About NSPRA
Become a Member
The National School Public Relations Association Academy is uniquely designed to deliver targeted learning in specialized areas of school public relations practice to a cohort of peers who will regularly meet over time, resulting in a powerful network and professional growth.
There are four NSPRA Academy tracks, each designed to align with your role and experience level. All 2024-25 tracks are underway. Rolling enrollment is permitted; enrollees who register after a track has started will be provided with recordings from previous modules and course materials.
For practitioners with 0-3 years of experience in school communications.
For practitioners with 4-14 years of experience in school communications.
For superintendents or school leaders without a communication professional on staff.
Sharpen your crisis communications and plans when the unexpected hits.
Designed for practitioners new to the field (generally 0-3 three years of school communication experience), participants will gain a better understanding of the critical skills, training and knowledge important to the role with focused learning on some of the most important elements of school communication.
Virtual learning modules of NSPRA Academy's New Professionals Track take a deep dive into topics like:
🔍 Conducting research to assess and better understand your district/organization.
📚 Understanding the vocabulary and unique processes used in the field of education.
🗂️ Creating a library of templates and resources to support daily communications as well as crisis situations.
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📝 Crafting event-specific communication plans.
🗺️ Navigating the political realities of school boards and communities.
🛠️ Developing a plan for others to step in if necessary.
🌱 Identifying areas of growth and writing a professional development plan to continue your learning.
Each live, virtual module will be two hours in length, beginning at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT, 12 p.m. MT, 11 a.m. PT).
Can't attend all the modules live? Each module will be recorded and available for participants to catch up on-demand for a flexible learning experience.
Sessions will be delivered via a Zoom meeting facilitated by NSPRA Manager of Professional Development and Member Engagement Melissa McConnell and led by NSPRA members with expertise and experience in each module's focus area.
New school PR professionals will hear from superintendents on what they expect from school communicators. Topics will include identifying what superintendents need and want, having crucial conversations, landing a seat at the leadership table and understanding the role of communication in a district’s overall strategic plan.
This module will focus on the specialized world of communications in education. Emphasis will be placed on building a strong foundation of knowledge from which participants can shape their career and school communications experiences.
Module-Level Learning Objectives:
This module will help participants to think more strategically, the foundation of a strong communication program. Enrollees will learn the importance of using the district’s strategic plan as a guide to developing a comprehensive communication plan and how to leverage the four-step research, planning, implementation and evaluation (RPIE) public relations process. Participants will put their learning into action by beginning to draft plans.
Being prepared to communicate quickly and knowing the best platforms to share key information help communication professionals to be seen as the trusted source of school district information. This module will help participants begin creating a robust library of campaign, crisis and event plans, templates and scripts for both crises and day-to-day communication efforts. Staying digitally organized will assist participants in their efficiency and building capacity with district and building-level administrators.
Internal Communications + Special Topic on Designing High Quality Professional Development
This module will focus on internal communications, a critical component of a successful communication strategy. Learn best practices for developing staff into ambassadors for the district, as well as providing them with quality professional development as it relates to effective communications. Self-care practices to guard against high levels of stress and burnout will also be shared.
Branding and Marketing + Special Topic on Logos
Marketing is now a critical piece of any district’s strategic plan, but many professionals are unsure what that looks like for their district. This module will help participants understand the difference between brands, logos, mission statements and other assets that identify their districts. Participants will learn skills and strategies to confidently support and counsel district leaders in branding and marketing their district.
Navigating the political realities of school boards and the communities a school district serves are critical to the success of a school communications program. Participants will identify key communicators in their communities including other government officials, citizen advocates as well as business leaders, associations and agencies who can become partners in district efforts.
Enrollees will take part in a speed learning breakout session, rotating through rooms to explore and share insights on photography, videography, social media, AP style, accessibility, web management, graphic design, media relations, and more. Each room is led by school PR professionals who specialize in these areas.
Participants will work with the course facilitator on completing their capstone project, a research-driven strategic communication plan for their school, school district or educational service agency.
Cost for NSPRA members is $1,500. Cost for non-members is $2,000.
- 2023-24 NSPRA Mid-Career Academy Participant
Designed for practitioners in the mid-stages of their school communication career (4-14 years of experience in the field), this track takes a deep dive into some of the most important elements of school communication to help practitioners navigate the latest issues, challenges and trends in education. Participants will develop or futher refine a research-driven strategic communication plan for their district (or school or organization), as well as learn more about communication ethics, law, behavioral communication, business literacy and more.
Virtual learning modules of NSPRA Academy's Mid-Career Track delve into topics like:
🚀 The impact of the evolving communication landscape on the communication planning process
🔍 Determining the best available strategies for conducting secondary and primary research effectively in order to assess and understand your organization’s situation.
📊 Identifying metrics that will help set measurable, realistic objectives for your strategic communication plans.
