EDU Lessons Learned | Pioneers in Skirts®

EDU Movie Event - Lessons Learned

We spoke with Pioneers in Skirts EDU group screening hosts to find out about their experience screening our 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 a valuable checklist of ‘what to do’ and ‘what not to do’ for schools to refer to when planning their movie event!

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

Filling seats and growing interest for the movie screening is the hard part and, since you can’t rely on teachers to be your PR team you need to —

Start promotional efforts early, and be consistent with the delivery.

TIPS:
- Make the movie event about (and involve) your students. When a student finds something that truly interests them, they will deepen their involvement.
- When handing over a movie promotional role to a student, you must help the student feel comfortable asking for help.

WATCH VIDEO #1

Brainstorm with students on promotional strategies that will work in your environment.

TIPS:
- Walk the classrooms and ask students for their input.
- Offer door prizes students want — make it fun for them
- Recruit teacher sponsors who can help you focus on segments of targeted students (vs targeting all students).
- Ask students for help managing student PR efforts. Give students creative rights.
- Download the poster file from the Pioneers in Skirts Media Kit to print and ask students to distribute them throughout the school.

Communicate the “why” your audience should attend your event. It’ll get people excited about your event — including your students.

TIPS:
- Set your event apart…plan music, career booths, invite a filmmaker or a subject-matter-expert to be part of your event — make it fun and impactful.
- Build buzz before the event happens with:
  - school newspaper or video interviews of teachers, other students, and/or the Pioneers in Skirts filmmakers, or
  - a contest that involves students.

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.

TIP: Send students to the WATCH page for them to view the movie at home prior to the small group of student viewpoint discussion.

Ask students to be part of a post-screening panel — and ask one to be the moderator.

TIP: If you have one, ask the student 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). If you can’t find what you’re looking for, feel free to reach out and tell us what you need!
We provide very affordable options for hiring a filmmaker to speak to students. Complete our simple online Speaker Request Form 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.

TIPS:
- Create a pre-event action item Check List.
- Create an event Run of Show to plan for each detailed action for your event day.

Prepare student panelists ahead of the event.

TIPS:
- Review the Run of Show with the panelists.
- Provide topical questions to the panelists in advance so that they can better prepare.
- Give panelists the freedom to ask each other questions too (it will make 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. Click to see ideas for
- raising awareness,
- empowering others to know that they aren’t alone, and
- encouraging productive and meaningful discussions!

#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. For a movie description, narrative threads, and movie themes: See the About page.

After watching the film, give them a few days to think about it.

TIP: Follow up 2-3 days later meet to discuss the film and how or if it made an impression.

Host a yearly movie screening event to reach incoming students and keep the conversation alive.

WATCH VIDEO #3

How We Help

When you book a group screening, we send you:
- 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 developed an online LIVE learning tool called Find Your Inner Pioneer — it’s a post-screening interactive workshop.

Watch how the film impacted this young audience.

Watch the movie trailer.