From Apple’s iPod revival to Ford’s tribute to the classic Mustang, leading brands are using nostalgia to spark emotional connections and drive engagement. By celebrating their history through storytelling, they engage audiences across generations.

Schools and universities can do the same, tapping into their heritage to deepen alumni relationships, boost fundraising, and create a stronger sense of community. This article explores standout brand campaigns and the lessons they offer for the education sector.

Alumni networks are an often under-utilised resource for Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs), yet they hold immense potential. A strong alumni network can provide mentorship, career support, and fundraising opportunities, helping to level the playing field for state-educated students.

Discover how reconnecting with former students can inspire current pupils, bridge the social mobility gap, and strengthen your MAT’s long-term impact.

This month, we're bringing you a series of insightful webinars designed to help you strengthen alumni engagement, recover lost connections, and build a thriving digital community.

Whether you're looking to reconnect with 'lost' alumni, capture their stories, or create a digital home that fosters long-term engagement, these sessions will provide practical strategies and expert insights.

Alumni event attendance is declining, with institutions reporting a 40% drop in in-person participation over the past five years (CASE Alumni Relations Report, 2023). Rising travel costs, busy schedules, and geographical distance all play a role, but the challenge goes deeper…alumni engagement preferences have evolved.

How can institutions adapt? Read the full article to explore the shifting landscape of alumni engagement and the strategies shaping its future.

A school anniversary isn’t just about marking a milestone, it’s an opportunity to bring your community together through shared memories. Beyond speeches and reunions, the most powerful way to celebrate is by capturing the voices of your students and alumni.

Their stories of first days, unforgettable teachers, and life-changing moments, turn history into something deeply personal and lasting.

With tools like SocialArchive, you can easily collect, organise, and showcase these memories, ensuring your anniversary becomes a legacy for future generations.

This February, we’re excited to bring you two webinars designed to inspire and enhance your alumni engagement strategy.

Whether you're looking to leverage digital innovation or tap into the power of shared history, these sessions will provide valuable insights and actionable strategies to strengthen your connections in 2025.

When an alumnus shares a memory - whether it’s about a favourite teacher, a school assembly, or a life-changing moment, you’re hearing a piece of your institution’s living history. But what happens to that memory after it’s shared?

Capturing alumni recollections through oral and video histories transforms these fleeting moments into enduring records. Unlike static records, oral and video histories bring emotions, expressions, and personality to life creating a unique way for your community to engage with the past.

In this article, we discuss the transformative power of collecting these histories, the role they play in strengthening alumni bonds, and how platforms like SocialArchive make it easier than ever to collect and share these invaluable narratives.

Discover how to bring your school’s history to life by transforming your physical archives into an immersive virtual experience.

From preserving fragile materials to tapping into the power of memories, we help schools expand access, deepen alumni connections, and safeguard their heritage for future generations.

Read the full guide to see how our digital solutions can elevate your physical archives.

Kickstart 2025 with new ideas for engaging your alumni! This January, we’re thrilled to host two impactful webinars, tailored to help you elevate your alumni engagement strategy in the year ahead.

From digital innovation to tapping into shared history, these sessions are packed with insights and practical tips.

We’re excited to introduce Interactive Virtual Spaces, the latest innovation from SocialArchive! These immersive, digital experiences allow your alumni to explore iconic school spaces, revisit memories, and interact with your digital archives, no matter where they are in the world.

From preserving soon-to-be-renovated areas to showcasing your physical archives, Virtual Spaces offer a powerful way to bring your school’s legacy to life.

We were thrilled to sponsor the IDPE Development Awards once again, celebrating innovation in school fundraising and engagement.

This year’s winners showcased outstanding campaigns, proving that creativity and technology are key to overcoming the sector’s challenges. Watch the video as the winners are announced and discover the incredible work being done.

By leveraging the emotional power of heritage, schools and universities can transform their archives into strategic fundraising assets.

In this article, we explore how storytelling, interactive archives, and thoughtful donor recognition can use your school’s heritage to foster alumni engagement and encourage donations. Whether it’s celebrating past achievements or showcasing the impact of philanthropy, your archives hold the key to building a legacy of giving.

Discover SocialArchive’s new video creation tool, designed to transform video production into a quick, seamless experience. With just a few clicks, users can create custom videos from archival or current content, filtering by person, location, event or more.

Perfect for preserving historical moments, capturing present-day events, or creating marketing videos for schools, this feature simplifies video creation, making it accessible and engaging for all.

Reunions, meetings, and in person events all help to build fantastic community engagement, but how can you replicate that effect digitally?

In this session we will look at some top tips, alternative techniques, and real-world examples to help you foster new connections and strengthen existing ones online to build a more active and engaged digital community.

When people think of school or university archives, they often picture dusty old bookshelves filled with aging photos, fading letters, and stacks of documents. While the traditional approach to archiving is about preservation and record-keeping, there’s a growing trend towards making archives interactive and engaging.

In this article we discuss how to transform them into dynamic digital spaces where alumni, students, and even the wider community can connect with your history in meaningful ways.

Do you have an important anniversary coming up? Discover why creating a digital archive is the perfect way to commemorate the occasion!

In this article, we explore how digital archives provide a modern, accessible, and engaging solution to preserve your school's legacy. By showcasing your history in an interactive and dynamic format, a digital archive not only honors the past but also connects your alumni, students, and staff—ensuring that your school's journey continues to inspire future generations.

Are you aiming to reconnect with lost alumni or deepen relationships within your existing community?

Join us this month for an exclusive webinar where you'll discover how to supercharge your digital alumni engagement using the powerful pull of nostalgia.

Preserving your institution's history is about more than maintaining records—it's about fostering connections across generations. Collaborative archiving, involving alumni in the preservation process, enriches archives with diverse perspectives and unique contributions. By inviting alumni to share photos, stories, and memorabilia, schools can build a more vibrant historical record while strengthening alumni engagement. Discover how this approach can transform your school’s history and future.

As the new academic year begins, it's crucial to lay the foundation for a successful year of alumni engagement. This article is a must-read for anyone looking to reconnect with alumni, especially recent graduates, and lay the groundwork for meaningful interactions.

From setting clear objectives to leveraging technology and planning impactful events, this guide offers practical strategies to enhance your engagement efforts throughout the year.

As the new academic year begins, we’re excited to offer a series of webinars designed to enhance your alumni engagement strategies.

Our first webinar (available across two dates) covers everything you need to know to boost alumni involvement in the coming year. Additionally, our second webinar will guide you step-by-step through the process of creating your own digital school archive.

Explore our September webinar lineup to learn more!