JGPR Academy offers a wide range of both Live Courses and On-Demand Courses. Below are all the courses currently offered. To reserve a seat, please request a course.
Live Courses
Click here to see our course calendar.
Effective Communications Strategies For Municipal Leaders & Department Heads
4 Hours, Taught by John Guilfoil
Knowing how to tailor and present your message to constituents in the modern world is the most effective way for Municipal Leaders to make sure the work they’re doing is being recognized and, more importantly, understood and absorbed by community members. People have come to expect a high level of communication from their local leaders. At JGPR Academy, we will teach you the importance of effective communication and how to put it into practice in your city or town.
Public Relations & Media Relations for First Responders
4 Hours, Taught by John Guilfoil
Communicating with the residents and community members you serve is a critical component in building trust, relationships, and legitimacy in the eyes of those you are sworn to protect. Additionally, building a rapport and managing your relationship with the media that covers your department can lead to consistent news coverage and create an ally when you need to get information out in a timely manner.
Public Relations and Crisis Management for School Administrators
4 Hours, Taught by John Guilfoil
Effective communication for school districts starts at the top and doesn’t end when the bell rings. In this course, we will teach you the basic principles of why public relations and communication is key for school districts and how to properly manage crises in a way that will satisfy and inform parents, community members, and the media.
Mindfulness in Law Enforcement
8 Hours, Taught by Commander David Avery (Ret.)
Addressing and destigmatizing issues of mindfulness and mental well-being in Law Enforcement are issues that need to be addressed brought into the everyday conversation now more than ever. In this course, we will highlight the sources and consequences of stress in law enforcement and how it relates to you as an individual. Topics discussed in this 8-hour course include: Law enforcement personalities, burnout, mental health stigma, resiliency, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness. This course is intended to prioritize personal wellness and self-awareness in order to create a greater perspective of mindfulness for the law enforcement professional.
Social Media Basics for First Responders
4.5 Hours, Taught by Chief Rob Reardon
Proper social media utilization has proven to be a highly effective tool for first responder agencies when it comes to communicating and engaging directly with the community members you serve. Taught by Duxbury MA Fire Chief Rob Reardon, this course will provide you with the framework for how to build a successful social media program, teach you how to properly brand your department, and introduce ways to grow your social media audience.
Advanced Social Media Practices For First Responder Agencies
4.5 Hours, Taught by Capt. Stephen Davis (Ret.)
Is your agency’s social media stale or just not connecting to the people you serve? Are you ready to share important information in an engaging way? This course will focus on telling your agency’s story honestly, what content to emphasize, what to avoid, and how graphics and photos can make your mission stand out – all without resorting to gimmicks.
Retired Pensacola (FL) Police Captain Stephen Davis will share his expertise that led to his department’s rapid ascension into being one of the most highly touted social media programs in law enforcement. Over the span of four years, Capt. Davis grew the Pensacola Police Department’s social media presence 800%, won multiple awards, and was covered by national news organizations.
On-Camera Media Training for Municipal Employees
16 Hours, Taught by John Guilfoil and Cynthia Johnson
For many municipal leaders and employees, talking on camera to news reporters is one of the more nerve-wracking and uncomfortable responsibilities they find themselves faced with. Building your comfort level while speaking on-camera comes from willingness, preparation, and practice.
Whether talking about a serious crisis or a positive news story, how you portray yourself on-camera reflects on you, your organization and your community as a whole. Seeing your face and hearing your voice on TV can also help to show residents and community stakeholders that you’re a confident and capable leader and the best person for the job.
This two-day course will help you to understand the importance of on-camera interviews, what to do and what not to do while on camera, and will include practical on-camera experiences and direct feedback.
Effectively Managing Workplace Complaints and Investigations
4 Hours, Taught by Commander David Avery (Ret.)
Mismanagement of complaints in the workplace can have significant and lasting impacts on your organization or business.
This four-hour class will cover the significance of complaints and the investigative process in the workplace. It will also highlight the importance of having policies in place that will maintain the integrity and transparency of your organization.
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Management and Setup
4 Hours, Taught by Chief Roger Hatfield (Ret.)
As a public official that is involved in Emergency Management, the ability to communicate effectively and quickly is essential. Creating an EOC provides the framework of a communication network during an emergency, a major crisis, weather event, power outages, active shooter, or any other event that may significantly impact your community. This 4-hour course will teach you how to design an EOC and how to manage communications before, during, and after an EOC activation.
As the former Fire Chief in Foxborough, MA and Nashua, NH, Chief Hatfield has over 40 years of knowledge and experience in the private, municipal, state and federal life safety and emergency management fields.
On-Demand Courses
Click here to take our On-Demand Courses.
Crisis Management and Communications for Modern Municipal Leaders
An introduction to crisis management and crisis communications for municipal leaders, department heads, and those looking to move up the career ladder. You can’t prevent most crises from happening. What you can control is how you respond, how quickly you respond, and how effectively you communicate during a crisis. This course will provide an overview of how to be prepared prior to a crisis, communicating during a crisis, and how to handle the aftermath of a crisis situation.
Effective Communication Skills and Best Practices for School Superintendents
School District Superintendents know all too well these days that being a top notch educator simply isn’t enough. Learning how to effectively communicate to parents/guardians, families, community members, and the media is a skillset that every school district needs to have. This crash course on basic communications principles and best practices will start you on the right path toward mastering your messaging for your district.
How to Talk to Kids About Violent Crime
Margie Daniels, M.Ed., LICSW, Executive Director of Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth and Dr. Nancy Rappaport, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School offer tips on how to talk to children after exposure to violent events.
How to Write a Press Release
So, you’ve just been made your department or organization’s public information officer. How the heck do you write a press release? The first step toward effectively communicating with the media and the public is a well-crafted press release. A press release is a powerful tool that can help make sure your message gets seen and heard in a professional manner. This crash course on press release writing will teach you the basics of what goes into writing a release, press release formatting, why they are important, and who to send them to.
Messaging and Media Relations for Police Public Information Officers
Promotions and moving up the chain of command often come with new responsibilities, including being named your department’s new Public Information Officer (PIO). This course will offer an introductory guide to plunging into the world of being a new PIO. We will go over the best practices that make a successful PIO and some of the pitfalls that can occur. The course will also provide students a solid basis and understanding of why being an effective communicator is such an important role for your department.
How to Create a Modern Communications Plan
The media landscape has changed, and so too have the ways people consume news and information. Now more than ever before, residents and community stakeholders have a very high level of expectation when it comes to communication from their local leaders. Creating and committing to a comprehensive and modern communications plan is the first step in effectively reaching the people you serve. In this course we’ll provide you with a thorough overview on what makes a good communications plan and how to implement it in your organization.