Sessions by CalSPRA Members

Monday

8 a.m. - Navigating Change: Managing School Closures Amid Declining Enrollment, Budget Challenges, and Community Impact in an Urban District (Celina Baguiao, Maral Papakhian, Victorio Suarez-Hevia, Rubén Aurelio)

1:20 p.m. - National School Communicator of the Year Finalists Panel (Anakaren Cardenas Ureño)

3:10 p.m. - Getting Your Team on Board with Digital Accessibility (Emily Popek, Courtney Bonfante)

3:10 p.m. - Leading Through Change: Communications Leaders as Strategic Partners in Gen AI Adoption (Elisabeth Graswich, Jennifer Oliva)

3:10 p.m. -  Transitioning to a New Intranet: Engaging Staff, Enhancing

Accessibility and Ensuring Success (Hilda Toribio Flores)

Tuesday

8:00 a.m. - Addressing Dis- and Misinformation: A Strategic

Communications Campaign Approach (Natalie Allen, Christina Arpante)

9:30 a.m. - Clicks and Connections: Crafting Content that Captivates

Communities and Crawlers (Chelsea Janke)

9:30 a.m. - Crisis is Calling: How to Ready Your District through Crisis

Communications Leadership (Amy Ventetuolo, Christine Frias)

9:30 a.m. - From Summits to Surveys: How NVUSD Gathered Input

from Students, Staff and its Community to Guide its Future (Julie Bordes, Rosanna Mucette)

10:45 a.m. - Walking the Tightrope: Navigating the Delicate Balance of

Politics and Education (Jessica Hull, Sundeep Dosanjh)

Wednesday

8 a.m. - From Empty Seats to Full Classrooms: Lessons from

a Groundbreaking Pre-School Enrollment Campaign (Christina Arpante)

8 a.m. - The APR: Facts and Fiction ( Emily Popek, APR, Monica Lester APR)

9:20 a.m. - Engaging Through Video Storytelling: The Success of Yours

in Education (Michelle Eklund)

10:45 a.m. - The Second Act - Starting in School PR Later in Life (Karen Briones, APR)

Other Times to Connect -

Sunday

1 p.m. - Annual Meeting and Celebration of Achievement (CalSPRA Chapter Awards, APR Pinnings,
Superintendents to Watch, Awards and Scholarships)

4 p.m. - Regional Colleague Connections 

6:30 p.m. -  Opening Gala (Dress up this year -black tie, optional)

Monday

9:30 a.m. -  Keynote speaker Elizabeth Edwards and presentation of 2025 National School Communicator
of the Year

11:30 a.m. -  Lunch on CalSPRA at Exiles Bar - Register on CalSPRA website

Tuesday

3:45 p.m. - General Session (keynote speaker Suneel Gupta and presentations of 2025 Bob Grossman
Leadership in School Communications Award, Barry Gaskins Mentor Legacy Award and NSPRA Presidents
Award)