Communications/Public Relations Training




1999 Communications/Public Relations Conference
For the past four years, Goal 10 of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Community Strategic Plan—Organizational Development—has been a system-wide priority. In the Pacific, the effort to “create an effective communication system to share information among all of the DoDEA constituencies” was addressed by establishing a communications point of contact (POC) in every school and district.
Forty-five school and district communications representatives spent two and a half days in a Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) Pacific sponsored training session November 8–10, 1999, learning about educational public relations. Participants included principals, assistant principals, classroom specialists, classroom teachers, information specialists, counselors, and nurses.
A panel of school community representatives (PTA, School Advisory Committee, School-Home-Community Partnership, School Improvement Team, Community Officer) provided insights about effective partnerships. Effective communications and customer service were highlighted in the keynote address by a National School Public Relations Association speaker.
Skill sessions in print publication, video productions, website development and community relations provided participants with tips and tools to use in promoting their school’s public image. Communications POCs learned from one another via Affinity Groups where experts shared their talents and skills with each other. The training allowed participants to gain information, learn new skills and develop a district and school communications/public relations action plan.