Question 1

What is Catapult's mission?

Accepted Answer

Dissatisfied with the status quo, our mission is to make all education relevant.

We ignite a tipping point within schools and colleges, resulting in broader buy-in, increased commitment, and systemic change. Our commitment to redefining professional development is rooted in a deep understanding of change management and the challenges facing education today.

We believe that you have the potential to be a catalyst for positive change while also acknowledging we are never a prophet in our own land.

We believe that every educator, administrator, and support staff member deserves access to high-quality professional learning opportunities that inspire growth and advance true student success.

To be effective, we believe professional development should not be one-and-done. We believe that shared experiences over time are critical to advancing local dialogue and institutional planning.

Through hybrid-flexible learning, dynamic speakers, follow-up coaching, and collaborative planning, we are revolutionizing the way educators engage in professional development. Our approach is designed to be flexible, personalized, and relevant to the unique needs of each individual and educational community we serve.

Read our Manifesto to understand all that we believe and stand for.

We amplify our shared mission to create a brighter future for all learners.

We are professional development redefined.

Question 2

Is this a webinar or a virtual conference?

Accepted Answer

Neither, actually. Catapult replaces generic webinars and ineffective professional development with a relevant masterclass for either individual change agents, teams/departments, or your entire institution. It is not a seminar. It is not a webinar. It is not a conference. It is a meaningful shared experience of progressive educators making changes on the front lines.Engage with the absolute best thought leaders in career-connected learning and educational transformation. These dynamic speakers deliver masterclass presentations on-demand. Plus, we offer access to their insights and expertise via monthly Fireside Chat sessions and 1:1 peer-to-peer coaching.  Leverage the best research on leadership & professional development to level up your approach, and galvanize more support for your programs. We're all tired of PD that doesn't move the needle. It's time to move your entire institution forward faster.

Question 3

Why aren’t the speakers all scheduled on one day?

Accepted Answer

Because we actually want to facilitate learning and make a significant impact. 1-4 day conferences pack too much content in a short duration. With multiple pages of notes and an overflowing inbox, inaction and paralysis is the familiar result.

Just like our classes that we provide to students, Catapult ensures our rich professional development schedule facilitates time for reflection and meaningful dialogue over time. With on-demand masterclasses coupled with coaching calls spaced out over the term, there is ample time to digest the content, reflect on local application, convene and debrief with key stakeholders, and take the right sequential step(s) forward with intentionality.

Question 4

Tell me more about the Fireside Chats.

Accepted Answer

We are all tired of one-and-done inspirational trainings without actionable nuggets, accountability, or even a simple follow-up. Repeatedly, we’ve experienced that a motivational webinar or keynote without intentional follow-through often goes nowhere. That's why Catapult brings local coaching to address local issues by the best Subject Matter Experts and Thought Leaders in the nation. After each dynamic masterclass address, a separate institution-specific, executive coaching session (or group Team Q&A session) is scheduled with the presenter to identify tailored tactics to propel your institution forward. Dynamic keynotes and coaching/Q&A sessions will result in the right strategies at the right time to actually move the needle incrementally and intentionally in the right direction. For Institutional Licenses, the 30-minute coaching calls are conveniently scheduled with your locally identified Implementation Team (comprised of 5-12 individuals you select). For Individuals with the Full Access license, 30-minute group Q&A sessions are scheduled throughout each term.

Question 5

Who is the intended audience for masterclasses?

Accepted Answer

Catapult masterclass speakers are not only subject matter experts, they are also commanding and brilliant orators. Catapult speakers frequently keynote at (inter)national conferences. They are very experienced in motivating and persuading a wide variety of audiences including teachers/faculty, administrators, counselors, and staff. The Catapult model brings the 'best of the best' to the local level since not everyone can attend or participate in national conferences. For Individuals and Teams: The masterclasses are accessible only to the registered members. (See the Registration Info page for recommendations on participants within each masterclass). For Institutional Licenses: The masterclasses are provided to ALL employees at your site, everyone from your elected Board members to the custodian team. Unlike other professional development offerings, there is no maximum headcount. Catapult is a site license for your entire institution. This makes it exponentially easier and more effective for local leadership and CTE advocates to make progress and move the needle with everyone motivated and on board. Everyone at your institution will also receive a Catapult Playbook for each masterclass speaker to help engage the material, facilitate discussion, guide true learning, and expedite future implementation.

