The Rice University Alumni Relations team successfully implemented new programming targeted toward alumni and their families by partnering with the Houston Zoo. During the summer and winter breaks, the alumni relations team hosted events at the Houston Zoo to capture alumni engagement at times when families come together the most. We hosted a summer kickoff event at the zoo during June and a zoo lights holiday event during December. Rice alumni and their families were able to come together, while children were out of school, to connect with one another and participate in activities at the zoo that they may not have been able to do outside of these events. We were able to offer special activities during the summer event, such as a zookeeper presentation, animal encounters, and face painting. At the holiday event, we added elements such as carolers, photos with Santa, and holiday arts and crafts. There were buffet-style food options at each event to ensure every guest had something to choose from. We also gave away Rice alumni-branded items, so everyone had something to leave with that connected them back to the university. All the activities and food were at highly discounted prices to keep the events affordable and inclusive for all families. These events also allowed us to pilot our alumni volunteer program to further engage alumni who wanted to connect with our office in an even more impactful way.
From the Judges
Creative use of community partners, and we enjoyed seeing a series of events like this. There is great impact shown, and the series is very well executed.
