List of workshops

The following is a list and brief description of some of our most popular workshops. You can select one, or, if you are having a conference, we would be pleased to present multiple workshops of your choice. If you don’t see exactly what you’re looking for, please call us. We can design workshops to meet the needs of your school or association.


Crisis 101 Training

What every school should know and do before, during, and after a crisis.

When a crisis hits your school, time is the enemy, not the media, parents or other constituents. The school must respond quickly, yet carefully. While we can’t predict most crises, schools can take important steps in advance to be as prepared as possible. This workshop addresses the ten most crucial steps to take during a crisis including the balancing act of when, what, and how to communicate in crisis times. Managing the media can be difficult and create more stress to an already stressful time. We will look at proven management techniques and communication guidelines that will help you. A crisis will eventually go away. HOW it goes away is what matters.


Front Office and Security Staff Workshop

Does your front office know how to deal with media who just “show up?”

The front office staff, including security, is critical in managing the media and parents. They are usually the first point of contact. In a crisis, this important group needs to know what to say and how to say it. This 30-minute workshop will give front office and security staffers the basic do’s and don’ts of crisis management.


Media Training

A crisis is not the time to “wing it” with the media.

It is professional suicide to do an interview without training. In fact, the wrong statement can go viral in seconds. In this session, we will learn how to navigate through difficult media situations and inquiries. Being prepared is key, and we will talk about how to prepare. Tools and techniques will include knowing your communication rights and ways to answer various types of hostile questions. Each person will have the opportunity to do two on-camera interviews. While we will focus on the media, the skills learned will be helpful in dealing with difficult conversations as well. This is a lively, highly interactive training session.


The Role of the Board in a Crisis

Helping or hurting in a crisis?

When a school is faced with a serious crisis, the board has a role to play. The board of trustees is a critical player and major asset in the management of a school. The level of trustee participation depends on the severity and the nature of the crisis. In this workshop, we will discuss key behaviors and best practices for the board when the school is faced with a crisis. We will review what to say, what not to say, questions you should never answer, what the full board needs to know and when, and how to support the school and the head. Given the increase in sexual misconduct issues both past and present, time will be spent on how to manage these types of issues. The group will divide into groups and each will be given a case study based on real issues for the groups to work through and report out accordingly.


The Crisis Plan

What every good crisis plan should include.

Do you have a comprehensive crisis plan in place? An effective crisis plan should reflect the newest vulnerabilities and types of crises that independent heads are facing. It should include a list of outside resources you may need to call upon in a crisis. It should have a current list of contact lists with all the crisis team members trained and ready to hit the ground running, should a harmful situation occur. This workshop will help you with your existing plan or help create a new plan.


Sexual Misconduct and Student-on-Student Violence

Schools can no longer say “It can never happen here.”

This session will take an in-depth look at sexual misconduct focusing on prevention and what to do when there is an allegation of misconduct (past or present), and how to communicate when the unthinkable occurs. Communications guidelines, bystander intervention, general training, and key steps to take are shared in this session. Participants will gain a clear understanding of how to manage communications on this difficult issue.


The Art of Messaging in a Crisis

The authentic voice

This workshop will look at the importance of an authentic message that resonates with constituents. There are critical elements that must be in every communication during a crisis. This includes what we term “The SMART Apology.” We will also provide examples of outstanding messages.


Our Boot Camp

Roll up your sleeves and get to work

Would your school like to host a Crisis Communication Boot Camp? This is a one day course covering many of our workshops topics. Based on recent requests, we are looking to expand and provide boot camps in other regions throughout the country. If your school or association would be interested, please contact us. The boot camp is designed for communications directors and heads of school.

If you don’t find the services you are looking for, please contact us.