The document discusses strategies for creating "Super Communities" in education. It describes The Discovery Education Network (DEN), which connects over 1 million educators. DEN uses social media to engage its community and promote itself as a leader. It has regional leadership councils and national events that elevate community members. DEN also leverages influential bloggers and hosts virtual presentations to connect its large, geographically dispersed community and reward leaders while maintaining broad participation.

1. Creating Super Communities
Steve Dembo
@Teach42
sdembo@gmail.com

3. • 50% OF U.S. SCHOOLS
• ONE MILLION EDUCATORS, 35 MILLION STUDENTS
• ONE OF Fast Company’s “10 MOST INNOVATIVE EDUCATION COMPANIES”
• 500,000 LEARNING OBJECTS DELIVERED PER DAY

4. RICH CONTENT FROM THE
#1 nonfiction media company
in the world: Discovery

5. The Challenge

8. Connecting teachers to their most valuable
resource … each other

11. By the Numbers
• 6,500 STARs and counting
• 200+ Leadership Council Members
• 50,000 Events
• Over 1,000,000 teachers impacted
through THEIR events

12. Center of the Universe?

13. v

16. Role of Social Media
• Raise awareness
• Engage community
• Provide ‘touch points’
• Promote DE as leader in
social space

17. Find
your

19. Leadership councils

22. Give them ways to love you

23. STARs on Stage
DENVice
DEN Reads!
#DENChat DEN Techformation
The DEN Podcast Walk and Talk

24. • Anchor events
• Low budget, minimal time investment
• Standardized schedule
• Leverages local host

25. • All presentations
virtual
• Community can sing
up to host F2F
• Flexible schedule
• Elevates community
members
• 2400 Attendees
• 43 F2F sites
• 23 Presentations

26. • Brought 20
influencers/bloggers to HQ
• Challenged them to
brainstorm the future of
digital textbooks
• Aligned those people
specifically with our brand
• ‘Ripple’ effect, thousands of
tweets from event hashtag

28. • Reward leaders in our
community
• Celebrate
accomplishments of
group
• Taken extremely
seriously by winners

32. Radian6 Reporting Engine

34. Don’t lose the masses

37. Creating Super Communities
Steve Dembo
@Teach42
sdembo@gmail.com