For millions of American families, the right to choose the best education for their children remains financially out of reach. The Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) set out to change that by unlocking billions in private donations each year to fund K-12 school choice scholarships. The bipartisan legislation promised to create a federal income tax credit for contributions to nonprofit scholarship-granting organizations, expanding access to educational opportunities for more than one million students nationwide including tuition, tutoring, special needs services, homeschooling materials and more.
Even with strong support from parents and advocates, the bill faced serious headwinds in Congress. The Invest in Education Coalition turned to PLUS to generate public and political momentum, elevate parents’ voices and help drive the bill toward passage.
Starting in 2023, PLUS led the charge in designing and executing a full-spectrum campaign that integrated public affairs, media relations, television advertising and digital savvy to move the ECCA from a long shot bill into the law of the land. We shaped the national conversation, secured favorable media coverage and helped shift critical votes in Congress. At the same time, we activated an issue advocacy campaign that hit from all sides: linear and digital advertising, grassroots mobilization, influencer amplification and direct-to-district storytelling all synched to flood lawmakers with voices of support from across the country.
Each phase of the campaign built on the last. What followed was a seven-step mobilization plan designed to shift perception, drive action and deliver a landmark legislative win.
Step 1: Lay the Groundwork
PLUS launched the effort by standing up the coalition’s website and managing its social channels, creating a centralized hub for action and updates. We developed national and local earned media strategies, placing op-eds in outlets like The Hill, Daily Caller, Des Moines Register and San Antonio Express-News. Our team kept reporters engaged with rapid response, consistent outreach and on-the-ground storytelling.
Step 2: Teach Through Story
From the start, the campaign was rooted in lived experience. As part of a $5.5 million advertising campaign, PLUS produced and aired testimonial ads featuring students like Ashley and Hera, and parents, like Gaby, Diana and Megan, who were each selected to reflect the diverse realities of families impacted by school choice. These emotionally resonant spots ran on linear television on networks like FOX, CNN, ESPN, MSNBC, HGTV and the Food Network and digital platforms, racking millions views and a 92% completion rate. Their stories did more than connect; they helped elevate the stakes for lawmakers and the public alike.
Watch the full reel of our ads from the Invest in Education Coalition Campaign:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7Hy2mjvJDw
Step 3: Bring It to the People
The “Empowering Parents” event series brought those school choice success stories to life across consequential media markets, including Washington, D.C., Detroit, Las Vegas, Kansas City, Miami, Tampa, Minneapolis and Baton Rouge. These events paired local advocates and lawmakers with families on the front lines of school choice and generated more than $4.3 million in earned media value.
Step 4: Rally the Base
As momentum grew in Congress, PLUS launched field teams in Missouri, Louisiana and South Carolina to increase pressure on key lawmakers. Through localized outreach, including op-eds, letters to the editor and one-on-one advocacy, the field campaign secured eight earned media placements and 41 direct lawmaker contacts in under two months.
Step 5: Flood the Zone
Ahead of cornerstone legislative moments, including the bill’s markup in the House Ways and Means Committee, PLUS launched a full-scale digital surge to turn up the pressure:
This wasn’t just noise. It was coordinated firepower. The campaign added volume, urgency and an undeniable presence at the exact moment it was needed most.
Step 6: Expand the Echo Chamber
To expand reach and deepen authenticity, PLUS partnered with 50+ creators, from mom-fluencers to conservative voices, who posted bespoke content across platforms. Their combined audience of 29 million helped drive over 50,000 users to the campaign site and generated more than 16 million impressions. These creators became trusted messengers, delivering our story in channels where traditional ads couldn’t go.
Step 7: Clarify the Close
In the final stretch, we launched a “Get the Facts” advertising series designed to debunk misinformation and strengthen support. Animated Facebook and Google Search ads delivered fast, factual clarity about what the ECCA would and wouldn’t do, reinforcing confidence and locking in key districts as the vote approached.
This campaign helped deliver a historic victory: the first-ever federal school choice legislation was passed and signed into law. A version of the Educational Choice for Children Act was included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Donald Trump signed on July 4, 2025, now honored by advocates as Parental Independence Day.
What had once been seen as politically impossible became reality. The Invest in Education Coalition, with PLUS as its campaign lead, transformed a decade-long policy goal into a national law backed by families, powered by engaging content and driven by strategy.
This wasn’t just a campaign. It was a movement and one of the most consequential education victories of this generation. PLUS didn’t just help make it happen. We helped make it matter for millions of students and their parents.
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