What is the Innovation Fair?

The Innovation Fair will be an opportunity for each Educare school to create one poster that displays the exciting, practice-based innovative work they are doing at their schools. These posters will be displayed at the Network Meeting and will be available digitally on the mobile app. Following the meeting they will be posted on EducareShare and included in the Network Innovation Tracker.

Who can create a poster for the Innovation Fair?

Each school is invited to create one physical poster for the Innovation Fair. Schools should work with their EPACWG member to create this poster and are welcome to select any staff to participate in its development. You can find the EPACWG member directory here.

The individuals who created the poster do not need to attend the Network Meeting. But someone from your school, who will be in attendance, needs to transport and staff your posters from 1:00-2:00pm during the 2-hour lunch break on May 8.

What is the difference between submitting a poster for the Innovation Fair and the Call for Learn Shop Proposals?

The biggest differences between the Call for Learn Shop Proposals and the Innovation Fair posters are:

• Approval Process – Learn shop proposals are reviewed and approved by a committee of Network Members and not all learn shop proposals are accepted. This means even if you submit a learn shop proposal, it does not guarantee that you will present at the Network Meeting. On the other hand, there is no approval process for Innovation Fair posters; All posters turned in by the timeline listed below will be presented at the Network Meeting.
• Time Commitment – the learn shop sessions at the Network Meeting are 75 minutes long and require more preparation and presentation time. The posters at the Innovation Fair may not take as much time to create and the posters only need to be presented during one lunch-period.
• Presentation & Audience – Presenters at a learn shop are facilitating an entire session with dozens of attendees, the presenters act as content leaders, presenting short content segments and then lead engaging activities, group discussion and participant reflection on how to apply knowledge to practice. Innovation Fair posters are displayed over a two-day period as an optional activity for attendees to walk by. Network members only need to stand by their poster for a 1-hour period on May 8.

Learn more about the Learn Shop Call for Proposals process here.

Poster Guidance

The physical posters will be displayed from 10:00am on May 7 through 4:00pm on May 8 in the conference center atrium. Please plan to designate someone to staff your posters from 1:00-2:00pm during the 2-hour lunch break on May 8.

We also ask that you turn in the digital file of your poster to us so we can upload to the “virtual Innovation Fair” on the Network Meeting mobile app.

Content Guidance:

We ask that you design a presentation that:

• Explains the purpose of your practice-based innovation (check out the Network definition of ‘innovation’ here!)
• Tells a story about your school’s innovation and the results
• Generates discussion with Network members

When creating a poster, keep in mind the following best practices:

• Include the name of your innovation and school name at the top.
• Make sure the text is readable from about three feet away.
• Include photos, graphics or icons to add visual interest. Creativity is encouraged!
• Include information about how this innovation was funded, if applicable.
• Stick to a limited number of main points on the poster, keep the text minimal and incorporate bullet points and/or bolding.
• We recommend using PowerPoint to create your poster. Then you can save it as a PDF and print the size you would like. Note that other tools, such as Word, Publisher and Canva may also be used. Schools are also welcome to handcraft a poster that is not professionally printed if they so choose. Again, we welcome creativity/varied modalities as long as it fits on the 2’x3’ easel!
• Download a PowerPoint example here.
• Download a PowerPoint template here.
• (OPTIONAL) You can elaborate on your poster content when presenting at the Network Meeting or in via the mobile app in the following optional ways:
• Create a digital handout summarizing your main points. Items to consider adding here are additional photos and/or the names of all the amazing staff members who contributed to the innovation.
• You do NOT need to include a QR code or link on your poster - all materials will be available for Innovation Fair visitors via the Network Meeting app.
• Create a 3-5 minute video recording explaining your poster. If you would like to make a video, we recommend utilizing Zoom to record. To review best practices and process for setting up a recording in Zoom, we recommend reviewing the recording section on the Zoom website.
• If you wish to have an Educare-branded poster and materials, we recommend that you use the Educare Branding Guidelines as a reference.

Logistics Guidance:

• Presenters will be provided with an easel stand, foam board (2’x3’) and Velcro tape to display their posters. Posters may be displayed vertically or horizontally on the foam baord.
• Use thin poster paper or cardboard up to 2’x3’ so that it fits on the provided foam board. Do NOT use a heavy material that would be challenging to affix to the foam board.
• Educare schools are responsible for creating or printing out the poster, paying for the poster and transporting the poster to the Network Meeting. (You may print directly onto a foam board, however your school is responsible for transporting the poster.)
• As you plan, note that FedEx printing estimates a 2’x3’ poster at $34.50, before taxes and shipping.
• If you plan to ship your poster, please address to: Conferences & Events, Launa Collins, 1 Riverfront Plaza, Flint, MI 48502, no more than one week before the event.

Timeline for Poster Submissions

April 11

• Digital versions of the final posters for the Innovation Fair must be turned in by this date, via this form.

May 7 & 8

• Physical poster drop-off/set-up will be in the conference center atrium between 8:00am-10:00am on Wednesday, May 7.
• Please plan to designate someone to staff your posters from 1:00-2:00pm during the 2-hour lunch break on May 8.

NOTE: Download a copy of the Overview info. mentioned information, including an example photo of the foam board and easel here.