversity Storytelling and Communications
Explore the development of a national hub that supports organizations, institutions, and states in communicating effectively about educator diversity, educational equity, and culturally relevant and sustaining education.
AI-Powered Knowledge and Engagement Platform
Leverage emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to create a dynamic knowledge and engagement platform that expands access to PEDC's research, policy briefs, publications, toolkits, stories, and learning opportunities.
Global Learning Exchange Network
Establish a year-round learning network that connects educators, researchers, policymakers, advocates, and community leaders from Pennsylvania with partners across the United States and around the world.
Future of Educational Influence and Public Engagement Initiative
Explore how evolving communications technologies, public trust, civic engagement, storytelling, digital media, and community leadership influence educational change and collective action.