📝 Best practices for creating messaging strategies that resonate with stakeholders
🌐 Understanding the complexities of the current communication landscape in order to determine the best media strategies and tactics for your strategic communication plans.
💰 Creating budgets and timetables for strategic communication plans that will help better communicate the need and importance of programs to decision-makers.
📈 Gathering comprehensive data to measure the success of communication plans
Each live, virtual module will be 2.5 hours in length, running from 1:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET (12:30 - 3 p.m.CT, 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. MT, 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. PT).
Can't attend all the modules live? Each module will be recorded and available for particpants catch up on-demand for a flexible learning experience.
Modules will be delivered via a Zoom meeting by Dr. Kenon A. Brown, professor in the department of advertising and public relations and graduate coordinator at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Overview of the Strategic Communication Planning Process +Special Topic Area on Ethical Communication in a Dynamic World
This module will focus on revisiting (or introducing for some) the four-step strategic planning process in public relations (research, planning, implementation, evaluation). Rather than just a review of the strategic communication planning process, emphasis will also be placed on how the evolving communication landscape has complicated—and in some cases, improved—the process and its application. The facilitator will also begin an initial discussion about the capstone project with the members.
Assessing Your Communication Opportunity: The Importance of Research + Special Topic Area on Community Engagement
This module will be devoted to the most important—yet the most tedious—step in the process: developing and executing a research plan. The focus will be on understanding how to conduct research effectively and efficiently to better understand your situation, your school district and your stakeholders. The facilitator will discuss the vast array of secondary research that is at your fingertips. The facilitator will also discuss tools that are available that can help practitioners conduct simple primary research. The discussion will culminate with a workshop on creating better SWOT analyses and stakeholder profiles.
How Do I Measure That? Setting Realistic Benchmarks + Special Topic on Public Relations Law
The foundation of the strategic communication plan is the end game – your goals and objectives. This module will emphasize the need for ambitious, yet realistic benchmarks and key performance indicators (KPIs) for your plan. A discussion about understanding your limitations and knowing the difference between operational and communication issues will lead into a workshop on forward-thinking goals and developing solid, measurable objectives based on those goals.
Building Better Communication Strategies + Special Topic on Behavioral Communication
This module will focus on the other part of the planning process: determining how to meet your goals and objectives. The facilitator will discuss the variety of options that you can use to build your strategies while also providing insight into choosing the right (not the easiest) approach to achieving your goals. Messaging will be a focal point of this discussion, with emphasis on creating a message strategy that will resonate with all stakeholders.
Choosing the Right Communication Channels + Special Topic on Crisis Management
It’s no secret that the communication landscape now is vastly different than it was 15, 10 or even five years ago. Should you use a flier to get the word out to your students, or would a Tik Tok video get the job done better? Does the standard email communication always work for parents? This module will discuss the communication evolution. The facilitator will lead a discussion on the fragmentation of media channels (how did we go from four major TV stations to having to purchase eight streaming services) and why understanding this is important to choosing the right channels to communicate your message based on your stakeholders.
Time and Money: The Important Resources + Special Topic on Financial Literacy
The first half of this module will focus on two components of the strategic communication plan that are usually overlooked: the budget and the timetable. The facilitator will discuss how to build development, execution and evaluation into a comprehensive timetable. The elements of a communication budget will be covered in this module as well. The discussion will end with tips for how to discuss the costs for effective communication with school boards, taxpayers and other funding gatekeepers and how sound communication can affect the bottom line.
The Measure of Success: Evaluation + Special Topic on Lessons in Effective Leadership
The final module will focus on the last step of the four-step process: evaluation. How do you make sure you measure your success correctly? Tying closely to Module 3, the facilitator will spend the first half of this module discussing easy ways to get the comprehensive data you need to make sure your strategic communication plans are effective. Using your objectives as a guide, this discussion will discuss the formal and informal ways to measure your success, as well as how to present the findings to your supervisors and managers to justify the next project.
Participants will work with Dr. Brown on completing their capstone project, a research-driven strategic communication plan for their school, school district or educational service agency.
BONUS learning opportunity included in registration cost: All track participants will be invited to attend NSPRA Academy Day just ahead of the NSPRA 2025 National Seminar for a full day of extended learning. Saturday, July 19, 2025 Washington, D.C. Further details to be announced
- Rosanna Mucetti, Ed.D., Superintendent, Napa Valley (Calif.) Unified School District
Superintendents of small districts face challenges unique to their large district counterparts, citing budget planning, staff and school board relationships, and facility management as dominating their day-to-day work more than any other area of responsibility.
NSPRA Academy is a flexible learning series designed by the National School Public Relations Association to empower superintendents without a communication professional on staff to navigate these priorities (and more!) with proven communication strategies.
