Pre-Seminar Workshops

Come early and learn more!

Maximize your NSPRA 2023 National Seminar experience by registering for pre-Seminar workshops on July 15-16! These in-depth, information-packed workshops will take place in person at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. Registration for pre-Seminar workshops is done as part of the Seminar registration process. If you've already registered for the Seminar, please email seminar@nspra.org to enroll. NOTE: Pre-Seminar workshops are a separate, additional cost from the Seminar registration fee.

Cancellation Policy: For pre-Seminar workshops, 25% of the workshop fee is nonrefundable for cancellations received by May 29. For cancellations received from May 30 - June 12, 50% of the workshop fee is nonrefundable. After June 12, no refunds are available. If a workshop is canceled by NSPRA due to low enrollment, its registrants may enroll in a different, similarly priced workshop of their choosing.

Two-Day Workshop APR Prep: Get Ready for Universal Accreditation - $450 ($50 discount if also registering for the full Seminar) Saturday, July 15, and Sunday, July 16 \| 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. CT Want to advance your public relations role from tactician to adviser? Now is the time to earn your accreditation in public relations (APR). This in-depth workshop will help you prepare for the accreditation process and the computer-based exam by providing a solid grounding in the knowledge, skills and abilities tested. Learn which topics are assessed and how to plan and prepare for the various exam components. During this workshop, you’ll also build a new network of school PR colleagues to join you on the APR journey. Presenters: Christy McGee, APR, director of communications at Fountain-Fort Carson (Colo.) School District 8 and NSPRA accreditation committee chair; and Shawn McKillop, APR, manager of communications and community relations at Grand Erie District School Board (Brantford, ON, Canada)
One- and Half-Day Workshops Strategic Planning for the Overwhelmed — $415 *($50 discount if also registering for the full Seminar)* Saturday, July 15 \| 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. CT Whether you fly solo or have a communications team, one thing we all have in common is no time. This one-day session will allow school PR practitioners to come together and work to develop and improve their strategic communications plans, as well as their knowledge base and skill sets, with guidance from other school PR pros to lean on. Participants will have the opportunity to either create a strategic communications plan for their district or refine the plan they have in place. Working with those with similar experience, time will be built into this workshop for participants to collaborate, organize and write their plan following the four-step process. Plus, we’ll have group breakout discussions to cover topics based on level of experience and could include tools to help effective and efficient workflow, crisis communications, social media trends, internal engagement and more. A great session for one-person school communication departments as you'll immediately have a department for a day and build a network for the future, but also open to school communications professionals in any size department and any level of experience. It is also appropriate for someone who doesn't feel confident with crafting a communications plan. Bring your plan or ideas and we’ll get to work! Presenters: Erica Chandler, APR, director of communications at Affton School District (St. Louis, Mo.); Jill Filer, director of communications and community relations at Harrisonville (Mo.) School District; and Stephanie Smith, APR, director of public relations at Fort Osage R-1 School District (Independence, Mo.)
