Fayette Forward: App and Campaign

Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS) in Lexington, Kentucky, offers a wide array of innovative and unique learning options, from career learning to college acceleration and experiential programs. Families often had a difficult time assessing their options and understanding which program is best suited for their students.

A laptop on a table displays the Fayette Forward website, featuring a photo of a smiling graduate in a cap and gown, and text about flexible learning options. The background is blurred greenery.

The Challenge

So Many Choices, So Little Direction

FCPS excelled at promoting their magnet and specialized programs, but had a wealth of programs that were under-promoted, buried deep on the district website or on unreliable external websites. To find these options, families had to know exactly what to look for and navigate an unorganized system. Additionally, by promoting specialized programs, neighborhood schools were seen as the lesser option, driving families away from high quality but misunderstood schools. The district needed a comprehensive approach to promoting their substantial innovative offerings, while also reinforcing the excellence of their neighborhood schools.

A solid blue rectangle with a thin white border near the edges, centered on a blue background.

The Approach

A New Way to Navigate

Initially, the district wanted an advertising campaign to promote its advanced programs. Through our survey phase and intensive stakeholder interviews, we found an even greater need. A campaign alone wasn’t enough, it needed an entirely new way to discover and understand the district’s offerings. The solution was to bolster this campaign with a new interactive online guide. A supporting Fayette Forward brand was established to encompass the full spectrum of FCPS programs and offerings, as well as the interactive guide. Through an intensive concepting phase, the system’s logic was developed and vetted with district staff and families.

The interactive guide is focused on personal pathways and innovative programs, allowing students and families to choose their own adventure. This app allows users to find and select their neighborhood school, choose the subjects they’re interested in, and identify educational outcomes that meet their needs. It then populates programs and learning options both at their neighborhood school and across the district for them to explore. Fayette Forward helps students and families navigate a large district with a complex set of items, providing information and creating a stronger personal investment along the way. The breadth and depth of opportunities can now properly serve as a competitive advantage for the district.

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The Results

An Increase In Special Program Applications

Fayette Forward launched in September 2025, with a digital media campaign the following winter to promote the app and drive applications to school programs. Fayette Forward had over 700 users in the first four months following the launch, resulting in an increase of over 400 additional district applications compared to the previous year.

A collage of blue web interface screens displaying educational options, quiz questions, and images of students, including a graduate in cap and gown and two students working together in a classroom.

Three Fayette County Public Schools posters on a wall promote Fayette Forward with images of students learning and text encouraging students to personalize their path and pace for future, interests, and real-world learning.

Two students wearing safety goggles and aprons work on a science experiment together and smile. Above them, text reads, “There’s more to explore at FCPS.”.

A smiling student with short, light blue-green hair stands next to a brown horse inside a wooden stable. Bold text above reads, Taking class outside of the classroom.

A smiling student sits at a classroom desk with a laptop, calculator, and phone. Text above reads, Starting college with a semesters worth of credits. Other students work in the background.

A smiling student sits in a classroom. Above her, bold blue text on a yellow background reads, Choose your path and pace. Other students are blurred in the background.

Two young girls sit at a classroom desk, one smiling and holding a yellow abacus. Above them, large blue text reads: “A learning path personalized to you.” Shelves with colorful books are in the background.

Two students in suits and bow ties smile while seated in a classroom with laptops. Above them, large text reads, Building skills for real-world experience on a yellow background.

A diverse group of young adults pose together outdoors, smiling at the camera. Above them, large text reads, “Learning with peers around the world” on a blue background.