In 2020, El Monte Union High School District was awarded a $9.8 million grant by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to fund a menu of Clean Mobility measures that promote the use of zero-emission vehicles and clean transportation options for students, parents, and staff. The District, along with its project funders and partners, needed to build awareness about this innovative project and its benefits to students, families, and the greater El Monte community, showcasing their environmental leadership and furthering their outreach to foster clean mobility.
VMA created a “green” ribbon cutting event on August 18, 2021, to celebrate the arrival of the first all-electric buses, and tell the story of the project to media and local officials. The event featured speeches by state, county and District officials, spirited performances by the South El Monte High School band, dance, cheer and color guard teams, tours of the electric buses, info sessions with project partners, and snow cones for all attendees.
VMA coordinated all aspects of the event, including a catered VIP reception, video and photographic coverage, digital press release and media coordination, social media outreach, speaker talking points, event invitation and program design, expert-led tours of electric buses, info tables for project partners to tell their stories, and awards and recognitions of the project.
More than 100 key industry and community leaders participated in the event, which received coverage by numerous local and national media outlets.
