Event Suggestions

Do you need some suggestions for a compelling, fun, and celebratory National School Choice Week event for your school? The team at National School Choice Week has put together this list of 20 event ideas to give you some inspiration. Of course, you dont need to be confined to this list; you can plan anything to celebrate National School Choice Week the sky is the limit! n School tour for prospective parents and students n Open house to promote your school n Family night n NSCW-themed breakfast, lunch or family dinner n School-wide assembly or pep rally n Speech to students by local elected officials n Student poster and essay contest n Locker or bulletin board decoration party n School choice-themed field trip n Student and teacher talent show n School garden or tree planting ceremony n Science fair n Indoor or outdoor carnival n Mural painting n Student and/or teacher awards celebration n Community roundtable about the importance of school choice n Screening of an education reform-related movie n Community service project n Ice cream social n Dance competition

Media Tips
Six Tips to Maximize Your Schools Event
National School Choice Week isnt just about planning events its about making sure your school shines brightly in a positive spotlight. Your entire community needs to know about the work that you do to educate students at the highest levels. Here are six tips to enhance the impact of your participation in National School Choice Week. For additional materials and suggestions, visit our website. 1. Generate Positive Media Attention Invite the media to your schools event and generate community-wide enthusiasm! Positive media attention can help generate increased enrollment for your school, a greater sense of school pride, and help your school reach new donors or volunteers. You can write your own press release or use our online media advisory creation tool. It takes 5 minutes, all you have to do is enter some basic event information onto our form, and well e-mail your release to you within seconds complete with instructions on how to send it to the press.

2. Harness Free Media Opportunities Have students and teachers write letters to the editor of your local newspaper, talking about your schools effectiveness and talking about the importance of National School Choice Week. Letters should be 150-200 words. Administrators should consider writing longer-form opinion pieces about the benefits of educational choice. These pieces (op-eds or guest columns), should be between 500-700 words and can be submitted to the editorial page editor or opinion editor of your local newspaper.

3. Go on the Radio and on Television Ask local radio hosts, and public affairs television stations, if students, teachers or parents can join them on the air for a special segment about National School Choice Week and your schools participation in the celebration. You can also invite local weather-casters to report the weather from your school during NSCW, and provide her/him with one of your schools NSCW scarves.

4. Invite Dignitaries Invite an elected official, a key donor or a special dignitary to visit your school during National School Choice Week. Your guests will get the opportunity to see your students energized and enthusiastic about learning. Weve created an invitation template that you can use to invite special guests, which is available on the National School Choice Week website.

5. Promote Your Participation in Newsletters and on Your Website and Social Media Make sure your event looks great, by having your students wear their National School Choice Week scarves and by holding signs. Pose for some photos (designate one parent or teacher as the go-to photographer and use a good digital camera). Make sure you get a good mix of close-up shots, crowd shots, posed photos, and candid photos. Send your photos to your supporters, include the images in your newsletters, and post them on your website and on social media, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #SCW. Send them to us, too, at photos@schoolchoiceweek.com, so that we can promote your schools participation!

6. Get in the Dancing Spirit Consider adding some fun activities to your event that will make it even more appealing to the media and even more fun for your students. Teach kids the moves to our popular National School Choice Week Flash Dance. If you send us a photo or video, we may spotlight it online!