1. Know the Popular Topics

Consider emerging topics and trends in which you have experience and expertise that could benefit or interest other school public relations professionals. Historically popular topics have included:

• Crisis communication tips, plans or case studies
• Marketing schools and programs
• Utilizing different technology tools 
• Organizing and measuring PR work
• Superintendent transitions
• Family Engagement

Some of the most recent popular topics on the listserv have included:

• Chat GPT
• Staff Recruitment
• Fentanyl Campaigns
• DEI Campaigns
• Attendance Campaigns

Here is a summary of recent topic trends. As you are developing your proposal, please consider and communicate how your topic might apply to a variety of LEA sizes and locations, a variety of communication office sizes, and how it can apply to a variety of diverse audiences.

2. Know Which Format Fits Your Proposal

CalSPRA is offering two different session formats:

• Traditional breakout sessions - one hour in length for standard presentations
• Workshops/skills labs sessions - two hours in length for more hands-on, skill-building learning opportunities

3. Follow the Proposal Guidance

We are seeking presenters who offer unique insights; effective strategies and tactics; timely information on new and emerging issues; useful, hands-on resource materials; and relevant content and experiences that meet the high standards of CalSPRA. Here is the rubric our programming committee will be reviewing in evaluating proposals.  

Submit your proposal by Monday, November 13. Presentation proposals must be submitted via the Survey Form. The form will ask you the following items, so be prepared before you begin. 

• Presenters: Names, emails, organizations, and bio
• Session: Title, category, and description (100-200 words), and length

Do I have to be a senior PR person to present?
No! Even those brand new to the profession may have a skill set or perspective that would be valuable to many CalSPRAns. For example, maybe you are great at Canva or developing creative hash tags - submit a proposal and share your skill!

What if I am new to CalSPRA (or haven’t yet joined)?
Presenting is a great way to become more involved in CalSPRA. If you've never presented before but want to learn more about the opportunity, we want to help you! We're focused on conference proposals for our Office Hours on September 29 from 9:30-10:30 to help presenters hone their skills and discuss their ideas.

What if I am not a communications or PR professional or not in education?
We are looking for best practices and ideas and those can come from outside our profession as well. In fact, this year we will continue our tracks for our superintendent, APR, family engagement and executive administrator members, so if you have an idea for one of those groups, please let us know!

Does it have to be something broad and strategic?
We love strategic thinking, but sometimes what someone might have to share is a specific example that includes some lessons learned from that specific case study. Submit a proposal and share that experience that might help a colleague in the future.

Can it be interactive?
Yes! Our members are pretty engaging and love sessions where they are invited to answer questions, take polls, work with a partner or group, or participate in an activity. The only limitation is the session time and your imagination. If you are planning to submit for a 2-hour time slot, the session must teach a new skill and be highly interactive.

Can it be technical?
Yes! Some of our most popular sessions in the past have been about working with video editing programs, design programs, general technology tips, understanding analytics, developing a social media monitoring wall, and how to use a variety of technical applications. Our work is constantly changing and evolving - if you’ve discovered a new tool that could help our you colleagues, please consider submitting a proposal.

Do I have to present alone?
No - the CalSPRA Programming Committee welcomes submissions from individuals, duos, and panels (ideally fewer than 4 people including a facilitator). Sometimes that is a great way to start presenting at CalSPRA - it can be less scary to present with friends!

What are some of the topics that conference goers are looking for?
Our members have a wide range of job titles and interests. Check out the topic results from a recent survey and the rubric our evaluators will use to evaluate submissions. If you have a unique idea, feel free to pitch it with your submission.

CalSPRA's programming committee will use the linked Annual Conference Proposal Rubric in evaluating the proposals for presentations at our annual conference. Please attend our September 29 Office Hour for additional guidance or email us at admin@calspra.org

Based on the general survey results in the fall of 2022 and recent listserv discussions, here are the top-requested topics. However, this year we are also looking to add new tracks for our superintendents and executive administrators, so if you have an idea for one of those groups that is not listed below, we want to hear it as well!

Most Requested Topics

• Government relations -building relationships with local govt, elected officials, and first responders
• The importance of data in communications
• Ways to advocate for the position or add positions within an organization
• Copyright and trademark rules - how to train schools about them
• Time and Project Management
• Team building
• Work-life emotional balance for PR people
• Using data/analytics to show evidence of value/efforts
• Crisis communication -guidelines, tips, case studies
• Improving parent communication and engagement
• Communicating about equity
• Marketing your schools
• Communicating good news
• Demonstrating the value of the communications function
• State policy & political developments
• Working with the media
• All things social media - trends, case studies, guides, data, strategies
• Communication for newbies
• PR for those with other jobs in a district
• County Office specific topics
• Video editing for newbies
• Instagram stories and captions
• Sharing public safety information
• Legal updates
• Social media law
• Campaign planning
• Twitter
• State of the district program - events and publications
• Canva
• Storytelling
• Out of the box marketing and outreach
• Website compliance
• Chat GPT
• Staff Recruitment
• Fentanyl Campaigns
• DEI Campaigns
• Attendance Campaigns
• Superintendent transitions
• Family Engagement
• Technology tools for the PR office