Thank you so much for putting your skills on display and sharing the day’s events! The following are resources and examples to help you with the event.

If you have questions, please email the Renaissance team at [email protected].

We will have 3 opportunities for the press teams to interview Mike Smith. The interviews will be via Facebook Live so that students can refer back to the videos if they are unable to participate.

Mike will broadcast live from his Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/MikeSmithLive). While he is live, students can ask him questions by typing them in the comments on the video. He will be live for interviews on:

• Friday, August 19^th at 4PM CST
• Thursday, September 15^th at 4PM CST
• Wednesday, October 19^th at 5:30PM CST

During the event, use #ForWhatIStand and tag @J_Renaissance on Twitter or @JostensRenaissance on Instagram so that we can feature your posts on the Tour Blog afterwards. We suggest at least one Instagram post and 3-5 Twitter posts during the event.

During the event, capture as many moments as you can by taking photos and videos, interviewing attendees, and others who are involved with the event. We’d love to get 20-30 photos from your event, 5-10 videos (video clips that are a couple seconds long but capture good moments are great – maximum 2 mins per clip), and interviews with 3-5 people from the day. As soon as the conference is over, upload everything to: https://www.dropbox.com/request/AxXjcCcUtXQY3bAqqUbe

NOTE: When you submit your files, be sure to start every file with the date of the event and your city. For example: “9-21-Fairfax-photo1.jpg” or “9-21-Fairfax-interview1.doc”

Press Passes:

Step 1: Click the image below and download the PDF of the press passes
Step 2: Customize with name, school and city
Step 3: Print
Step 4: Put into lanyard
Step 5: Wear to event

Event Description:

The Jostens Renaissance Back to School Tour is a pep-rally style, multi-school event featuring renowned youth speaker Mike Smith. Geared toward both student leaders and advisers, the half day conference starts with inspiration for action from Mike Smith and is followed with action planning to be brought back to area schools. Schools are supplied with real ideas that have shown positive results over the course of 25 years of Jostens Renaissance.

Mike Smith Bio:

A self-proclaimed “professional teenager,” Mike is a renowned youth speaker who inspires students to make positive choices and encourages them to pursue their passions and leave a positive legacy. Mike’s experience includes:

• Host of The Harbor™ by Jostens, an online educational video resource that teaches character development in schools
• Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit skate park and youth outreach center called THE BAY, and its offshoot, Skate for Change

Testimonials:

“I would recommend this to any student. The tour was a fantastic way to pump students up about wanting to be more involved in their schools. I really enjoyed attending and did not want for the presentation to end. Mike Smith does a fantastic job of getting students involved and engaging them.”

“We absolutely loved the tour and hope that Mike will come back and see us again either in the spring or next year.  I would tell them how inspiring he was and that every student should hear his message of hope!”

“IT is inspirational.  Mike has truly made a difference and that means a lot! He is doing rather than wanting to do, and this has given me the want and motivation to put things in to action at school, which I am now doing!!!”

Check back soon for editable press release templates that you can fill out before and after your event.