The Content
NTC Creative Director Jon Mikkelsen oversees all of the theatrical, digital, video, print and gaming materials for our in-school health education programs. He’s featured in our latest NTC ED Talk video and accompanying whitepaper, detailing the lessons we’ve learned and best practices for delivering an effective in-school, educational, theatrical program that can help your health organization connect to the patients and customers in your community.
The video and whitepaper detail a theatrical health and wellness education program from inception to implementation, covering the following main points:
- Why should health organizations utilize theatrical programs in their community outreach efforts?
- The three essential steps in producing effective and efficient in-school programs
- The importance of selecting four primary educational topics to emphasize during the program
- The three main components that each educational script must deliver
- Creative theatrical techniques that ensure young audiences are engaged and retain the information
- How to measure and evaluate quantifiable results of the program
Our Approach
NTC’s ED Talks are modeled after a well-known educational video series in which experts discuss the ins and outs of their field in a straightforward but engaging format. Shot in our Minneapolis studio, these videos feature our team of creative experts – many of whom have been working in the field of educational theatre for years, learning valuable insights along the way. Dynamic graphics and videos are incorporated onscreen, reiterating the basic concepts in a vivid and memorable way. The format is a cost-effective method to ensure that audiences engage with and remember the main points.
We also provide accompanying whitepapers with our ED Talk videos, repeating the basic concepts in a printable article. Just as our in-school theatrical programs convey important information through a creative, multifaceted curriculum, our ED Talks present vital concepts through an innovative multimedia approach.
Key Takeaways
The healthcare industry is in flux, as insurance coverage options continue to evolve and younger generations turn to online resources for healthcare opinions and possible remedies. Millennials have little trust in pharmaceutical companies, not to mention the increasingly fraught nature of healthcare coverage. All of this makes it increasingly important to convey positive health and wellness messages to communities in engaging, inspiring ways. In-school theatrical programs can achieve this by encouraging young people to lead healthy lifestyles and enhancing health organizations’ public image.
Some of the other main takeaways featured in this NTC ED Talk include:
- An effective in-school theatre program relies primarily on the scripting process, the performance itself, and the ability to measure and analyze results
- Connecting with K-12 students through storytelling, characters and creativity distinguishes your educational outreach and creates a “trickle up” effect throughout communities
- Choosing four main educational concepts to focus on during the program ensures that audiences won’t be overwhelmed with information and will come away with memorable learning points
- These educational concepts and the script as a whole should contain Clarity, Value and the Ability to Take Action
- Theatre techniques such as audience participation and educational techniques such as repetition can maximize the impact of your outreach program
- It is important to have teachers evaluate in-school programs and seriously consider their responses in order to refine and improve the program’s effectiveness
These takeaways and others are included in the NTC ED Talk video and whitepaper, demonstrating the tactics that could make all the difference for your health organization’s community outreach. If you want to make an impact in your communities in a cost-effective and powerful way, find out what the K-12 school channel can provide.
