Making Spirits Bright: Social Media Strategies for the Holiday Season

Happy holidays, CONNECT Cohort!

'Tis the season for celebration, reflection, and planning ahead. As we wind down 2024, we’re shining a spotlight on strategies to boost your school’s visibility and engagement through social media. From creating compelling content to showcasing the unique stories that make your school shine, this issue is packed with tools to help you wrap up the year on a high note and prepare for opportunities in 2025.

Don’t miss our shout-outs to SkyView Academy, New Legacy Charter School, and Flagstaff Academy, or the chance to get to know Atlas Prep’s Lori Martin-McDowell — our very own holiday star!

As we bid farewell to a successful first half of the school year, we wish you a joyous holiday break and an even brighter new year. We can’t wait to reconnect with all of you in 2025!

CONNECT Lunch & Learn: Website Accessibility Resources
Jan.  9   |   12:00 PM - 1:00 PM   |   Virtual
In light of House Bill 21-1110, Colorado Laws for Persons with Disabilities which takes effect July 1, 2025, we are bringing back Amy Walldorf from Allyant for a follow-up session on website accessibility and remediation. Amy will touch on accessibility best practices and share SIPA accessibility grant opportunities. Access the Zoom link here. 

Community Engagement & Student Enrollment: Enrollment Boost Campaigns
Jan. 22   |   11:45 AM - 1:15 PM   |   Virtual
Join the Colorado League of Charter Schools for a dynamic workshop focused on using data and community-driven strategies to boost enrollment outcomes. Designed for school leaders and enrollment champions, this session will provide actionable insights and tools to enhance your lottery process and community engagement efforts. Learn more and book now.

Denver School Choice Expo 2025
Jan. 25   |   11:00 AM - 2:00 PM   |   Infinity Park Event Center
Transform Education Now invites schools to the Denver School Choice Expo on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at Infinity Park Event Center. From 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, families will explore school options, meet school representatives, and get on-site enrollment assistance. This fun, free event features music and food, offering schools a great chance to connect with families. Space is limited to the first 65 schools—register early to secure your school's spot!

Charter School Advocacy Day 2025
Jan. 28   |   8:30 AM - 1:30 PM   |   McNichols Building & Colorado State Capitol Building
The League's annual Advocacy Day serves as a vibrant platform for the entire charter school community, encompassing visionary school leaders, dedicated educators, impassioned parents, and motivated students. Together, we'll continue to pave the way for a brighter future for charter education, armed with newfound insights and an unwavering commitment to advocacy. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to make a difference for charter schools in Colorado. Learn more. 

Colorado Charter Schools Annual Conference 2025
Join us for the 2025 Colorado Charter Schools Annual Conference, where innovation meets inspiration for educators, administrators, and stakeholders. Explore cutting-edge strategies, engage in thought-provoking discussions, and connect with visionaries shaping the future of education. Check out the sessions, including those under the Enrollment, Community Engagement & Communications strand. Elevate your educational journey. Register now.

CONNECT Lunch and Learn: Dos and Don’ts of Social Media for Schools
Nov.  14   |   Virtual
School PR’s biggest cheerleader, Andrea Gribble, founder of #SocialSchool4EDU, broke down proven strategies for social media success and engagement, detailing actionable steps to enhance your school's online presence and celebrate your community effectively. You can find a copy of the session recording, slide deck and other resources in the Documents tab of our online community.
 
CONNECT Lunch and Learn: Reeling it in for Education
Dec.  12   |   Virtual
We were joined again by Andrea Gribble, founder of #SocialSchool4EDU, to tackle Instagram Reels. She shared inspiring ways schools are using Reels to celebrate their school as well as broke down the basics to help you share your first (or next) Reel to your Instagram account. The meeting recording and other resources, including her Building a System worksheet, can be accessed via our online community’s Documents section. 

Crafting a Purposeful Brand for Charter Schools: Inspiring Leaders, Believers, and Doers 
"While good brands spark the idea of what’s possible, great brands bring those possibilities to life," shared Megan Prejzner, founder and CEO of Hackett Brand Consulting and keynote speaker at Rocky Mountain DigiMarCon. Read more.

