10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Speakers: – Katie Koestner, President, Campus Outreach Services – Kevin Kunst, Consultant, Campus Outreach Services
Which generation of parents is your marketing currently targeting? Understand the commonalities of Gen Z and Millennials, to streamline and make marketing more effective.
1:45 PM – 2:45 PM
Speaker: Vann Ellen Mitchell, Senior Vice President, CCS Fundraising
The past four years have tested the resilience of our schools and the generosity of our communities. Despite all the outside factors and challenges, one fundraising tool has stood the test of time: the campaign. This session serves as a foundational guide for heads of school and development leaders to leverage trustee leadership before embarking on a major fundraising effort. Explore tried-and-true campaign strategies and future-looking tactics including: how to assess readiness, developing the case for support, recruiting leadership, identifying donors using data analytics, and setting realistic goals and timelines.
3:15 PM – 4:00 PM
Speakers: – Shannon Drosky, Director of Marketing & Communications, Charlotte Country Day School – Lorrie Jackson, Education Sales Consultant, Finalsite – Natalie Pruett, Associate Director of Marketing & Communications, Charlotte Country Day School – Colin Wyenberg, Enrollment Solutions Consultant, Finalsite
How can your school advance its communications and marketing efficiently while finding and preserving your authentic voice and brand identity? Charlotte Country Day School will showcase their enrollment and fundraising strategies that get the attention of donors and prospective families. In addition, AI and automation are changing how schools like yours cut through the noise and achieve their goals. We’ll look at examples and best practices to ensure that authentic voice isn’t lost while leveraging these tools.
4:30 PM – 5:15 PM
Speakers: – Evan Harris, President, Pathos Consulting Group – Davidson Hobson, Head of School, Gaston Day School
In this dynamic session, we will guide attendees through a comprehensive exploration of AI and automation integration in schools. We’ll showcase a three-pronged approach focusing on faculty development, student engagement, and staff automation with a special focus on supporting development and alumni relations. This session is designed to empower educational leaders with the knowledge and strategies to implement AI thoughtfully, fostering a culture of innovation and ethical practice in their institutions.
8:00 AM – 8:45 AM
Speakers: – Shannon Reynolds, Director of Strategic Advancement, Chatham Hall – Sara Stephenson, Rector/Head of School, Chatham Hall
Happy new families often say, “we’re all in!” How can we sustain that feeling with authenticity and purpose? This workshop explores the growth and enhancement of family engagement and commitment. With a particular focus on new families, we will explore the common threads that connect enrollment commitment to long term philanthropy. As we explore continuity of relationships, we will share a rubric for information flow, event management, and collaborative communication between all members of a school’s senior leadership team. With the goal of enhancing each family’s sense of belonging and engagement, we will explore case studies and rubric implementation.
Speaker: Shelly Peters, Principal, Crane + Peters
You feel confident that it’s time to refresh or even overhaul your school’s brand. But perhaps you’re less sure of how to rally your school’s leadership team and community around the process. This session will equip you to lay the communications groundwork for a cooperative, collaborative process, which results in authentic, effective messaging. Because knowing what to do starts with knowing who you are, we will focus on facilitating foundational, pre-project conversations that help schools excavate shared values, build consensus around mission, and clarify institutional identity—and apply the insights gleaned from these defining discussions to create a brand platform they can truly support.
