Pre-Seminar Workshops offer extended learning opportunities. Come early and learn more at these in-depth, info-packed workshops! Click the workshop titles for full descriptions.

Full and Half-Day Workshops

• Pillars of Great School PR Programs
  (Saturday, full-day 9 AM - 4 PM)
• Mobile App Strategy in School Communications
  (Saturday, half-day 1 PM - 4 PM)
• Social Media Strategy for School Districts (Advanced)
  (Sunday, full-day 9 AM - 4 PM) 

Two-Day Workshops

• New Professionals Program
  (Saturday, full-day 9 AM-4 PM and Sunday, half-day 9 AM - Noon)
• APR Prep: Get Ready for Universal Accreditation
  (Saturday, full-day 9 AM-4 PM and Sunday, full-day 9 AM - 4 PM)

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Saturday, July 7, 2012
Full-Day and Half-Day Pre-Seminar Workshops

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SATURDAY, JULY 7
9 AM – 4 PM

Pillars of Great School PR Programs
($299.00)

Register Now!

Strategic public relations doesn’t just happen, it requires research, careful planning, smart execution and thoughtful evaluation. In this dynamic, how-to session, discover the critical components of successful school district communication programs – regardless of district size, communications budget, and staffing. Learn how to apply and expand the basic RACE planning model – Research and Assessment; Analysis and Action Planning; Communications; and Evaluation – to get more results from your investment in communications.

Explore best practices in school public relations and learn from NSPRA award winners as you delve more deeply into targeting and prioritizing audiences, developing strategies, crafting compelling messages and experiences, and choosing the right tactic for the right audience at the right time. Find out how to integrate your district’s brand position into all communication efforts and formats, and discover why developing relationships and creating memorable, shared experiences underpin all tactical considerations from employee communications to social media outreach.

Finally, bring your current or draft communications plan and your laptop (or favorite mobile device) as well as sample collateral materials to gain insight from other school PR practitioners. And, discuss ways to boost the importance of communications – and your position – in your school system. Find out how others have successfully crossed the professional bridge from skilled technician to trusted communications counselor, and how to secure needed resources for communications when times are tough.  

To register, download and complete the registration form then mail or fax, or register online.  

Nora Carr, APR
Chief of Staff
Guilford County Schools
Greensboro, N.C. 

About Nora Carr, APR: Nora Carr, APR, is a passionate advocate for high quality public schools for all children. With a proven track record in public and private sector communications, marketing and public relations, Nora  is a sought after speaker and consultant. The author of Telling Your Story: A Toolkit for Marketing Urban Education, Nora also writes on communications and community relations for the American School Board Journal and eSchool News. She is a past recipient of the President’s Award, NSPRA’s highest honor, and has earned six Gold Medallions for school public relations and marketing campaigns. She currently serves as Chief of Staff for Guilford Public Schools in Greensboro, N.C. 

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SATURDAY, JULY 7
1 – 4 PM  

Mobile App Strategy in School Communications
($199.00)

Register Now!

The dramatic growth in smartphones has led to an explosion of iPhone, Android, iPad, Blackberry and other mobile applications (apps). In 2011, the total number of smartphones surpassed the number of traditional phones in the U.S., and shipments of the device increased by 75%. Within a year the majority of teens in the U.S. will own a smartphone. This workshop will show you how school districts, universities (including Stanford, The Ohio State University, University of Virginia, and others) are using mobile applications as an integral part of their overall communications and public relations strategy. This session will prepare attendees for assessing how their respective school districts can benefit from mobile apps, options for how a district can develop its own app, how to ensure the app makes a positive impact, and how to brand and market the launch of an app.  

You will walk away from this half-day session with in-depth knowledge of how mobile applications and mobile websites are impacting school districts, and how to strategically approach the development process and launch of an app. You will learn what makes an effective app and common mistakes made by school districts and universities when developing and launching an app. You will also walk out with a clear plan for how to assess your needs when it comes to this emerging technology and how to gain buy-in from your superintendent, board, technology department, students, parents, and community. This workshop will focus heavily on real-world examples and hands-on demonstrations of effective, and not so effective, mobile apps.

To register, download and complete the registration form then mail or fax, or register online.

