The Strategic Communications Office Academy
* Registration open until 10/8/26 at 12:00 AM (CDT)
Overview
The most successful private school Marketing & Communications leaders aren't just great at "doing the work" — they are essential strategic partners to their Head of School and Board. This series is designed for the Marketing & Communications professional who is ready to move away from the daily "whack-a-mole" of urgent requests and toward a proactive, high-impact leadership role. Through four targeted, 90-minute sessions, we will explore how to modernize your messaging, elevate your institutional role, manage your school’s reputation, and audit your department’s impact to ensure you are focusing on the work that matters most for your school, students, and mission.
Shift your focus to the high-impact leadership work that matters most for your school, students, and mission.
Sessions & takeaways
Bonus Takeaway: Strategic Impact Matrix — a visual tool that helps you categorize every request that hits your desk, allowing you to prioritize work that supports institutional goals and confidently say "not right now" to the rest.
Bonus Takeaway: Internal Audit Checklist — the specific list of data points and inventory items you need to gather to conduct a successful audit of your own department.
Session 1: Multigenerational Messaging: Moving Away from "One-Size-Fits-All"
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2027
Session Overview: We often feel the pressure to create one "perfect" newsletter or social post that resonates with everyone. But a Boomer grandparent helping with tuition has very different motivators than a Millennial mom or a Gen Z prospective student. When we try to speak to everyone at once, we often end up saying nothing to anyone. This session is about finding the sweet spot where your school’s mission meets the specific needs and values of the person you’re trying to connect with.
We’ll Cover:
Persona Deep-Dive: Breaking down the specific generations in your community — from Gen X to Gen Alpha — to understand the values that drive their enrollment, retention, and giving decisions.
Communication Preferences: It’s not just what you say, but where you say it. We’ll discuss the shift from long-form emails to bite-sized updates and how to reach different generations without doubling your workload.
Refining Your Narrative: We’ll look at your school’s primary stories. Are they only reflecting the school's achievements, or can a family see themselves in the narrative? We’ll find ways to shift the spotlight so that prospective parents see a clear path for their own child in your school’s future.
Bonus Takeaway:
Segmented Messaging Toolkit — a practical framework to help you quickly pivot your school’s narrative so it resonates with your specific audience.
Penny Abrahams
For over 20 years, Penny Abrahams has worked with independent schools in a variety of capacities: parent, trustee, administrator, and strategist. As a proud graduate of Ravenscroft School, she is a "lifer" in every sense of the word, understanding the unique ecosystem of independent schools. Penny began her independent school career as an Annual Fund Director, followed by roles as Director of Communications and Director of Admissions & Marketing. This first-hand experience in the “trenches” of school administration informs every plan she builds today. For over 15 years, she served as a consultant, workshop leader, and department head with Independent School Management (ISM). During that time, she partnered with more than 100 schools across the U.S., Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Whether conducting an enrollment assessment, designing a volunteer program, or leading crisis communication planning, Penny's approach is grounded in data and global experience, but tailored to schools' specific culture.
Registration Options
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Registration Options
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Credits | Price |
|---|---|---|
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TAIS Member - Individual Access
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6.00 (PD) | $195.00 |
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Guest - Individual Access
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6.00 (PD) | $245.00 |
