How WYLEES Launched with 200+ Students

WYLEES (Western Youth Leadership, Engagement, and Empowerment School) opened its doors in August 2025 as an innovative tuition-free public charter middle school in Las Vegas’ Boulevard Mall. The school’s mission centers on project-based learning, youth empowerment, and community engagement—but as a completely new school, they faced a critical challenge: no one had heard of them yet.

Opening a school from scratch means building everything: brand identity, community awareness, family trust, and enrollment momentum. WYLEES had an enrollment goal of 200+ students and just 11 months to make it happen in one of the country’s most competitive charter school markets.

From pre-launch through opening day, WYLEES partnered with Grow Schools to build their brand, reach target families, and establish themselves as a credible educational option in Las Vegas.

As a brand-new school with zero name recognition, WYLEES faced the challenge every year-zero school knows well: how do you convince families to trust you with their children when you have no track record, no alumni success stories, and no word-of-mouth reputation?

In a city with dozens of established charter schools, WYLEES needed to quickly build credibility, differentiate their innovative approach, and reach the right families—all while their founder Mike Taack was simultaneously handling facility buildout, hiring staff, securing approvals, and preparing to actually open a school.

The enrollment goal was ambitious but necessary: 200+ students to launch sustainably. The timeline was tight: August 2025 opening with marketing beginning in fall 2024.

Working alongside WYLEES from day one, Grow Schools developed and executed a comprehensive 11-month marketing campaign that built the school’s brand from the ground up.

Brand Foundation:

• Brand identity development
• Professional website creation and SEO optimization
• Messaging framework highlighting WYLEES’ unique project-based learning model

Content Creation:

• 200+ social media posts showcasing the school’s vision and values
• 15 blog articles establishing thought leadership and answering parent questions
• Print materials including postcards, rack cards, and signage

Digital Campaigns:

• Paid advertising across Google and Meta platforms
• Programmatic display advertising
• Targeted campaigns reaching Las Vegas families with middle school-aged students

Community Engagement:

• Transit advertising campaigns
• Public relations outreach
• Support for community events and family engagement opportunities

The Launch Moment:

The strategy culminated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony that generated significant local media attention—four TV stations covered the opening, giving WYLEES valuable earned media and community credibility right as families were making final enrollment decisions.

Through the comprehensive campaign, WYLEES launched in August 2025 with 210 enrolled students—exceeding their 200-student goal and providing a solid foundation for a first-year school.

More importantly, WYLEES now has:

• An established brand identity in the Las Vegas market
• Digital infrastructure (website, social media presence) to support ongoing enrollment
• Community awareness and credibility from media coverage
• Marketing systems in place to continue building enrollment in years two and beyond

For a year-zero school, opening with 200+ students isn’t just a number—it’s proof that families believe in the vision. WYLEES is now firmly established and positioned for continued growth.