The Complete Social Media Calendar for Schools and District: January-March 2025 Edition
This Social Media Calendar is packed with fresh ideas and tips to help you conquer the first few months of 2025. 

How to Run Successful Social Media Ads Campaigns For Your School
This guide explains the top four reasons why social media ads campaigns fail… and what you can do to fix it. Download now.

TikTok vs. Instagram 
TikTok and Instagram offer marketing benefits, but which is better? Here are tips for using these platforms and deciding which one fits your brand.

TikTok Advertising for School Marketing
Schools that use TikTok for marketing may have a distinct advantage in the new age of enrollment marketing.

How To Create Engaging Instagram Carousels
A well-crafted carousel post is a recipe for engagement on Instagram. Get these top tips for cohesive, creative carousels. 

The Art of Instagram Takeovers: Boost Your School’s Engagement
Instagram takeovers are a fun, genuine way to showcase your school’s community and all the wonderful (little and big) things that make it so special. 

16 Tips to Maximize Canva for Your School District
Canva’s tools can streamline your workflow and enhance your school’s social media presence. Learn how to schedule posts, use AI-powered translations, and design beautiful, on-brand graphics effortlessly.

Top 13 Free Social Media Management Tools You Need to Know
Many top-tier social media management tools are quite expensive, but fortunately there are still free options.

SkyView Academy sweeps Colorado Parent Magazine’s Reader’s Choice Award
Denver Post   |   November 25
SkyView Academy is honored to announce its selection as Colorado Parent Magazine’s 2024 Reader’s Choice Family Favorite across multiple categories, including Favorite Preschool Program, Favorite BASE Program, Favorite Charter Elementary School, Favorite Charter Middle School, and Favorite Charter High School.

Cool Schools: Charter school helps teen parents balance their high school education
9News   |   November 22
The New Legacy Charter School is helping students balance their education with the responsibilities of being a teen parent.

Flagstaff Academy 4th Grade Girls' Robotics Team Advances to State and U.S. Championships
Flagstaff Academy Charter School is excited to announce that their 4th-grade girls' robotics team, Team 473B, has qualified for the 2025 Colorado State Championship and the 2025 VEX Robotics U.S. Open Championship in Iowa. 

Have any tips or resources you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected].

Lori Martin-McDowell, Events and Communications Specialist, Atlas Prep
Meet Lori, a total foodie and determined early bird. (Gotta fit those workouts in somehow.) When asked the one meal she’d eat for the rest of her life, she rattled off a menu so detailed you’d think she’s been preparing for this question her whole life: mixed greens with gorgonzola, candied pecans, home-grown tomatoes, and from-scratch ranch dressing, paired with crusty sourdough bread, a generous slice of prime rib with from-scratch horseradish, a fully loaded baked potato, and one of her famous warm chocolate chip cookies. (Anyone else suddenly starving?) And while filet mignon and blue cheese crumble ice cream may not make the cut, we’re betting her Christmas dinner plans are next-level.

Speaking of food adventures, Lori’s fridge holds a time capsule of flavor — kimchi from 2022! (Fermentation is an art, after all.) But we’d wager she’d choose a bite of that over the pickled cow tongue she bravely sampled during her travels to Guatemala. Spoiler alert: it’s a hard zero out of ten.

As a kid, Lori’s idea of fun was playing school with old textbooks and a captive audience of stuffed animals. These days, her favorite animal — hands down — is the adorable red panda. In fact, if she could, she’d shrink one down to pocket-size and take it everywhere. Because who wouldn’t want a tiny red panda buddy?

When she’s not planning menus, Lori’s dreaming up her next adventure with her husband — ideally to a foodie hotspot. And if she happens to cross paths with Melissa McCarthy, who just happens to star in The Kitchen and The Heat, while she’s at it? All the better. (Coincidence? We think not.)

Connect with Lori in our CONNECT Community or on LinkedIn.

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