Fine-Tuning Facebook: Best Practices in Management, Analytics, and Content — $315 *($50 discount if also registering for the full Seminar)* Saturday, July 15 \| 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. CT Struggling to keep up with Facebook and the changes Meta is making? You’re not alone! Facebook is the number one social media platform for schools, but so many districts are getting it wrong. From proper page set-up for administrators to the changing tools used to manage it, Facebook can feel like a full-time job. Let’s get to work! This session will provide time to get your district’s Facebook presence optimized with proven settings and methods to maximize this celebration channel. Stop wasting your time and being uncertain about how you’re using Facebook. This session will breakdown: Facebook settings recommended for schools Facebook Business Manager versus Business Suite versus regular Facebook How to assign admins to your page and create succession plans Which profanity filters are recommended and how to use moderation assist How to understand analytics to improve your reach Time-saving strategies to stay on top of comments and more You’ll spend time in this workshop digging into the settings of your page so that you can leave knowing you have your district set up properly. Presenters: Andrea Gribble, owner of #SocialSchool4EDU; Andrea Mueller, school account manager at #SocialSchool4EDU; and Melissa Marti, membership coordinator at #SocialSchool4EDU
Putting Accessibility at the Heart of Your Work: A Strategic Approach — $315 *($50 discount if also registering for the full Seminar)* Saturday, July 15 \| 1 - 4 p.m. CT Creating communications that are accessible to all audiences shouldn’t feel like just another thing to add to your to-do list. But if accessibility isn’t integrated into your daily practices and supported by your strategic planning, that’s exactly how it might feel. This hands-on workshop will outline the “why,” the “what” and the “how” of creating accessible content to meet audience needs and ensure compliance with federal standards. You’ll learn about the five key practices of accessible communications, and how to put these practices at the heart of your daily work and at the center of your communications plan. You’ll come away with solid principles to guide your work, and tools and resources to further your learning so that you can start the 2023-24 school year off right. Presenter: Emily Popek, APR, assistant manager at Capital Region BOCES (N.Y.)
Crisis Communications 101: The Art Behind Being Prepared for Anything and Everything — $315 *($50 discount if also registering for the full Seminar)* Sunday, July 16 \| 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. CT Preparing for anything and everything may sound like an impossible task, especially when those things are sometimes "unknown." When it comes to navigating your way through a crisis, preparedness and proactivity are key. Learn the key elements of a crisis communications plan, examine the tactics that can help your crisis team function efficiently in the early moments of the crisis, ensure you have the right team set up and dive into a few other strategic methods that will help you navigate the turbulent waters of crisis. Presenter: Justin Grayson, chief communications and community engagement officer at Long Beach (Calif.) Unified School District
Mastering the Pitch: News Media Relationships and Writing for School PR Pros — $315 *($50 discount if also registering for the full Seminar)* Sunday, July 16 \| 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CT Discover practical ways as a school communicator to enhance your news media skills during this hands-on workshop. Topics to be covered include developing relationships with news outlets and reporters, honing your pitches, crafting winning headlines and improving your copy. Workshop activities will be guided by participants' real-life writing samples, struggles and successes. This half-day workshop is intended for newer professionals with 0-7 years of experience in school public relations. Presenter: Beth Francesco, interim executive director, National Press Club Journalism Institute

