By participating as a Practice Project for a Spiral5 student, you are helping to cultivate non-traditional and inclusive career paths in PR. For many students, you will be their first step in developing a service-based business!

Some things to note

>> You’re the “on” in hands on! The best way to learn PR? By doing! That’s where you come in. Your student match will leverage your business/product in order to better understand the curriculum and best-practices for PR.

>> You will receive actual press assets! Throughout the course, your student will work on a press release, 1-2 pitch letters, a media list and a press kit - all of which you will have access to once the student finishes the course!

>> Actual press coverage should not be an expectation. Your student match will be pitching media on your behalf, and we’ll do our best to generate some real leads for you! But remember: this is likely the first time the student will be interacting with journalists. It’s also worth noting that good PR is not just about press hits! There’s a lot of value in PR outside of shiny headlines. (Although, we do love shiny headlines).

Next Steps

Step 1 // Fill out this Discovery Form, so we can assess if you’re a fit for our program. We accept submissions on a rolling basis, and will keep your information on file for future cohorts.

Step 2 // If you’re selected as a Practice Project, your student will be in touch in a few weeks to schedule a discovery call! This step must happen before any external press outreach begins.

Step 3 // We’ll send over your completed press assets and any updates!

Other FAQs

Am I expected to pay a fee?

Nope! The student matches are free to you as a Practice Project/client. If you’re interested in hiring a Starter Publicist who has already completed the course, we’d be happy to discuss! hi@spiral5.com

How much interaction will I have with my student?

Interaction will be fairly minimal. You will have at least one phone call, and a few email exchanges to review press materials. We may also reach out with questions that come up as we put together a strategy.

How long will the program last?

The guided cohort is ~8 weeks. However, many students are taking the course on their own time. In general, you can expect around 8-10 weeks from the time we receive your questionnaire.

What is the student going to be learning?

By the end of the course, the student will have an understanding of the fundamental components of modern PR, particularly media relations, the value of third-party validation, and social media-based exposure opportunities. Check out the below video for a glimpse of the course material!

What happens after the student finishes the course?

If the student is moving on to our 9-month Starter Publicist Incubator, and if you were happy with the progress made during the training, we would encourage you to hire your student as an Apprentice/Starter Publicist! We’ll provide more details on that program if you’re interested.

About Spiral5

Spiral5 facilitates community, mentorship and flexible careers for women looking to excel in the PR industry outside of traditional models. We’re on a mission to help women discover freedom and confidence through the challenging—but totally learnable—skills of PR, media relations and professional communication.

Our training caters to the “Entry-Level Freelancer” by connecting aspiring solo PR pros with seasoned consultants (and small projects) who need part-time support. This way, they can learn the ropes while making an income as a freelancer. We believe this model can help democratize the PR industry by opening up access to budget-friendly PR services for small businesses, startups and creatives, while providing flexible business opportunities for women at all stages of their career.