The Pennsylvania School Public Relations Association (PenSPRA) was chartered in 1969 and is an organization of school public relations professionals whose goal is to improve educational communication and support student achievement through systematic, proactive, and responsible public relations programs.

Raise your hand if you didn’t plan to work in education, but you’re here anyway. Raise your hand if you’ve ever said, “This will be a quick update,” and it turned into a multi-channel communication plan.

If your arm feels a bit tired, you’re not alone, and that’s where PenSPRA really shines. Working in school communications means that your colleagues might not understand the key strategic role you play in the district’s initiatives, crises, and public perception. How many times has someone said, “Just put it up on social media,” when more targeted messaging is needed, or “That’s an easy fix, right,” when their task requires a more layered, time-consuming approach? It can feel isolating, like no one truly understands, but the folks at PenSPRA hear you. PenSPRA sees you, and PenSPRA wants to celebrate you because working in school communications isn’t an easy feat.

When I joined PenSPRA four years ago, I was a young communications professional who was two years into a career at a K-12 charter school. I was learning to advocate for myself, and the resources provided by PenSPRA guided me to expand my department and helped me position my role as a strategic arm of the organization that was vital to the decision-making process, and not just there to disseminate information.

Read Deana's message here!