Pando PR Tips No. 79
Leadership and Growth Opportunities
ACTE National Leadership Fellowship Program — Applications close Sept 15
This program empowers career and technical education (CTE) professionals to grow their leadership skills. The 2027 cohort runs January to December 2027.
Upcoming Award and Conference Submissions
SXSW EDU Panel Picker — Submit until July 26
Both SXSW General Show Panel Picker and SXSU EDU 2027 Panel Picker are open for submissions. Advisory board evaluations, public review, and staff review are used to select speakers. Diverse panels with very compelling topics have the best chance of being selected.
2026 A.I. Awards — Entry deadline is July 24
The A.I. Awards celebrates the cutting edge AI platforms and solutions transforming the technology market. $695 for one entry, $795 for unlimited, and $1,295 for entries and advertising. Their other programs are also open for early bird entries: Cloud Awards, FinTech Awards, SaaS Awards, and Security Awards.
Tech Tactics Conference — Call for speakers closes Aug 3
This conference offers hands-on learning and interactive discussions on the most critical technology issues and practices across K-12 and higher education. It is brought to you by THE Journal and Campus Technology.
2026 Edison Awards — Award submissions open Aug 3
Edison Awards recognize excellence in new products and service development, marketing, human-centered design, and innovation. Products/service must have been launched and available to end-users Jan 2025 to Jan 2027.
Tech & Learning Awards of Excellence: Back to School — Open for entries until Sept 4
These awards seek products that offer schools versatility, value, and solutions to specific problems that support innovative teaching and learning. $625 per entry.
District Administration's Awards of Distinction — Submission deadline Sept 11
This program aims to recognize and celebrate initiatives that have delivered measurable results and that revolutionize education in school districts. No entry fee.
District Administration Top EdTech Products of the Year 2026 — Deadline is Oct 4
District Administration is searching for the 20 most innovative, impactful, and forward-thinking edtech solutions of the year, including startups. Winners will earn a spotlight at next year’s Future of Education Technology Conference, a digital badge, a marketing toolkit, and inclusion in FETC conference promotions.
Resources in EdTech and PR
MuckRack's The State of PR 2026
Explore how PR pros are adapting to AI, approaching GEO, navigating media relations, and demonstrating the value of their work.
Higher Education Conferences Still Ahead in 2026
Educator Index Interest — Apply for a fully funded report
The Educator Index™ is a research-informed framework designed to help education companies identify leading indicators of successful implementation and educator adoption.
Shake Up Learning's Summer Learning Series
Join Shake Up Learning for their third annual Summer Learning Series, a free, asynchronous online learning event for K-12 teachers, instructional coaches, and education leaders.
Upcoming Events
Beyond the Pitch: Building Lasting Relationships with Journalists — July 23: 1pm ET
Building relationships with journalists requires more than a strong pitch. In this live panel, Grant Gross, Nicole Pajer, and Kristi Waterworth (all journalists) join Qwoted's Shelby Bridges to share what earns their trust, attention, and continued coverage.
Medium Day — September 18: 8am to 8pm ET
Medium Day is a free, live, virtual gathering open to everyone. Whether you've been writing on Medium for years or you've never published a word, there's something here for you.
My Latest LinkedIn Article
In my most recent article, I wrote about Share of Voice and how to use it for more than a measure of ROI. Look at a bar chart and notice the spikes of coverage. Then, investigate your competitor's media outreach to see if there are events your company should be trying to counter and win back some of that visibility loss.
I’m the founder and CEO of Pando Public Relations, recently named the Best EdTech PR Firm by EdTech Digest. If you liked this issue of PR Tips, subscribe here. New issues publish on Thursdays alternating between articles with insights and advice on the PR profession and PR in EdTech Tips.