From Underutilized Website to Statewide Support Ecosystem

Our Phased Solution

CIEES partnered with Project HOPE-VA as their strategic advisor and project management team, helping them reimagine what was possible while coordinating with vetted technical vendors to bring the vision to life. Our approach balanced immediate needs with long-term sustainability, ensuring each phase laid groundwork for future expansion.

Throughout all phases, CIEES prioritized sustainability—working with vendors to ensure Project HOPE-VA could maintain and expand their platform after initial grant funding ended. This included advocating for user-friendly content management systems, vendor-independent updates, and built-in analytics for continuous improvement.

Phase 1: Building the Foundation Through Education

We began by addressing core training needs, transforming in-person content into accessible digital learning:

• Refined and edited training content for clarity and engagement
• Provided instructional design expertise to ensure effective digital learning
• Reviewed and tested all materials for educational effectiveness and WCAG AA compliance, ensuring accessibility for diverse learners
• Managed project coordination between Project HOPE-VA and technical vendors

Phase 2: Creating Cohesive Identity

With educational content in place, we supported development of a unified brand that would resonate across diverse stakeholders:

• Refined messaging to ensure clarity across diverse audiences
• Reviewed brand materials for alignment with educational mission
• Coordinated workflow between stakeholders and creative vendors

Phase 3: Expanding Reach and Specialized Tools

This phase brought innovations beyond the original scope—with our team helping Project HOPE-VA envision how digital tools could multiply their impact:

• Helped envision expanded possibilities beyond traditional website updates, matching Project HOPE-VA’s needs with innovative digital solutions
• Proposed strategic configurations for the mobile app and liaison portal to address liaison and family challenges
• Provided copywriting and proofreading support for all new tools and resources
• Conducted WCAG AA compliance review and testing for all digital products
• Managed multilingual content adaptation for awareness materials
• Reviewed and refined all digital marketing content to ensure clear, mission-aligned messaging

Phase 4: Multimedia Engagement

The final phase focused on deepening engagement through multimedia tools:

• Collaborated on-site during filming to guide creative direction, developing podcast content strategy, refining interview approaches, and editing scripts to craft compelling narrative arcs featuring “HOPE Heroes”
• Transformed “Making Ends Meet” from a basic in-person activity into an immersive digital simulation, using extensive instructional design to help the public experience the impossible daily trade-offs faced by families experiencing homelessness
• Ensured platform independence, allowing Project HOPE-VA to maintain and update content without specialized technical knowledge

Throughout the transformation, CIEES served as the strategic bridge—translating complex educational requirements into clear digital experiences, ensuring every element served the mission of supporting students’ educational success.