Cody Cunningham Chief Communications Officer McKinney (Texas) ISD

Terry Morawski Assistant Superintendent  Communications/Marketing  Mansfield (Texas) ISD

About Cody Cunningham:  Co-Founder of Public Communications Group, a strategic communications and PR consulting firm, Cody Cunningham has extensive experience in both corporate and school communications. In addition to helping corporations, school districts and universities in communications and public relations efforts, he has managed communications operations for large school districts. He currently serves as the Chief Communications Officer for the McKinney (Texas) Independent School District, a fast-growth suburban district with approximately 25,000 students. He is a recognized expert in public engagement, campaign communications, and mobile app strategy.

About Terry Morawski: Terry Morawski is an expert in the areas of school communications and technology. He writes a monthly column for Texas School Business Magazine, and has also written feature articles for School Administrator magazine and NSPRA's eNetwork, among others. He has conducted communication audits and workshops, as well as speaking engagements regularly throughout the country. Terry currently works as the Assistant Superintendent of Communications and Marketing in Mansfield (Texas) Independent School District. He has also served on the boards of TSPRA and the Public Relations Society of America. 

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Sunday, July 8, 2012
Full-Day and Half-Day Pre-Seminar Workshops

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SUNDAY, JULY 10
9 AM – 4 PM

Social Media Strategy for School Districts (Advanced)
($299.00)

Register Now!

Engaging parents, students, the community and other constituents around our public schools continues to be a challenge. With limited budgets, social media offers a cost-effective way to generate interest, communicate messages from the district and connect with supporters.

Today’s effective communicator uses the latest social media tools and knows how to deploy them in their communication strategy. This workshop will give you a plan, the tools, and the know-how to make these new marketing tools work for you and your district.

The goal of this social media workshop is to both introduce you to the vast world of social media and then take you beyond the “now what” phase and have you putting social media to work in your district. You’ll see what other schools, organizations and non-profits have done to use these low-cost, high-leverage tools of social media for tremendous gain.

You Will Learn

• How to determine which social media channels will best fit your audience and objectives.
• How to measure the effectiveness of social media in your district.
• How to put together a social media strategy and communication plan to put social media to work immediately.
• How other school districts have successfully used social media and what you can apply from their successes.
• Discussion of policy creation around social media.

Workshop Overview

This one-day workshop will start by uncovering how you align your district communication goals and objectives, which will then help you determine the social media tools and techniques that you can use to connect your message to your constituents and to traditional media outlets.

1. What is Social Media, how it fits into your marketing.
   
   1. Mapping out your touch points and stakeholders
   2. Trust and transparency in social media
2. Social Media Channels
   
   1. Social content
      
      1. Blogger outreach
      2. Blogs
      3. Audio, video & photo sharing
      4. Microblogging (Twitter)
   2. Social platforms
      
      1. Social networks (Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc.)
      2. Discussion/support forums
      3. Wikis
   3. Social interactions
      
      1. Statusphere – social media status updates
      2. SMS & mobile marketing
      3. Social media and events
   4. Social media case studies & examples
3. Your Social Media Program
   
   1. Social media barriers
   2. Define your social media plan
   3. Social media channel selection
   4. Integrate into your current marketing program
4. Creating Your Social Media Strategy
   
   1. Write your social media strategy
   2. Define the tactics
   3. Social media in an integrated communication program
5. Social Media Policy
   
   1. Creating the district social media policy
6. Focus on building your social media presence on a daily basis
   
   1. Blog marketing & tools
   2. Building an addressable base of readers & fans
   3. Connecting your social media activities to traditional media and your social media newsroom
7. Putting It All Together
   
   1. Social media metrics & ROI
   2. Implement your social media plan

To register, download and complete the registration form then mail or fax, or register online.

 
Dana VanDen Heuvel
President and Founder
The MarketingSavant™ Group
Green Bay, Wis.     

About Dana VanDen Heuvel: The founder of the marketing consulting firm, The MarketingSavant Group™, Dana is an award-winning marketing blogger and a widely recognized expert on thought leadership marketing, social media, blogging, podcasting, RSS, Internet communities and interactive marketing trends and best practices. Dana has worked with state school PR associations such as WSPRA and ISPRA and has helped school districts of all sizes with their social media efforts. Dana is an author and an adjunct professor at St. Norbert College where he teaches social media and thought leadership marketing.  