Virtual learning modules of NSPRA Academy's Small-District Superintendents Track take a deep dive into topics like:
⚠️ Crisis communications
🏛️ School board communication
🏢 Internal communication
📰 Media relations
📝 Messaging strategies
🛠️ Using the right communication tools
💡 Communication planning
🗳️ Communications and the ballot box
Each live, virtual module will be held once a month on Wednesdays for two hours, running from 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 - 2:30 p.m.CT, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. MT, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. PT).
This module will outline the power of establishing strong internal communications. We’ll discuss the value of developing public relations ambassadors within your staff, setting communication expectations and creating a plan for consistent communication across the district.
Does your district have a strategic plan? How does communication fit into that plan? Should you develop a district communications plan? We’ll discuss the importance of using the RPIE process to answer those questions and more: Research, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation. We will also spend time discussing school communication from a broad perspective: how to identify appropriate audiences, what messages are important, what tools you have – and what you might be missing, reviewing your district's current communication practices and measuring communication efforts effectively.
Districts have a wide variety of tools at their disposal to communicate with varied audiences. However, using tools more strategically will not only yield better results, but also save you time.
"Admiring and acquiring” resources from districts around the country and building a network of school communicator and superintendent colleagues, you will feel confident in developing an effective crisis communication plan. We'll discuss the importance of developing a robust library of campaign templates, event processes, strategic plans and scripts. Learning to be prepared with minor edits to messages and knowing which platforms resonate best in your communities will result in the district being seen as the trusted source for school district information.
Understanding political nuances is key to the success of school communications. Knowing what is appropriate and having clear boundaries for board members, superintendents and other district leaders when it comes to communicating with constituents is a must-have for all districts.
Even as a leader of a district with a strategic communication plan, strong internal communications, variety of communication tools and robust resource folders, you are only one person. You need help! In this module, discover unique and creative ways to support district communication efforts, help students learn about a career path and build capacity in your staff. We'll also research and discuss options for hiring a dedicated communication staff member.
While ballot issues may only come around every few years, districts are constantly building bridges, developing trust and assessing and evaluating the impacts of their efforts, all the while gauging the climate of their staff, students, parents and community. This module will focus on the communication efforts that happen in the months prior to a ballot initiative as well as follow-up communication based on the outcome of the election.
Crisis communication is one of the most consequential disciplines in school public relations. The best time to let students, staff and families know what to do in an emergency is before it happens. And when a crisis occurs, school communities expect transparency and timely information. Districts that respond effectively in a crisis create a powerful connection. But districts that mishandle crises can severely damage trust and social capital in their community.
Academy Facilitator: Rick Kaufman, APR, nationally-recognized school crisis communication expert
At the end of the 7-module NSPRA Crisis Communications Academy, participants will be able to:
📋 Establish effective crisis response structures and teams while developing processes to more effectively communicate with internal and external stakeholders during and after a crisis.
🧩 Identify the elements critical to managing an incident, from providing expert counsel to leaders to tailoring communication strategies and taming the social media beast.
🔄 Understand the pattern of a crisis to help communicators anticipate issues to effectively respond.
📝 Create a crisis communications plan for your school district. Apply practical crisis communication principles to a relevant crisis.
REGISTRATION IS LIMITED TO 40 PARTICIPANTS
Each live, virtual module will be two hours in length, beginning at 12 p.m. ET (11 a.m. CT, 10 a.m. MT, 9 a.m. PT).
Sessions will be led by premier school crisis communicaiton expert Rick Kaufman, APR.
Participants will delve into the fundamental principles of pre-crisis planning. By understanding the psychology of a crisis, participants will gain valuable insights into human behavior during stressful situations. This knowledge is a critical first step in making informed decisions and effectively managing crises.
Learning Objectives
We’ll focus on the importance of a clear and concise crisis communication plan, including hands-on work to create a risk assessment and scenario-based incident planning unique to participants’ school districts.
In Part 2 participants will dive deeper into crisis communications plan objectives, including establishing clear roles and responsibilities for teams, procedures, and protocols.
Communication is the foundation of any crisis planning, management, response and recovery effort. In the first of two parts, participants will learn the key concepts and primary objectives of crisis communication in order to effectively navigate even the most challenging situations. We'll also discuss strategies for building and maintaining trust, even in the face of adversity.
In the aftermath of a crisis, effective communication is essential for rebuilding trust and restoring reputation. We’ll explore strategies for how to effectively navigate the post-crisis phase and increase our crisis ready status. Participants will also engage in a “hotwash” exercise.
Ready to put your crisis communication skills to the test? In this final, hands-on session, participants will be immersed in a real-world crisis simulation. These tabletop exercises allow academy participants to apply knowledge to real-world challenges, fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills as part of a crisis communications team. By practicing communication strategies, coordinating with team members, and navigating complex scenarios, participants gain valuable insights into their own strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to improve their crisis response capabilities.