In the early days of Google, company co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin introduced a concept called 20% Time—giving employees one-fifth of their work hours to explore passion projects outside of their usual duties. That’s how I’ve come to think about summer in the Colonial School District’s community relations office.

It seems like school public relations really hits its peak starting sometime in April or May, when all of the end-of-year ceremonies, celebrations, and, for some reason, the rush of classroom story ideas you’ve been asking for since August—start tumbling down the mountain of responsibility while you’re sprinting to keep pace. Finally, you cover graduation, put up a “see you in September” social media post, and exhale for what feels like the first time in months.

With nearly 20% of the calendar year between June and late August, this becomes a time for reflection and renewal—an opportunity to look at what you’ve accomplished, what you would have liked to have accomplished, and how to make next year even better. It’s also a perfect time to take on your own 20% project.

Here in Colonial, we’re fortunate to have two full-time school public relations professionals. I’m wrapping up my 23rd year in the district. I began by exclusively producing video content for Colonial Instructional Television, but when responsibility for the website and later social media came up for grabs, I jumped at the opportunity to grow my skills and impact.

Over the years, my “20% projects” have included creating automated weekly E-Friday Folders for our seven schools, overseeing districtwide website redesigns, and moving all of our family handbooks online with consistent shared content. This summer, I’ll be diving into our new ADA compliance software—working to resolve the quirks lost in our current system and ensuring our website is fully accessible to every family we serve.

Of course, summer doesn’t mean the regular work stops. There are still deadlines and daily tasks to tackle. But it’s also a time to breathe, think more deeply, and come back in the fall recharged and reconnected to our purpose.

I hope you’ll find your own “20% project” this summer—something that inspires you and sets the stage for your strongest year yet.