Behind the Lens: Real‑World School Video That Reflects Every Voice
Date: 7/21/2026
Time: 4 - 5 PM
Room: Grand Salon 3 & 6 (Floor 1)
Skill Session - Live lecture, panel discussion or interactive session with time for Q&A. 60-minutes.
TACTICS–Tactics, activities and tools in communications
Session Description
Video storytelling in schools can do more than highlight events. Your multimedia can build trust, reflect student identity, and foster deeper community connections. In this session, we’ll take a behind-the-scenes look at three real-world video projects from San Juan Unified School District that do just that.
From short-form reels to longer marketing pieces, we’ll explore how intentional choices, such as who we feature, how we frame stories, and where we share them, can lead to more inclusive and impactful communication.
Whether you're working with a smartphone and a tight timeline or managing a full content calendar, this session will offer practical ideas, inspiration and tools to help your team plan and produce video with purpose.
Participants Will Leave With:
A simple planning framework for producing meaningful and engaging video content
Real examples of how video can center student voice, highlight identity and build school pride
Tips for capturing authentic, unscripted moments from students and staff
A flexible checklist to help evaluate content through the lens of inclusion and representation
Ideas for getting more mileage out of your video content across platforms
Presenter(s)
Elyjah Wilbur
Communication Specialist II
San Juan Unified School District (CA)
Elyjah Wilbur is a communications specialist with San Juan Unified School District who brings a uniquely diverse career in video and storytelling. He began in digital media as an editor and DIT for the YouTube channel SMOSH and later as a video producer for BuzzFeed Video, before transitioning into public sector communications. Elyjah spent nearly eight years with the cities of Roseville and Citrus Heights leading multimedia and community engagement efforts. Since 2022, he has applied this breadth of experience in school PR, combining creative production skills with strategic communications to elevate authentic stories and strengthen community connections.
Previous speaking experience:
Adobe Max 2020 Conference - City of Roseville: Using Video and Social to Engage Residents in Local Issues
Northwest Public Power Association Northwest Innovations in Communications Conference 2022 - In-house video best practices
NSPRA 2023 - Goldmine Session: Small Video Team Dos and Don'ts
CalSPRA 2024 - Goldmine Session: San Juan Unified's Best Practices for our Superintendent messaging
CalSPRA Capitol/Foothills Regional Meetup: Event Host and Session Presenter
SECC Podcast Episode: Using Media to Build Connections LinkedIn Profile
Behind the Lens: Real‑World School Video That Reflects Every Voice
Category
Skill Session - Live lecture, panel discussion or interactive session with time for Q&A. 60-minutes.