As Oscar Wilde allegedly said, “The only thing worse than being talked about is not to be talked about at all.” As educators, we should take this statement to heart. It's important to devise a public-relations strategy that generates student interest and public awareness about the creative process in your classroom. Your reward is additional funding and support for your technology program.

A primary rule of public relations is to know your audience and remember them. Tailor your message to appeal to a clearly defined target group. For the most part, educators communicate with a general audience or local community. But remember that a plan to make money through public relations does not necessarily focus only on individuals identified with your school. The target audience can be anyone with the capacity to contribute financially.

Start by doing some research to identify potential donors, and define what you can provide to gain their support. But don't stop there; compile a mailing list that includes parents, the home and school associations, alumni, small businesses, corporations, foundations, the media (don't forget neighborhood newspapers). You want to reach carefully targeted potential donors and the general public, where you may find unexpected and welcome support.

Initially, it's wise to focus your efforts on individuals and organizations with relevant interests (technology, music, K — 12 education, and so on). Part of this effort involves maintaining an open line of communication with everyone who supports your music-technology program, in addition to prospecting for new supporters. That means creating an awareness and an interest in your program. So once you have identified your target audience, make every attempt to fashion a relationship that is mutually beneficial and meets the needs of both parties. Tell potential supporters what they want to hear: that you are providing creative opportunities for young people to develop valuable skills in technology, and that they have an opportunity to support technology in education.

Whether you are approaching parents, businesses, alumni, or any other group, be sure to direct your activities to meet their needs and interests. And as discussed in the February/March 2005 issue (“Finding Funds: The Two-Way Relationship”), keep in mind that regardless of how supportive an individual or organization may be, in most cases, they would like some form of recognition in return.

The best public relations will come from informing the general public, existing supporters, and school administrators about your students' noteworthy accomplishments. That sends a crystal clear message about “student achievement,” the operative cliché in education today.

You can achieve this through email correspondence; through press releases highlighting student achievements, which you can send to local magazines and newspapers; and through a monthly or quarterly newsletter. A typical press release might announce that a former music-technology student has opened a recording studio, or that several current students received an acceptance or scholarship to universities and are majoring in a music-business or audio-engineering program.

That's just part of your PR campaign. Letters of appeal, posters in store windows, newsletter ads, and editorials in community newspapers about your student's accomplishments all encourage public interest in your program.

A great way to highlight student achievement is to let everyone hear the musical results. Every year, I burn several CDs of the students' compositions and mail them to everyone who provides financial backing for my technology classes, including parents, alumni, local newspapers, small businesses, corporations, and foundations. It is very cost-effective and often generates further support.

Another effective way to get potential supporters excited about your program is to show off the technology you already have in place. I teach at Central High, a special-admission public school for academically gifted students. Students who are considering matriculating at Central usually tour the school, and the music-technology lab is always on their list of places to visit. Consequently, many students select music technology as an elective course.

You can further use this tactic by having parents visit the class and listen to students in-progress compositions. Parents who work in technology-related professions become especially strong tech advocates — and therefore a very important resource — so make sure to identify and communicate with them. And don't limit your invitations to parents; inviting current and potential supporters to visit your technology lab always helps to personalize your relationship with them, and that leads to increased loyalty and support.

Never underestimate the value of your school's alumni association. Alumni can be a crucial asset to the technology program, benefiting teachers and students alike. Many alumni who visit Central are very impressed with the music-technology lab, partly because the technology did not exist when they were students. They identify with the school, but more significantly, they are encouraged and impressed by the quality education that today's students receive.

The result can be increased financial support. For example, when SoundTree designed and installed the new music-technology lab (updated for the third time), one alumnus donated $10,000 in support of the project.

Most educators become frustrated that potential funders don't understand how important music technology is as an academic discipline. You can help to address this problem by raising the awareness of funders with an effective public-relations campaign.

I've offered a few ideas to get you started, some of which will appeal to you more than others. But keep in mind that you need to use a combination of approaches. Don't just send out a couple of press releases and figure you're done. Work at it conscientiously, and the results will more than justify your efforts. And remember that unless you tell people about the wonderful things you and your students are doing, they will never know.

Stephen Wilensky is the Music Department chair at Central High School in Philadelphia and is a Temple University faculty member and Fulbright Award recipient. Please email the author at swchs@earthlink.net with comments, questions, and suggestions for future “Finding Funds” columns.