NSPRA and SchoolMessenger Partner to Present the 2012-2013 PR Power Hour

WASHINGTON and LOS GATOS, Calif., Sept. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- SchoolMessenger, the leading provider of parent notification solutions for education, and the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA), today announced the two organizations have once again partnered to present the 2012-2013 PR Power Hour, a professional development program for educators.

The PR Power Hour series, now in its twelfth year, is a popular program that features top experts in school communications who speak from personal experience and present best practices for handling issues and concerns that challenge school communities around the U.S. and Canada. This year the program will include sessions on bullying prevention, expanding outreach with mobile apps and social media, community/business partnerships, crisis communications and more. For the complete 2012-2013 PR Power Hour line-up visit: http://www.nspra.org/pr-power-hours/.

"SchoolMessenger understands the vital role communication plays in our schools and districts and we are very pleased that their partnership will allow more educators to participate in the PR Power Hour," said Rich Bagin, executive director of NSPRA. "Today's educators are keenly aware of the important role they play in effectively managing concerns within their school communities. Our goal is to help them become better communicators by tapping experts who have walked in their shoes and creating strategic, integrated communication programs that allow them to stay one step ahead of the issues."

The 2012-2013 Power Hour season includes ten programs that are presented in either audio or webinar format. An interactive forum follows each session to allow participants to pose questions, share ideas and communicate among themselves.

Following is the schedule of upcoming PR Power Hour sessions:

2012

• September 14 – Direct Communication: A Key Component of Bullying Prevention  
• October 12 – "Bottom Line" Engagement – Building Support and Understanding of Budget Challenges
• November 9 – Expanding Communication Outreach with Mobile Apps 
• December 7 – The New Face of Community/Business Partnerships: Innovative Programs That Make a Difference

2013

• January 11 – In the Eye of the Storm: Communication Leadership in a Crisis  
• February 1 – Tweet with a Purpose: Making Message Content (not format) the Focus of Your Social Media Efforts
• March 1 – Building Organizational Trust with Effective Communication
• March 22  – Maximizing Facebook – Your New "Frontline" for Communications
• April 5 – What Do You Say...So People Will Listen?
• May 3 – Multilayered Communication for Multilingual and Diverse Communities

"The NSPRA has been helping educators tackle communications issues for more than 75 years and we are extremely proud to support their efforts," said Nate Brogan, vice president of marketing for SchoolMessenger. "We live in a world of 24/7 access to news and information, so parents expect nothing less from their local schools, yet educators are more strapped for time and resources than ever before. The PR Power Hour series represents an affordable and effective way for educators to better address the big communications challenges that are facing them."

Educators can now sign up for the 2012-2013 PR Power Hour series on the NSPRA website. Registration is just $49 per registered phone line for the first 100 NSPRA members and $69 after the first 100. The non-member rate is $99 per program. Register by October 10 for a package of five or all ten PR Power Hours and receive access to the audio file of each program you purchase for no additional cost.

About NSPRA
Since 1935, NSPRA has been providing school communication training and services to school leaders throughout the United States, Canada, and the United States Department of Defense Schools worldwide. NSPRA's mission is to advance education through responsible public relations and communication that leads to success for all students. For more information about NSPRA, go to www.nspra.org.

About SchoolMessenger
SchoolMessenger is the leading provider of communication solutions for education. Thousands of school districts, public schools, colleges, universities, private schools and other educational facilities in all 50 states depend on the company's innovative solutions, including the SchoolMessenger notification service and Talk About It anonymous communication service. Founded in 1999, the company is headquartered in Los Gatos, California. For information, visit http://www.schoolmessenger.com or call 888.527.5225.

Media Contact:
Carleen LeVasseur
SchoolMessenger Public Relations
408-264-6767
[email protected]

SOURCE SchoolMessenger