A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Resources and References

In this section, you will find the following resources to help your faith community be successful as it moves forward in making a difference for America?s children:

Please Note: With the exception of "Planning a Religious and Education Summit" and the "Worksheets," most of these links go to pages elsewhere on our server or to another server on the world wide web. Please use your browser's BACK button to return to this page. Links marked with are in portable document format and will require the Adobe Acrobat Reader.

• Religious Expression in Public Schools: A Statement of Principles
• Religious Expression in Public Schools
• The Equal Access Act
• Organizations That Can Answer Questions on Religious Expression in Public Schools
• Partnership for Family Involvement in Education, Partner Registration
• Planning a Religious and Education Summit
• Worksheets for Developing Faith Community Education Partnerships

Planning a Religion and Education Summit

Form a committee that will represent the attendance that you want to have at your summit. Make it broad based in the religious community, include public and private school leaders, and expand it to include community organizations, employers, and government, as appropriate, for your location. Define the geographic area you want to involve and be sure your committee is representative of it as well. Finally, choose committee members who will ensure follow-up to the activities begun at the summit.

Once a committee is in place, you can begin the work of planning the summit. It is recommended that you allow 5-6 months for planning and carrying out the preliminary activities of the summit. Be sure to assign the completion of each task listed below (and others your local committee identifies) to a member of your committee, unless it is an action that requires the joint agreement of the committee.

Timeline

Month 1:

1. Choose the date and site for the summit. Ensure that your site can accommodate the size and anticipated agenda.
2. Discuss and determine key issues and themes for the summit.
3. Determine the agenda: keynote, break out sessions, other activities.
4. Secure a keynote speaker.

Month 2:

1. Invitations to participants:
• decide who will be invited
• get mailing labels from key organizations, committee members and others
• determine the enclosures
• write the letter of invitation and design the registration form; be sure to include on the registration form any information you will later want to document, for example, affiliation, contact information (particularly new e-mail addresses)
2. Breakout sessions
• determine which programs and themes to highlight
• invite presenters
• coordinate audiovisual needs of the speakers
• make arrangements for travel and lodging for speakers, if appropriate
• determine session facilitators and note takers, if appropriate

Month 3:

1. Food
• determine needs for registration, lunch, breaks, dinner
• determine costs
• determine how costs will be covered
• raise funds (if necessary) to cover costs
2. Logistics
• secure appropriate rooms for large and breakout meetings
• arrange for signage to be used on day of conference

Month 4:

1. Plan press
• pre-conference notice
• day of conference press
• follow-up stories on results
2. Plan exhibit space, if desired
• solicit exhibits
• arrange for receipt of shipped materials
• arrange for exhibitors to return materials to their organization
3. Complete mailing
• send mailing out
• receive RSVPs (ongoing)
• maintain RSVP list (ongoing)

Month 5:

1. Plan handouts for summit
• request materials from the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education and the U.S. Department of Education
• request materials from partners, schools, community organizations, and other groups that reflect your summit goals and can impact on their achievement
2. Ensure that meeting rooms can accommodate speakers? audiovisual needs and size of attendance expected.

Two weeks before:

1. Check arrangements for transportation and lodging for speakers.
2. Double-check all other previous arrangements.
3. Test sound system, especially for general session.

One week before:

1. Print list of participants from RSVPs already received.
2. Print program, including rooms and times for breakout sessions.
3. Prepare materials for distribution to participants.

Day of the summit:

1. Set up a registration desk and tables for handouts.
2. Put up signage to help those unfamiliar with the physical location find breakout sessions, rest rooms, lunch, help desk and the like.
3. Staff a help desk with personnel familiar with the summit and physical location.
4. SMILE: Your efforts have paid off!

Following the summit:

1. Reconvene the committee and plan the next steps, based on the results of the summit.
2. Send an article and photos of the summit to Partnership for Family Involvement in Education for featuring in PFIE publications and outreach.

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