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Sharpen Your Communications Skills with Tyee Master Classes

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Jeanette Ageson 28 Mar 2016TheTyee.ca

Jeanette Ageson is director of community development at The Tyee.

The Tyee is pleased to announce our spring 2016 lineup of Tyee Master Classes in Vancouver.

For the first time ever, we're offering a suite of classes on a theme -- communications and campaigning -- with some of the best teachers in the biz.

You can take one class, mix and match, or take all four. Registering for one class gets you a promo code for 25 per cent off any of the other classes.

With three brand new classes and one returning by popular demand, these day-long sessions are designed to offer a quick, intensive skills update.

First, learn to create a winning media strategy with seasoned communications pro Lesli Boldt on April 23. (More on that class here.)

Then, understand how to frame your issue in a way that will connect with key audiences with Tyee Master Class favourite James Boothroyd on April 30. (More on that class here.)

Then learn to write a persuasive op-ed, again with James Boothroyd, on May 14. (More on that class here.)

Finally, design an online campaign that will get attention with Karl Hardin, the architect of Dogwood Initiative's wildly successful campaigns, on May 7. (More on that class here.)

More detailed descriptions of each class are also available at the bottom of this story.

Now's the time, sign up today

With just a year until the B.C. provincial election, now's a good time for you politicos out there to make sure you're on top of your game.

But the fundamentals of connecting with people and telling your story effectively are important in so many jobs, whether you're advocating for the environment or social justice, organizing a community to take action, or raising funds for an important cause.

These aren't stuffy seminars with boring slideshows. Each class is a mix of theory and practice, where you'll get to learn new concepts from industry leaders and put those concepts into practice with your fellow classmates.

Classes are all held on select Saturdays, and include coffee from Salt Spring Coffee, a catered lunch and a refreshing glass of beer from Howe Sound Brewing while you mingle with your classmates at the end of the day.

Register for one class and receive a promo code for 25 per cent off any other class in the series.

The first class starts on April 23, so make sure you sign up fast! Space is limited to 20 people per class, and they do sell out.

Here's what some past Tyee Master Class students had to say:

"Jim [Boothroyd] is a pro, knows his stuff and imparted it very well. Pacing, variety; spontaneous. I learned a lot. Also, The Tyee and Jim pull a good crowd. What an excellent group of people in the class. Lots of time for discussion and hands-on participation. Jim's instant assessment of our work and incisive feedback was tremendously useful."
-- participant in "Strategic Frames and Messaging Demystified" with James Boothroyd, spring 2015

"I loved the people and the sheer AMOUNT of information that we were provided with over the short time we were here. Awesome, casual feel and super knowledgeable instructors!"
-- Tyee Master Class participant, fall 2015

Here's a more detailed breakdown on this year's classes:

Working with Media: How to Develop a Winning Media Strategy with Lesli Boldt, April 23

With today's rapidly changing media landscape, getting earned media -- that is, coverage of your organization or issue by mainstream media -- is more challenging than ever before. To succeed in getting your stories covered, you need a winning media strategy to make sure your story gets to the top of the newsroom's list of priorities.

In this intensive Tyee Master Class with communications expert Lesli Boldt, participants will learn the fundamentals of a winning media strategy, including how to structure media pitches and use other communications channels to set up your communications campaign for success. Workshop your strategy with Lesli and your classmates, and get feedback on your news pitches from a Tyee editor.

Register now. Learn more.

Strategic Frames and Messaging Demystified with James Boothroyd, April 30

No matter how important or incendiary, if your issue is communicated poorly it won't make it onto the public agenda. And, as legions of communications experts have learned, at least since George Lakoff popularized the topic, your artful words and images will be wasted if they fall outside appropriate conceptual frames -- the mental templates we humans use to make sense of the barrage of information coming at us every day.

Back by popular demand, this Tyee Master Class will help campaign and communications managers understand how strategic frames and messaging work, and how to craft frames and messages to reach target audiences -- and key media -- and advance social change (without spending a million on market research). Participants will also have time to workshop their own frames and messages and get feedback from James Boothroyd and fellow attendees.

Register now. Learn more.

How to Break Through Online and Win Campaigns with Karl Hardin, May 7

A well oiled and humming digital engagement strategy can attract more followers to your cause, deepen your relationships with your supporters and donors and provide opportunities for people to come together and achieve amazing things together.

Be prepared to roll up your sleeves and workshop your campaign or issue, as digital strategist Karl Hardin walks you through digital campaigning in this intensive one-day Tyee Master Class. You'll cover the basics, do a deep dive on strategy and get your hands dirty by workshopping your story and writing copy for email and the web.

You'll come away with a better appreciation of how storytelling can make people click things online and how that can be the first step towards a meaningful and impactful relationship. And how these relationships, at scale, can change the world.

Register now. Learn more.

Rhetoric Rules! Dos and Don'ts for Crafting a Killer Commentary with James Boothroyd, May 14

Op-eds (so-called because they typically appear opposite the editorial page of newspapers) offer one of the few, relatively unmediated opportunities for concerned citizens and experts to publish their views in a digestible format, watched by not only decision-makers (or their minions) but also one's allies and enemies, and media opinion-leaders. Carefully crafted, with a good photo, they can catapult your issues onto the public agenda, grab the attention of government leaders, and even demand a response.

In this Tyee Master Class, you'll learn the enduring value of an op-ed (or digital commentary) and how these can validate your campaign in the eyes of decision-makers and other key audiences, including funders. In a series of structured exercises, with feedback, you'll learn the building blocks of a solid op-ed, and draft and polish your own piece. You'll also learn strategies for pitching media and getting your piece published.

Register now. Learn more.  [Tyee]

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