Pre-Conference ISM Workshop - Florida Council of Independent Schools

PRE-CONFERENCE ISM WORKSHOP

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2

9:00AM-4:00PM

Session 1 • 9:00am-12:00pm

A Culture of More: How Parent Expectations and a Changing Landscape Impact Enrollment and Retention

The expectations of private-independent school parents are higher than ever. Coupled with more competition for students, uncertain economic conditions, and rising tuition costs—school leaders have much to overcome to attract and retain students. Your school must continue illustrating its value to parents to remain competitive in your community. Join this session to discover why parents choose private schools and what that means for how you must build trust with them. Explore ISM’s research-backed methodology for defining and sharing your school’s value proposition, including your competitive niche. Leave this interactive, hands-on session with ideas on how to illustrate your value, communicate it to parents, and stay competitive in your market.

Who Should Attend? Admissions and Marketing professionals; School Heads

Session 2 • 1:00-4:00pm

How to Empower Everyone in Your School to Become Frontline Marketers

Successful schools know this: every single teacher, leader, and administrator is responsible for frontline marketing to support recruitment and retention. Your faculty and staff’s daily interactions with parents and students are not only the #1 factor not in whether a family chooses to stay enrolled long-term, but also what your families say about you to others within the school community and beyond. The bottom line? Enrollment management is everyone’s responsibility.

Attend this session to discuss meaningful strategies your staff can employ to increase engagement, retention, and ultimately enrollment. Plus, explore how to communicate with staff about the importance of their participation in enrollment management. This session will empower you with a toolbox of resources and ideas you can bring back to your school.

Who Should Attend? Admissions and Marketing professionals; School Heads

Click here for more information about CPE credits for CPAs.

SPEAKER

Penny Abrahams, IAP-L
Consultant
Independent School Management (ISM)

Penny Abrahams first joined Independent School Management in 2010 as a member of the Advancement Academy’s founding faculty. As a Consultant, she specializes in marketing communications, enrollment management, and development. Her experience in these areas comes from working in private-independent schools for more than 13 years and serving various other non-profits for an additional seven years. Her areas of expertise and passion include:

conducting assessments for enrollment management and marketing communications programs
completing volunteer group audits including parent and alumni associations
building and implementing strategic enrollment management, marketing communications, and advancement plans
developing and executing digital and inbound marketing strategies
crafting marketing message frameworks and fundraising Case Statements
providing advice and coaching for media relations and crisis communication planning
constructing creative staffing structure solutions to optimize function

Penny’s duties as a Consultant also include co-leading ISM’s Digital Solutions team, which provides done-for-you inbound marketing content and advertising services for client schools. Since 2018 she has served as the Convener for ISM’s Advancement Academy, a premier professional development conference that educates and mentors Heads of School and development, enrollment management, and marketing communications professionals.

Penny leads multiple in-person and online workshops for ISM related to marketing communications and enrollment management, and she frequently speaks at regional and national education conferences. She also is a regular contributor to ISM’s flagship publication, Ideas & Perspectives.

Penny began her career in schools in 2001 at Ravenscroft, a Pre-K through grade 12 school in Raleigh, N.C. As the Annual Fund Director, she managed all aspects of the school’s annual giving program, overseeing a team of volunteers responsible for raising nearly $600,000. Penny later became Ravenscroft’s Director of Communications and was charged with building the school’s communications program from the ground up. From 2013-17, Penny served as the Director of Admissions & Marketing at Academy at the Lakes, a Pre-K 3 through grade 12 school located in Tampa, Fla., where she helped the school reach record application and enrollment numbers.

Before her time in private-independent schools, Penny worked in publications and media relations for the University of Texas, the Memphis Center City Commission, and U.S. Synchronized Swimming.

She graduated with a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a Digital Marketing Certificate from the University of Vermont. She also attained International Advancement Program—Leader certification in 2012.

Workshop Cost: $249 (Members) | $349 (Non-Members)
Bundle the Pre-Conference ISM Workshop with Penny Abrahams, Session I, with the Business Officers' Pre-Conference Workshop: $425 (Members) | $525 (Non-Members)
* The bundled option can be used for ONE participant only.

Register Here

In accordance with the standards of the National Registry of CPE sponsors, CPE credits will be granted based on a 50-minute hour. In order to be awarded the full credit hours, you must be present, registering your attendance and departure on the attendance sheets at the registration desk.
View Complaint Resolution Policy
For any questions or more information regarding refund, complaint and program cancellation policies, please contact Nicole Robison in the FCIS office at 813-287-2820 or nrobison@fcis.org.

FCIS is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.

Special thanks to Silver Sponsor ISM for their support of FCIS.

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Pre-Conference ISM Workshop Registration Form