Pando PR Tips No. 56
Leadership and Growth Opportunities
New Leadership Mentorship Program from Tech and Learning
T&L launched a new three-month education leadership mentoring program matching veteran leaders with emerging ones. The program will include regular meetings, activities, and networking to boost personal growth and add to the education leadership pipeline.
ACTE National Leadership Fellowship Program — Applications close Sept 15
This program empowers career and technical education (CTE) professionals to grow their leadership skills. The 2026 cohort runs January to December 2026. Fellows receive a $1,500 stipend and complimentary registration for ACTE's CareerTech VISION, and National Policy Seminar.
Upcoming Awards + Conference Deadlines
Tech & Learning Best of Show Awards at ISTE 2025 — Submission deadline is June 27
Showcase your product at ISTE. All nominees will be invited to a special Tech & Learning reception on the penultimate day of ISTE where the Best of Show winners will be announced.
District Administration's Top EdTech Products of the Year — Best pricing ends June 30
These awards recognize standout solutions that break new ground in K-12 education. Early bird pricing is $99 for startups and $199 for midsize/large companies. Pricing increases $50 after June 30 until the submission deadline on Oct 4.
Tech Tactics in Education — Calls for Speakers open until July 11
Campus Technology and THE Journal's virtual September event will focus on "Overcoming Roadblocks to Innovation," offering hands-on learning, practical tips, and strategic discussions on cybersecurity, data privacy, AI implementation, IT leadership, building resilience, and other key technology trends across K–12 and higher education.
SXSW EDU Panel Picker — Submit until July 27
Both SXSW General Show Panel Picker and SXSU EDU 2026 Panel Picker are taking submissions. Advisory board evaluations, public review, and staff review are used to select speakers. Diverse panels with very compelling topics have the best chance.
District Administration's Awards of Distinction — Submission deadline Sept 30
This program aims to recognize and celebrate innovative initiatives that have delivered measurable results, revolutionizing education within school districts.
Upcoming Events/Webinar
Muck Rack's The State of Journalism 2025 — June 26 at 11am ET
Unpack insights from Muck Rack’s 2025 State of Journalism report where they surveyed over 1,500 journalists and uncovered how AI is reshaping reporting, the top social media platforms and why your pitch might never get opened. Panel includes Courtney Boland from The Economist, Emilia David from VentureBeat, and Michael Sainato from The Guardian.
New Insights Into the Teaching Profession — June 26, 2-4pm ET
This webinar will explore key findings from EdWeek's teacher survey about what teachers need most to thrive in the profession.
The Back to School AI Summit 2025 — Sept 8-12
Various sessions from Google for Education, Magic School, Brisk Teaching, and more.
Helpful Resources
EdWeek's Curated Collections
Curated collections from EdWeek are available at no cost for a limited time. Gain deeper insights on the important topics for K-12. Recent collections include Spotlight on Supporting Emergent Bilinguals and Spotlight on Neurodiversity in K12: Supporting Every Learner's Success.
Shake Up Learning's Summer Learning Series
Join Shake Up Learning for their second annual Summer Learning Series, a free, asynchronous online learning event designed specifically for K-12 teachers, instructional coaches, and education leaders.
I’m the founder and CEO of Pando Public Relations. If you liked this issue of PR Tips, subscribe here. New issues each Thursday, alternating between articles with practical advice on the PR profession and PR in EdTech Tips, which is a collection of awards, conference RFPs, general info, and other links that may be helpful in your PR efforts.