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Two-Day Workshop APR Prep: Get Ready for Universal Accreditation - $450 ($50 discount if also registering for the full Seminar) Saturday, July 15, and Sunday, July 16 \| 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. CT Want to advance your public relations role from tactician to adviser? Now is the time to earn your accreditation in public relations (APR). This in-depth workshop will help you prepare for the accreditation process and the computer-based exam by providing a solid grounding in the knowledge, skills and abilities tested. Learn which topics are assessed and how to plan and prepare for the various exam components. During this workshop, you’ll also build a new network of school PR colleagues to join you on the APR journey. Presenters: Christy McGee, APR, director of communications at Fountain-Fort Carson (Colo.) School District 8 and NSPRA accreditation committee chair; and Shawn McKillop, APR, manager of communications and community relations at Grand Erie District School Board (Brantford, ON, Canada)
One- and Half-Day Workshops Strategic Planning for the Overwhelmed — $415 *($50 discount if also registering for the full Seminar)* Saturday, July 15 \| 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. CT Whether you fly solo or have a communications team, one thing we all have in common is no time. This one-day session will allow school PR practitioners to come together and work to develop and improve their strategic communications plans, as well as their knowledge base and skill sets, with guidance from other school PR pros to lean on. Participants will have the opportunity to either create a strategic communications plan for their district or refine the plan they have in place. Working with those with similar experience, time will be built into this workshop for participants to collaborate, organize and write their plan following the four-step process. Plus, we’ll have group breakout discussions to cover topics based on level of experience and could include tools to help effective and efficient workflow, crisis communications, social media trends, internal engagement and more. A great session for one-person school communication departments as you'll immediately have a department for a day and build a network for the future, but also open to school communications professionals in any size department and any level of experience. It is also appropriate for someone who doesn't feel confident with crafting a communications plan. Bring your plan or ideas and we’ll get to work! Presenters: Erica Chandler, APR, director of communications at Affton School District (St. Louis, Mo.); Jill Filer, director of communications and community relations at Harrisonville (Mo.) School District; and Stephanie Smith, APR, director of public relations at Fort Osage R-1 School District (Independence, Mo.)
Fine-Tuning Facebook: Best Practices in Management, Analytics, and Content — $315 *($50 discount if also registering for the full Seminar)* Saturday, July 15 \| 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. CT Struggling to keep up with Facebook and the changes Meta is making? You’re not alone! Facebook is the number one social media platform for schools, but so many districts are getting it wrong. From proper page set-up for administrators to the changing tools used to manage it, Facebook can feel like a full-time job. Let’s get to work! This session will provide time to get your district’s Facebook presence optimized with proven settings and methods to maximize this celebration channel. Stop wasting your time and being uncertain about how you’re using Facebook. This session will breakdown: Facebook settings recommended for schools Facebook Business Manager versus Business Suite versus regular Facebook How to assign admins to your page and create succession plans Which profanity filters are recommended and how to use moderation assist How to understand analytics to improve your reach Time-saving strategies to stay on top of comments and more You’ll spend time in this workshop digging into the settings of your page so that you can leave knowing you have your district set up properly. Presenters: Andrea Gribble, owner of #SocialSchool4EDU; Andrea Mueller, school account manager at #SocialSchool4EDU; and Melissa Marti, membership coordinator at #SocialSchool4EDU
Putting Accessibility at the Heart of Your Work: A Strategic Approach — $315 *($50 discount if also registering for the full Seminar)* Saturday, July 15 \| 1 - 4 p.m. CT Creating communications that are accessible to all audiences shouldn’t feel like just another thing to add to your to-do list. But if accessibility isn’t integrated into your daily practices and supported by your strategic planning, that’s exactly how it might feel. This hands-on workshop will outline the “why,” the “what” and the “how” of creating accessible content to meet audience needs and ensure compliance with federal standards. You’ll learn about the five key practices of accessible communications, and how to put these practices at the heart of your daily work and at the center of your communications plan. You’ll come away with solid principles to guide your work, and tools and resources to further your learning so that you can start the 2023-24 school year off right. Presenter: Emily Popek, APR, assistant manager at Capital Region BOCES (N.Y.)
Crisis Communications 101: The Art Behind Being Prepared for Anything and Everything — $315 *($50 discount if also registering for the full Seminar)* Sunday, July 16 \| 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. CT Preparing for anything and everything may sound like an impossible task, especially when those things are sometimes "unknown." When it comes to navigating your way through a crisis, preparedness and proactivity are key. Learn the key elements of a crisis communications plan, examine the tactics that can help your crisis team function efficiently in the early moments of the crisis, ensure you have the right team set up and dive into a few other strategic methods that will help you navigate the turbulent waters of crisis. Presenter: Justin Grayson, chief communications and community engagement officer at Long Beach (Calif.) Unified School District
Mastering the Pitch: News Media Relationships and Writing for School PR Pros — $315 *($50 discount if also registering for the full Seminar)* Sunday, July 16 \| 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CT Discover practical ways as a school communicator to enhance your news media skills during this hands-on workshop. Topics to be covered include developing relationships with news outlets and reporters, honing your pitches, crafting winning headlines and improving your copy. Workshop activities will be guided by participants' real-life writing samples, struggles and successes. This half-day workshop is intended for newer professionals with 0-7 years of experience in school public relations. Presenter: Beth Francesco, interim executive director, National Press Club Journalism Institute

National Seminar Pre-Seminar Workshops

Pre-Seminar Workshops

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