Question 6

What is a Catapult Playbook?

Accepted Answer

To maximize engagement and learning, each Catapult program comes with a fillable PDF Playbook, tailored to accompany every speaker. Your colleagues will be able to follow along, take pertinent notes, extract the main points, complete the suggested work for engagement, practice with relevant activities, respond to meaningful reflection prompts, and begin tactical planning and goal-setting for both themselves individually and for the institution at large.

This is a significant evolution in the way we typically consume professional development. The Playbooks can also be collected for Continuing Education Units (CEUs), outcome assessments, grant records/documentation, or to apply for 2 units of college credit (undergraduate or graduate credit) through one of our university partners.

For Institutional Licenses: Your local implementation team may also utilize the Playbook during their dedicated coaching calls for strategic planning.

Question 7

Who should be the 5-12 people on the local Implementation Team?

Accepted Answer

You ask very good questions! For Institutional Licenses, the Implementation team is comprised of 5-12 people locally identified. They will have exclusive access to a 30-minute coaching call with each speaker and should be the linchpins in advancing your institutional progress. They commit to investing about 18-20 hours throughout the term to engage in the masterclass and coaching calls.See our Registration Info page for suggested key stakeholders to involve for each program.

Question 8

Is there a limit on the number of institutions that can participate?

Accepted Answer

Yes. To ensure a tailored experience in this cohort-based masterclass, participation is capped at 15 institutions across the nation within each program, per term. Registration is first-come, first-serve, secured by a signed contract or purchase order. After we reach capacity, you may be added to the waiting list, or you may register for that program within a subsequent term.

Question 9

How do you define an institution for the Institutional License? Could my entire state be considered an institution?

Accepted Answer

We want to help you advance forward, so there is a little wiggle room in this designation. The 5-12 individuals on the Implementation Team should really help to define your “institution” so that the coaching calls are helpful to a specific site or area.

Possible models include:
An individual university, college, or high school,
A centrally-coordinated district with 2-3 sites,
A Regional Training Center (Regional Occupational Programs),
A rural consortium of schools that share the coaching call,
Or 1 high school + 1 college that share a tight geography and shared population

Question 10

How do you track Learning Outcomes for each Program?

Accepted Answer

We provide pre- and post-assessments for the Implementation Team members and all participants, and we also survey all participants at the end of every masterclass. We post our Outcomes completely and transparently on our home page. Plus, for each Program we have identified specific learning outcomes which are documented in each Catapult Playbook and in our Prospectus.

Question 11

Will there be future Programs with different topics?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. We are adding new masterclasses to the Catapult library every term based on current member feedback.

You are not going to want to miss any of these! We encourage institutions to plan ahead and include each Catapult masterclass into your PD proposals, Perkins plans, and grant budgets/work plans a year in advance. Your colleagues deserve the best professional development possible. Let us do all the heavy lifting for you.

Question 12

OK, I'm in. How much does this cost?

Accepted Answer

Isn't it frustrating when companies and vendors don't publish their pricing? The Catapult team understands that you want to make informed decisions for your colleagues (and for yourself), and that you have specific budgets you are trying to leverage. So we are very transparent and upfront about what this costs and what you get.

Due to constrained local budgets, we know that the best speakers in the country that frequently keynote at (inter)national conferences are often too expensive to bring to local institutions. We have solved this problem and expanded access knowing that we are stronger together. So, leveraging funds as a consortium of institutions each term, we provide top-quality content at less than half the cost compared to booking individually.

For Institutions: Each $25,000 program provides your institution the highest caliber speakers in the nation for an affordable investment averaging $100 per person. Finally, all your front-line employees can receive a paradigm shift and an injection of motivation from experts, on-demand, delivering to you an exponential Return on Investment.

