In order to participate in in-person academies and events for the UniServ and Organizing Training Program, a manager recommendation is required. Managers can use the instructions below to complete this registration process.
- As the Manager, complete the Manager’s Recommendation Form for any affiliate staff that plan to attend a Foundations Academy, Focused Academy, or Campaign Academy. For those staff who are bringing member teams to the Focused Academies or Campaign Academies, they should provide the full member team list with First Name, Last Name, and Email of each person for the Manager to include on the Recommendation Form. Please note, the form must be completed by the manager for any Academy sessions that you approve your staff to attend, and for any that include member teams.
- Staff or staff with member teams are recorded as “accepted” unless it is noted on the form that there is a waiting list. Please let your staff and any member teams know that they have been approved and should save the dates on their calendars. State Presidents will be notified, in accordance with NEA regulations of any members “accepted” and will have 48 hours to let us know if there are any issue.
- Approximately two (2) months in advance of the program, participants will receive a separate email with the formal, individual Registration Form for them to complete from Karla Medina, [email protected] .
- Once affiliate staff and member teams register, they will be provided with instructions to make their travel arrangements through NEA’s travel agency - AmTrav. (NOTE: NEA will not reimburse travel arrangements made independently of AmTrav).
Detailed information about each Academy will be sent to all participants approximately one month prior to each session. All Academies are paperless and require participants to register with NEA Learning Management System. They will be expected to complete pre-attendance activities, download needed documents, and attend with laptops or tablets.
The number of participants for each in-person program is capped at 40 per session. Therefore, forms should be submitted as early as possible, and no later than the listed deadlines. Additional applicants can be placed on waiting lists. Managers interested in sending more than five (5) affiliate staff to any single program should talk with our program coordinator (Ellen Holmes, [email protected]) in advance to review expectations.
Participant Expectations for All In-Person Programs
Attendance
We ask that managers ensure staff schedules are adjusted so their staff can attend and participate in all portions of any program. Staff attending the Foundations Academy should understand that there will be a worksite organizing experience in which all attendees are required to participate. You are encouraged to have conversations with your staff in advance, so that the attendance expectations and time commitments are understood.
Members must secure the appropriate time from their employers to attend. NEA does not cover substitutes. For members in the Campaign Lab already, substitute costs could be covered by their grant. We encourage state and local affiliates to invest in the development of members by covering substitute costs. Members and Staff attending the Winning School Boards Academy should understand that there will be a worksite organizing experience in which all attendees are required to participate.
All participants are expected to be present and engaged for the full time and should not plan on arriving late or leaving early. Any schedule adjustments should be discussed with NEA staff and approved in advance. All participants are expected to participate in all learning activities.
Technology
Participants will be required to use their laptops and smartphones to support their learning during Academies. Participants will use the NEA Learning Management System to access a number of documents. Participants will be using conference facility Wi-Fi, and these are often not secure. Please inform your appropriate IT personnel to ensure that participants either can access this type of Wi-Fi or are equipped with appropriate hotspot devices. We will not be able to troubleshoot significant issues once on-site. For members who may not readily have access to laptops, we encourage the local or state affiliate to provide them with one.
Costs
NEA funds the related travel and training expenses for affiliate staff and member teams to attend in-person programs (in accord with NEA’s Travel Policies and the UniServ and Organizer Training Reimbursement Process), provided they attend for the full time. If they arrive late or leave early, the costs of their participation may be charged back to the affiliate. All flight reservations must be completed at least 21 days prior to the first date of travel. Any not made within this window will be at the cost of the affiliate. NEA will not reimburse for travel arrangements made independently of NEA’s AmTrav travel agency.
Under NEA’s UniServ and Organizer Training Reimbursement Process, airfare and hotels are direct billed to NEA, and we provide a stipend payment back to the employing or representing affiliate following the program to cover transportation to/from airports, baggage fees, and daily per diem for meals and expenses, in accord with NEA’s Non-Staff Travel Policies and the GSA/CONUS per diem rates for the location. Staff and members will follow their affiliate’s processes for reimbursement.
NEA may incur considerable cost for individuals who cancel. Therefore, in the event of cancellation, the Organizer or UniServ Director’s employer agrees to reimburse NEA for the cost of direct-billed airline tickets and/or change fees that cannot be recovered. This may also include the cost of hotel rooms if NEA is unable to cancel the room without penalty. All cancellations must be in writing by the staff person with a copy to their manager. In the case of a member, the cancellation must be in writing with a copy to the Staff Person who was attending with them. Any cancellations must be emailed to Karla Medina ([email protected]) with a copy to Kyle Serrette, Program Manager of Campaign Lab ([email protected])
