Pando PR Tips No. 69
MBA Fellowship, Awards Galore, EdTech Events, personal notes about AI in media, and my latest article on GEO in EdTech
MBA Fellowship Opportunity - Employer Submissions
EdTech MBA Spring 2026 Fellowship — Accepting applications until Jan 28
The EdTech MBA Fellowship is now accepting employer project proposals for Spring 2026 placements. Since Fall 2022, the program has placed 200+ MBA students from top graduate programs with edtech startups, growth-stage companies, and VC firms for real, high-impact projects. It is a great opportunity for any company to bring in new talent while also providing the real-world experience MBA candidates.
EdTech Award & Conference Submissions
DevLearn Conference & Expo — Call for speakers opens Jan 26
DevLearn is an learning technologies event shaping the future of L&D. This year's conference will be held November 4-6 in Las Vegas.
2026 Inc. Best Workplaces — Preferred-rate deadline is Jan 30
Apply to be recognized as a place where people love to work, one that sets the standard for excellence in company culture. All applicants for Best Workplaces will receive a valuable company-overview report offering actionable insights on a company’s strength. Preferred-rate is $495 for companies less than 500 employees and $795 for companies with more than 500 employees.
2026 International Literacy Association Awards and Grants — Nominations and applications due Feb 2
ILA recognizes and celebrates the outstanding contributions of individuals and chapters in our network who are committed to the shared mission of connecting research and practice to improve the quality of literacy learning across the globe.
EdTech Chronicle's Best in Education Awards — Entry deadline is Feb 6
These awards recognize the industry, the partners, and people in education. Winners will be selected in 37 categories. Easy to enter. Cost is $150 per entry. This is a unique award from other product-focused programs because it is a time for marketing, communications, and public relations pros to shine a line on their projects. Unlike AMA and other communicator awards which have hundreds of categories that may or may not reach your audience, the Best in Education Awards are promoted by a respected education trade. As you can tell, I'm bullish on this awards program!
2026 Pinnacle Artificial Intelligence Awards — Deadline to submit is February 11
These awards are designed to recognize the contributions of global industries and the markets they serve, honoring companies that drive ongoing market growth. Entry fee is $275.
Best Practices for CTE Administrators Conference — Proposal deadline is Feb 28
This conference offers specialized professional development tailored to the full range of leaders managing and supporting CTE programs across the country. Concurrent sessions or roundtable speaking sessions are available.
EdTech Resource
The State of AI in PR 2026
Based on a survey of over 500 professionals, this report examines AI adoption rates, whether workplaces are supporting the new tools, and how PR pros measure the impact of AI.
Upcoming EdTech Events
Tech & Learning Announces 2026 Dates for Regional Leadership Summit Series — Various Dates
Each summit is free to attend and focuses on the unique needs of that region to help you develop concrete action plans. Every educator (and PR pro) I've ever spoken with raves about these events for bringing leaders together and forging bonds that extend well past the event. If you're still on the fence, attend and you'll immediately see the value.
News & Social Pegs
- Black History Month — February
- National School Counseling Week — February 2 -6
- Digital Learning Day — February 26
- Chinese New Year — February 17 – March 3
- National Music in Our Schools Month — March
- Women's History Month — March
- Read Across America Day — March 2
- SEL Day — March 2
- International Women's Day - Mar 8
- Pi Day — March 14
- AI Literacy Day — March 28
AI in Journalism
Calling your attention to two important resources on the media industry. At Pando, we've got a deep bench on AI and GenAI in particular. The media are starting to push back on AI generated pitches and press releases are also frowned upon, especially those that lack depth an analysis. I find that Press Gazette is doing terrific reporting on this topic and I get deeper insights into what journalists think of these tools. Reuters Insitute is another great resource.
If you want to check your own copy for AI, Pangram has a Chrome plug in (and a free version might cover all you need). Verify My Writing can create a certified credential of human authorship for documents. I've started attaching these credentials to some of my thought leadership submissions. DISCLOSURE: Pangram and VMW are Pando clients.
My Recent LinkedIn Article
I’m the founder and CEO of Pando Public Relations. If you liked this issue of PR Tips, subscribe here. New issues publish on Thursdays (or the occasional Friday) alternating between articles with practical advice on the PR profession and PR in EdTech Tips.