when bullitt county public schools first partnered with alchemy, their communications director was balancing it all: news, photography, web updates, and community messaging - often with little time left for consistent storytelling. families were eager to see the heart of their schools online, but the content rhythm just couldn’t keep up with daily demands. together, we built a system rooted in storytelling: one that made consistency simple, human, and sustainable.

the district’s story was strong, but the system to share it wasn’t. we identified three main challenges that were limiting connection and reach.

with a one-person communications team, posting often happened “when there was time.” urgent information made it out, but the everyday celebrations (the kind that build trust and pride) often fell through the cracks.

reactive over relational

without a guiding structure, social feeds leaned heavily toward operational updates. important, yes, but they didn’t reflect the warmth, growth, and connection happening daily across the district. the stories that define bcps’s culture were being told inconsistently, if at all.

content looked different across platforms, with no clear rhythm or themes. families and followers couldn’t easily recognize the district’s voice or visual identity and staff didn’t have an easy way to contribute stories from their schools.

we started by identifying what stories mattered most to bcps: the ones that would build trust, reflect district values, and strengthen community pride. we established three storytelling anchors: student spotlights (graduate profile stories), staff spotlights (core values in action), and community spotlights (partnership and pride). we also built a simple “good news” form to collect extra moments that deserved to be shared.

instead of separating content by platform, we cross-posted strategically by sharing each story across facebook and instagram, tagging or adding collaborators for schools featured in weekly video anchors like “beyond the bell.” we also helped launch bcps’s linkedin presence, opening a new space to highlight leadership, talent, and partnership stories.

we introduced caption frameworks, design templates, and clear workflows that are built for speed and flexibility. the system helped bcps post consistently without sacrificing tone, visuals, or storytelling quality.

each month, we reviewed performance data across platforms to do more than just count numbers. we wanted to understand what resonated. stories of students, teachers, and community partnerships consistently earned the highest engagement, proving that heart-driven storytelling builds reach naturally.

“when you’re the only person behind the district’s communications, it’s easy to focus on what’s urgent. alchemy helped us focus on what’s meaningful. we now have a rhythm that celebrates people, not just announcements and the difference shows.”