Do you have 550 employees at your district? Then this only costs $45 per head for the masterclasses, coaching/Q&A calls, tactical Playbook, virtual community, and is eligible for college credit.

Also, Catapult is eligible/allocable for Carl D. Perkins funds, WIOA funds, state professional development dollars, and other grant funds designed for professional development, career readiness, institutional transformation, and the adoption of effective best practices. In fact, we did the heavy lifting for you if you'd like to include a Catapult masterclass in your Perkins Plan.  Click here to copy/paste from our Perkins Plan Sample Language & Guidance document.

But wait...what if you want to experience it first before bringing it to all your colleagues? We heard you and totally understand. So now, Individuals or a local Team may engage an entire masterclass for $995 per person. This is a great way to then be able to bring it to your entire institution in subsequent terms.

We recommended writing Catapult into your annual Perkins plans and future grant applications annually (and ACTE members also get a discount via their website!).

Visit our Registration page for additional details and feel free to contact us at info@catapultlpd.com to receive a quote for the specific masterclass you are interested in.

Question 13

What assistance is provided to the site coordinator?

Accepted Answer

We know you're busy and juggling a lot already. No one has extra time. Plus, we intimately understand the burden of finding, vetting, and contracting with multiple, high-quality PD speakers annually. So, Catapult has done all the work for you.

One contract, one procurement cycle. Access to common-themed masterclasses is provided to your registered colleagues on-demand, and the live Q&A/coaching sessions are calendared in advance with only one registration required. Internal marketing materials and newsletters are provided to you to effortlessly engage your colleagues in each masterclass. We even send out reminders to everyone registered and provide a super helpful Leaders Guide to help make this impactful without all the chaos.

Plus, we can start and end any masterclass program in alignment with your academic calendar.  Custom dates. Tailored service. Impactful results.

With simple and effective scheduling, we provide more impact with fewer logistics to manage. You’re welcome!

Question 14

Wow, this is awesome! Are there any other benefits I should know about before registering?

Accepted Answer

Actually, yes! Catapult knows that we can learn from, "harvest" from, and support each other. So we also offer a Virtual Community within our custom platform to help translate the information and motivation into true institutional transformation. You can connect with other educators, dive deeper, and receive technical assistance from a peer, on-demand. And your access to the Catapult Community is FOREVER. That's right: We are committed to educational relevance beyond one day, month, term, or year. Content access varies given your plan, but your access to our vibrant community of game changers and fellow education disruptors never expires.

We also provide exclusive, additional content and expertise throughout the year to launch you further, faster. Also, as a member of the Catapult Network, registered institutions receive first access to future program releases. And don't forget, your registered colleagues will also receive the opportunity to receive college credit for each program, as well as a Certificate of Completion suitable for continuing education units (CEUs), local tracking, celebration, assessment verification, and bragging rights.

In addition to all this, the Catapult team also makes a donation to the National Foster Youth Initiative.

Question 15

Tell me more about your support of the National Foster Youth Institute.

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Today, more than 400,000 children are in foster care in the United States. We believe that each one deserves a safe, supportive, and honorable upbringing, no matter who they are or where they come from. We want to support students most in need while positively impacting society through systemic and meaningful change. So, as part of our corporate social responsibility initiative, Catapult donates a percentage of revenues to the NFYI for five primary reasons:

They help center the foster youth voice in all initiatives. 
They focus on systemic policy change at the local and national level to ensure foster youth get equitable and consistent treatment regardless of which state or county they are relocating to. 
Juvenile justice: NFYI fights the "school-to-prison pipeline" roughly 60% of foster youth get caught in. 
Higher education remains elusive for 97% of foster youth, so NFYI helps to break down the barriers to academic achievement and increase foster youth supportive services. 
NFYI provides paid work-based learning opportunities and leadership development to foster youth.

Learn more and consider adding your support at https://nfyi.org.

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