As the nation’s first nonprofit, tuition-free charter school network that develops Pre-K and single-gender elementary and middle public schools, Public Prep has a rich history of fostering excellence across Manhattan and the Bronx in New York. Following over a decade of impact, Public Prep embraced 2022 as an opportunity to strengthen and evolve its brand and messaging. To support their goals, Public Prep engaged Mission Partners in the development of messages that clearly articulate the mission, vision, and purpose of the organization. Mission Partners also presented a refreshed visual brand that drives greater understanding, engagement, and activation.  

Taking a community-informed approach to the updated messaging and brand, Mission Partners engaged the Public Prep team and key stakeholders in conversations about the organization’s identity, impact, and reputation. Following these community conversations, Mission Partners supported Public Prep in achieving greater brand consistency and using more inclusive language. Mission Partners then created a comprehensive brand style guide to help Public Prep communicate with inclusion, equity, and accessibility in mind. Mission Partners also supported Public Prep with a brand rollout plan, which ensured the new brand was depicted across all communications channels.

Refreshing Public Prep’s messaging and brand through an equity lens created an opportunity for courageous conversations about the network’s policies. Shifting their identity from a single-sex to single-gender school was a significant policy change, and it’s one that’s now reflected in Public Prep’s key messages. With more inclusive language, Public Prep was also able to unify their schools with one shared brand and identity. 

Kristine Neil

Fractional Web Partner

I'm Kristine Neil - a communications strategist who has spent 20+ years designing websites, first running a full-scale design and marketing agency, and now leading my own studio. I've been the creative director managing the work, the coder quietly fixing what others couldn't, and the strategist in the room asking why before how. Somewhere between the MBA and the other degrees, I decided web design was just one tool in a much bigger toolbox - the real work is figuring out what you're trying to say, who needs to hear it, and what's getting in the way. A website is just where all of that comes to life.

I mostly build on Squarespace, and after years deep in the platform I know how far it can go and when to push past its limits. These days, I'm especially drawn to working as a fractional partner - getting to know an organization over time and helping with whatever moves them forward, whether that's a full redesign, an ongoing hand with content and strategy, or just being the person who knows their site best. I write here about AI, UX, eCommerce, web strategy, and making the complex feel a little more human.

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