New website enhances parent connection with Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board

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New website enhances parent connection with Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board

April 22, 2014

Toronto, ON, April 22, 2014 – School closures. Bus cancellations. Weather advisories. These urgent updates are important for the families of over 7.8 million school-aged children across Canada. The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board has launched a new website that not only addresses urgent alerts, but it also enhances connections for parents, the community, and parishes, with its schools and the school board.

“Our school board has always placed a premium on parent engagement and ease of access to information about programs and services,” says Bruce Campbell, general manager of communications & community relations for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. "Now, when parents search for us online, our new website better responds to the demand for information that users expect. At the same time, it better reflects the dynamic and Catholic nature of our board."

The website’s new responsive design was developed with the needs of today’s parents and students in mind. It allows visitors to access the site on desktop and mobile devices without compromising the layout, features, or overall function. This site is also compliant with the new Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
Parents and visitors will benefit from the following new features:
• Bright pop-up announcement/alerts (i.e. school closures, weather conditions)
• Multi-navigation access points to information
• Current school board information
• Impactful photographs of Dufferin-Peel students
• School spotlight section
• Information for newcomer families (translations also available in four languages)

In addition to launching the new school board website, 149 individual school sites were redesigned to align with the new look and capability of the board’s site. Important Board news and alerts are displayed in addition to school-specific information.

Notes Randall Craig, president of 108 ideaspace, “The needs, priorities, and web expectations of parents (and other stakeholders) have changed over the years. During the design phase, we recognized the importance of addressing these needs to keep parents involved in the educational experience of their children."

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The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board is one of the largest and most diverse school boards in Ontario. It currently serves approximately 84,000 students in 149 schools located throughout Mississauga, Brampton, Bolton, Caledon, and Orangeville. It is the goal of the board to provide quality education to students in a setting, which fosters Catholic values and beliefs. More: www.dpcdsb.org

108 ideaspace is dedicated to helping clients engage their stakeholders by innovating in strategy, technology, and design. 108 ideaspace develops web, social media, and mobile solutions that leverage and extend strategy. More: www.108ideaspace.com

Media contacts:
Bruce Campbell, General Manager, Communications & Community Relations, Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, 905-890-0708 ext. 24466, bruce.campbell@dpcdsb.org
Randall Craig, President, 108 ideaspace inc., 416-256-7773 ext. 101, randall@108ideaspace.com

Note to Media:
Additional quote:
"This new site is a central hub for the board's stakeholders: from parents to students; from vendors to job seekers; and for the general public and the Catholic community," says Randall Craig, president of 108 ideaspace.
Randall Craig has been advising on Web Strategy since 1994: he put the Toronto Star online, the Globe and Mail’s GlobeInvestor/Globefund, several financial institutions, and 100+ other major organizations. He is the author of seven books, including the just-released: Everything Guide to Starting an Online Business.

For more information contact:
Bruce Campbell
Manager, General Communications & Community Relati
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
Phone: 905-890-0708
Email: bruce.campbell@dpcdsb.org
Website: www.dpcdsb.org

Randall Craig
President, 108 ideaspace inc.,
108 ideaspace inc.
Phone: 416-256-7773, x. 101
Email: randall@108ideaspace.com
Website: www.108ideaspace.com

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Randall Craig, Social Media and Networking Expert

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