Sharpen Your Crisis Communications When the Unexpected
Hits
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. When a crisis occurs, these stakeholders and others expect transparency and timely information. Districts
that respond effectively in a crisis create a powerful connection. However, districts that mishandle crises can severely damage trust and social capital in their community.
Academy Facilitator: Rick Kaufman, APR
At the end of the NSPRA Academy:
Crisis Communications track, 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 respond effectively.
- Create a
crisis communications plan for your school district.
- Apply practical crisis communication principles to a relevant
crisis.
Classes will be held virtually on Thursdays for two hours from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. EST; the schedule is as
follows:
Thursday, January 28, 2027 | Building Resilience: Pre-crisis Planning Strategies
Thursday, February 25, 2027 | Crisis Ready Begins with a KIS (Keep it Simple) Communications Plan - Part 1
Thursday, March 18, 2027 | Crisis Ready Begins with a KIS (Keep it Simple) Communications Plan - Part 2
Thursday, April 15, 2027 | Communicating in a Crisis - Part 1
Thursday,
May 13, 2027 | Communicating in a Crisis - Part 2
TUESDAY, June 22, 2027 | Building Back Better: Post-crisis Communication
Strategies
BONUS: Saturday, July 10, 2027: Full Day of Learning and Networking at the NSPRA Academy Day at the 2027
National Seminar in Indianapolis, Ind. Topic: Transforming Learning into Action (with table-top scenarios)