EDU Lessons Learned | Pioneers in Skirts®

EDU Movie Event - Lessons Learned

We spoke with Pioneers in Skirts EDU movie screening hosts to find out about their experience screening the film. We asked them, “what worked for you?”, “what didn’t work?”, and “what would you do differently in the future?”.

Thanks to the generosity and openness of these dedicated educators, we were able to compile valuable checklist of ‘what to do’ and ‘what not to do’ that schools can use when hosting a movie screening of Pioneers in Skirts.

#1: You must do the work to drive up attendance

Filling seats and growing interest for the movie screening is the hard part. You can’t rely on teachers to be your PR team. Screening hosts must start promotional efforts early and be consistent with the delivery.
- Idea: Make the movie event about (and involve) the students. When a student finds something truly interests them, they will deepen their involvement. You, the Educator, must help the student feel comfortable asking for help as well as learn to take their interest to the next level.

WATCH VIDEO #1

Brainstorm with students on promotional strategies that will work in your environment.
- Idea: Walk the classrooms and ask the students for their input
- Idea: Offer door prizes students want — make it fun for them
- Idea: Recruit teacher sponsors who will focus on segments of targeted students (vs targeting all students)
- Idea: Ask students for help managing student PR efforts. Give students creative rights.
- Idea: Download the poster file from the Pioneers in Skirts Media Kit to print and distribute throughout the school.
Communicate the “why” to get people excited about your event.
- Idea: Let your audience know why they should attend your event.
- Idea: Set your event apart…plan music, career booths, bring-in a filmmaker to be part of your event — make it fun and impactful.
- Idea: Build buzz (get people talking about the screening event) before the event happens with school newspaper or video interviews of teachers, other students, and the filmmakers. Hold a contest that involves students. Make it an event to remember.

Prepare for your audience reactions. Educators suggest for you to pre-screen the film with a small group of students to gauge viewpoints in advance of your event.
- Idea: Send students to the WATCH page for them to view the movie at home prior to meeting with your small group of students.
Ask students to be part of a post-screening panel — and ask one to be the moderator.
- Idea: Ask the moderator to help manage student promotional efforts.

How We Help

We’ve made the movie available for rent at Vimeo Virtual Cinema. If you’d like to plan a pre-screening of the film at school (in front of a very small number of students/teachers), you can use this option.
The Pioneers in Skirts Media Kit provides artwork for promotional efforts (poster, editable memes, invitation video, film stills).
We provide affordable options for hiring a filmmaker to speak to students. Contact us to inquire about bringing a filmmaker to your event in person or virtually.
We’ve created product give-aways you can order, a music playlist to play as students enter the auditorium, and a link to the theme song so that you can set your event apart!

#2: Set yourself up for success

Insure that your event runs smoothly.
- Idea: Create a pre-event action item check list.
- Idea: Create an event Run of Show to plan for each detailed action for your event day.
Prepare student panelists ahead of the event.
- Idea: Review the Run of Show with the panelists.
- Idea: Provide topical questions to the panelists in advance so that they can better prepare.
- Idea: Give panelists the freedom to create questions of their own (to ask each other — which makes the panel more conversational).

WATCH VIDEO #2

How We Help

We’ve written a “20 Ways” article with great ideas to help you provide a memorable movie screening experience.
We’re happy to send EDU movie screening hosts the official Digital Screening Kit with additional tips and resources for promoting and running your event. All that you have to do is Contact Us and ask for it!

#3: Plan for a long-term affect

Prepare students for the key topics in the film so that as they watch Pioneers in Skirts they can reflect on their own life and if they see themselves in the film. The key topics are:
- Women (& girls) often face unfair career-limiting obstacles and setbacks.
- There are discriminating perceptions in the culture we live, work, and learn in.
- To help them get past unfair obstacles, everyone…co-workers and classmates need to champion the women and girls in their lives. Stand with them and build community to help make things more equitable and welcoming for all.
After watching the film, give them a few days to think about it.
- Idea: Follow up 2-3 days later meet to discuss the film and how or if it made an impression. (we suggest you use the Pioneers in Skirts Impact Survey to help lead your discussion.)
Host a yearly movie screening event to reach incoming students and keep the conversation alive.

WATCH VIDEO #3

How We Help

The Pioneers in Skirts Screening Kit also includes:
- A pre-movie Questionnaire introducing topics of the film for students to complete prior to watching. The Questionnaire and accompanying Answers sheet give teachers a tool to base lessons on and lead conversations.
- Post screening discussion questions that can be used during your event or long after when you’re instigating post-event classroom conversations.
We’ve created an anonymous Impact Survey students can complete (immediately after the screening or 2-3 days later).
We’ve developed an optional online LIVE learning tool called Find Your Inner Pioneer — it’s a post-screening interactive workshop.