Professional Interest Communities FAQ

1. What are professional interest communities?
2. What do professional interest communities do?
3. Are all communities online?
4. How do I join a professional interest community?
5. How can I get in touch with the facilitator?
6. Do I have to be an ASCD member to join?
7. Can I join more than one community?
8. What services does ASCD provide to professional interest communities?
9. How do I form an ASCD professional interest community?
10. How are professional interest community proposals reviewed?
11. What does a professional interest community need to do to maintain its relationship with ASCD?
12. How often do professional interest communities meet?
13. What relationship does Professional Interest Communities have to ASCD Affiliates, ASCD Student Chapters, and other ASCD Constituent Groups?

1. What are professional interest communities?

ASCD Professional Interest Communities is a constituent group within the ASCD community uniting educators around a specific educational issue. The communities are flexible, fluid, and based on the needs of their participants. They allow participants to exchange ideas, share common interests, identify and solve problems, grow professionally, and establish collegial relationships.

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2. What do professional interest communities do?

Each community is operated independently and provides different resources to its members. In general, however, most communities produce a newsletter, attend a forum at ASCD Empower (formerly Annual Conference), and provide information and resources to community members. Some professional interest communities sponsor conferences, workshops, Web sites, and electronic forums.

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3. Are all professional interest communities online?

Professional interest communities have established groups online to communicate with their members and to share their work with the public.

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4. How do I join a professional interest community?

You can join a community simply by contacting the facilitator and joining the community group online. Some professional interest communities charge a small annual membership fee (under $25.)

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5. How can I get in touch with the facilitator?

For contact information, check the Professional Interest Communities Directory. You can also 

• Call ASCD at 1-800-933-2723 or 1-703-578-9600 to reach an ASCD Service Center consultant.
• Send a message to Constituent Services.

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6. Do I have to be an ASCD member to join?

No. Membership is open to all. However, the professional interest community facilitator must be an ASCD member.

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7. Can I join more than one professional interest community?

You may join as many communities as you wish.

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8. What services does ASCD provide to Professional Interest Communities?

ASCD is responsible for planning and evaluating the program and for selecting new communities. ASCD provides all of our approved professional interest communities with a strong foundation of support, which includes:

• An ASCD staff liaison.
• Authorization to use the ASCD's name.
• Opportunities for communities to host workshop sessions during ASCD Empower (formerly Annual Conference).
• A forum for facilitators during ASCD Empower (formerly Annual Conference).
• An invitation to ASCD's Leader to Leader (L2L) Event for facilitators.
• Participation in L2L Web Seminars.

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9. How do I form an ASCD professional interest community?

See the "Start a Professional Interest Community" section.

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10. How are professional interest community proposals reviewed?

Proposals are reviewed and evaluated by a broad-based ASCD staff committee.

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11. What does a professional interest community need to do to maintain its relationship with ASCD?

Minimum criteria for continued ASCD support of a community include the following:

• Evidence of commitment by the facilitator, an ASCD member.
• Evidence that the community is meeting ASCD priorities.
• Evidence of realistic plans for achieving community goals.
• Evidence of group participation online.
• Evidence of participation at ASCD's facilitator's forum held at ASCD Empower (formerly Annual Conference).

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12. How often do professional interest communities meet?

All communities are invited to host a workshop session at ASCD's Empower (formerly Annual Conference). Some communities offer additional conference and workshop opportunities.

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13. What relationship does ASCD Professional Interest Communities have to ASCD Affiliates, ASCD Student Chapters, and other ASCD Constituent Groups?

There is no official relationship between ASCD Professional Interest Communities, Affiliates, Student Chapters, or other ASCD Constituent Groups, although they are encouraged to work together.

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