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Saturday and Sunday, July 7 and July 8, 2012
Two-Day Pre-Seminar Workshops

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SATURDAY, JULY 7 (9 AM – 4 PM)
SUNDAY, JULY 8 (9 AM – Noon)

New Professionals Program
($299.00)

Register Now!  

If you have been in public relations less than three years – or if you’re new to the field – this workshop is the foundation you need for practicing all facets of school PR. You’ll work with seasoned school PR pros and network with peers on effective public relations planning, including applying the four-step RACE process, identifying target audiences, framing key messages and developing communication strategies. Participants will work in teams to develop communication plans from case studies. Day two will focus on PR problem solving, and a panel of veteran school PR practitioners will critique the communication plans and participate in a Q & A discussion with participants. Participants will also be matched to mentors who will work with them at the Seminar and during the next school year.

To register, download and complete the registration form then mail or fax, or register online.

Bob Noyed, APR Executive Director  Communications/Community Relations Eden Prairie (Minn.) Schools

Chris Tennill, APR Chief Communications Officer  School District of Clayton (Mo.)

About the workshop leaders: These two veteran school PR pros have a wealth of experience in the field and have done it all - from newsletters, media relations, and strategic communication planning to crisis communication management, public engagement and providing strategic counsel to district leaders. They have served in leadership roles in their state chapters as well as NSPRA and have a special interest in supporting and mentoring colleagues new to the profession.  

About Bob Noyed, APR: Bob Noyed, APR, created the New Professionals Program for NSPRA (now in its 12th year)and continues to serve as workshop leader and coordinator. He is a past NSPRA President and North Central Region Vice President and a recipient of the Barry Gaskins Mentor Legacy Award. He is also the author of NSPRA's Scenario Collection I, II and III and co-author of Unlocking Sensational Service: Tools for Tapping Your People Power.

About Chris Tennill, APR: Chris Tennill, APR, serves as the Chief Communications Officer for the School District of Clayton (Mo.), where he has been leading the district’s communications efforts for the past 11 years. His commitment to supporting those new to the profession led him to develop an award-winning mentoring program in his home state of Missouri. He is a recognized leader in school communications, a past president of the Missouri School Public Relations Association and has chaired or co-chaired a number of NSPRA committees including the Communications Accountability Program and the Membership/Professional Development Committee.  

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SATURDAY, JULY 7 (9 AM – 4 PM)
SUNDAY, JULY 8 (9 AM - 4 PM)

APR Prep: Get Ready for Universal Accreditation
($299.00) 

Register Now!  

Ready to move ahead as a PR professional? Then it’s time to become Accredited in Public Relations (APR). This in-depth workshop helps you prepare for the Universal Accreditation examination by providing a solid grounding in the knowledge, skills, and abilities tested. Learn what topics are covered and how to plan and prepare for the various components required for completing the testing process. Make a commitment to yourself and begin your professional development journey toward becoming Accredited in Public Relations.    

To register, download and complete the registration form then mail or fax, or register online.  

Janet Swiecichowski, APR Executive Director for Communications Minnetonka (Minn.) Public Schools

Karen Geddeis, APR Director of Public Relations and  Communications  Glenbrook HSD 225, Glenview, Ill.

About Janet Swiecichowski, APR: Seasoned school PR veteran Janet Swiecichowski, APR, is a passionate proponent of Accreditation and was instrumental in the development of NSPRA's APR Prep workshop (now in its 12th year). First serving as workshop co-leader, she has led and coordinated this popular Pre-Seminar program since 2003. Janet currently serves as NSPRA’s liaison on the Universal Accreditation Board board of directors and is a past chair of NSPRA's Accreditation Committee. She has been actively involved in the updating and revision of the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations and has worked to ensure education communication issues are represented.

About Karen Geddeis, APR: Karen Geddeis, APR, currently serves as NSPRA’s Accreditation Committee chair and has served as a regional representative on the committee since 2010. An advocate for professional development and Accreditation, Karen has presented chapter sessions on the APR process and currently facilitates a local cohort in her home state of Illinois. Having first learned about APR while still in college, she pursued her APR early in her public relations career, and continues to encourage and support colleagues interested in earning their APR.

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