Have you ever wondered who is behind all of ECFS’s social media posts? Meet Liv Garcia and Emma Johnson – two members of the Communications Team:
PS: To start, could you just tell me a little bit about what the Fieldston Communication Team does — (How many of you are there? What does your team do?)
EJ: Our Communications team consists of six people, each with slightly different responsibilities. We handle everything from managing the school’s website and social media to crafting newsletters and fundraising campaigns, event promotions, video content, alumni outreach, and more. We work closely with all departments across both campuses to ensure that everything we communicate reflects the voice, core tenets, and spirit of ECFS.
PS: How did you start working in communications?
LG: Communications is a field that impacts every aspect of an institution, and there are so many different entry points, especially when it comes to school communications! I have a background in theatre directing and facilitation, so the storytelling aspect of comms was what initially drew me in after college. I went to progressive schools growing up, so it’s fun to get a glimpse at the behind the scenes as an adult, and also grew up in a household where both of my parents worked as journalists, writers, and eventually in communications as well, so it’s something that I’ve been exposed to since I was young.
EJ: The interesting thing about communications is that you really can enter the industry from a wide range of previous experiences. Some of us entered the field with backgrounds in writing or journalism, while others came from design and education backgrounds. However, we also have team members who have tried different things — including hotel operations, marketing, and one person with a background in professional dance. Personally, I began my career in hotel operations and entertainment sales, and then transitioned into political campaign writing before gradually shifting into nonprofit and education-based communications. I even taught 10th Grade English for one year! All this is to say is that working in communications requires a variety of skills that essentially culminate in the ability to tell a story.
PS: How do you utilize collaboration and teamwork in what you do every day?
EJ: Almost everything we do is collaborative. Whether it’s planning an email campaign, writing a feature for a newsletter, creating our yearly magazine, or producing content for social media, we work together and regularly partner with faculty, students, administrators, and parents/guardians to ensure we’re highlighting the most meaningful aspects of the ECFS experience.
PS: What are your specific roles and responsibilities?
EJ: We each have slightly different areas of focus, but roles include managing social media, writing and editing copy for web and print, taking photos and video, designing print and digital assets, managing email communications, and more. I personally focus on supporting the Advancement and Admissions teams, which comprises Development/Fundraising, Alumni Relations, and Events/Engagement, while also contributing to overall strategy and planning.
LG: I focus on digital communications, supporting the operations department and auxiliary programming, providing photo coverage when we aren’t collaborating with a professional photographer, and managing our social media!
PS: How do you manage ECFS’s social media and decide how often to post?
LG: Like everything else we do, our social media management is collaborative! Since taking over from Emma, I’ve been learning the rhythms of our posting schedule. We post every day and aim to balance our posts between the four divisions, while also making sure to highlight important events, achievements, and our incredible alumni community! Our goal is always to ensure that someone looking at our social media gets a genuine understanding of the rhythms and life of ECFS. Practically, we have a collaborative editorial calendar and source potential post and topic ideas from the team as well as the larger community.
PS: What is your aim in capturing the joyousness of our school and conveying it to an outside perspective?
LG: ECFS is a special place, and you can feel that from the moment you step onto campus. Our goal is to offer a glimpse of that feeling digitally. Social media is such a unique medium because it connects us to our audience in a direct way. It’s special to get the chance to see alumni reminiscing on their time at the school when we post throwback posts, or even see students tagging their friends in the comments! We always want to make sure that we’re celebrating the story of our school, and we love getting the chance to share that story.
EJ: Our goal is to authentically reflect what makes ECFS special, from a 1st Grader building their first boat in Shop class to a senior completing a rigorous math project. We want current parents/guardians and prospective families to feel the energy, creativity, and thoughtfulness that define ECFS.
PS: What is your favorite part of what you do?
EJ: Definitely every chance I get to visit a classroom. There’s nothing more rewarding than capturing an authentic learning moment during a classroom visit and being able to share it with our broader community through a written editorial piece. It’s a privilege to be one of the voices that helps others see the value of what happens here every day.
Emma Johnson and Liv Garcia were both a pleasure to interview. Check out @ecfs1878 to see some of their amazing work displaying the vibrancy of our community!
