Information about using the social media "Pinterest" to curate content as a catechist or as a Parish Catechetical Leader.

1. Pinning to help Catechists and Parish Catechetical Leaders
IN CATECHETICAL MINISTRY

2. Where to reach me:
Email: Cmarlow@stgabriel.net
LinkedIn - Cyndi Marlow

3. Why Utilize Pinterest?
The internet is full of useful supplemental resources
to use in your ministry.
As a parish Catechist -It is an easily accessible way
to locate and organize ideas.
As a Catechetical Leader – It is an easy way to
locate, organize and to link your catechists and/or
volunteers with a wealth of supplemental resources.
Disclaimer: Supplemental resources should be approved
by your parish and/or program director first.

4. Essentially, Pinterest is a VISUAL way to organize and share
bookmarks of information found on the web …
No more paper lists with web addresses that are hard to re-type
or the “favorites” pull down list of addresses saved to your
computer that do not show what you were saving.

6. In basic terms:

7. 1. Sign up with an email address.
2. Personal Vs. Business
• If a catechist – personal
would be best
• If representing your program
or church – consider a
business account.
HELPFUL HINT:
Take your time and
browse around other
Pinterest boards - look
at their boards and get
ideas for categories that
will work for your needs.

8. PINterest pie
Follow the directions and prompts that follow
to create your Business or personal board.
1 cup of commitment
1/2 cup of maintenance
2 tbsp. of creativity
Mix together and enjoy
HELPFUL HINT:
You can convert a
personal page to a
business page later. Look
for instructions on
Pinterest when you click
“Edit your page.”

9. The Pin It Button is your friend - download it to your computer

10. Official (Catholic) Sources:
• Vatican
• USCCB
• Diocese/Archdiocese
• Major Publisher with
Imprimatur
• Parish
Use caution and
discernment with:
• Blogs
• Unofficial web
sites
• Non-Catholic sites
• Videos

11. RE – PINNING FROM OTHER PINTEREST BOARDS
Easy-Peasy!
When you see a pin you like and want to
add to your boards
1. Click the Pin it button (depending
on the version of pinterest you are
using) in the upper left corner
3. You will have a pull down option
for which board you want to place
it or you can create a new
board category for your pin.
4. Check and Modify the description.
to fit your needs.

12. PINNING – NEW PINS
When you find something from the web that
you want to pin –
1. Click your friend the “pin-it” button
from your tool bar
2. A screen will pop up with a selection
of images – pick the one you want.
3. You will have a pull down option for
which board to place it on or you can
even create a new board category for
your pin..
4. Type a brief description in the box
provided.
2
3

13. Because Pinterest requires that Web
pages have large images or compatible
videos to create a pin, this issue isn't
uncommon. To work around the problem,
I suggest 3 options:
1. Find a relevant photo to use. (be
sure to seek and use only images that are creative
commons and copywrite free.)
2. Use the “Snipping Tool” found on
most computers to capture an
image or a text header from the
web page screen. Paste that image
into “Paint” on your computer and
save.
3. Use the “Print Screen” button on
your computer and then past the
image into Paint on your computer.
Edit/crop to meet your needs.
Continued next slide

14. 5
1
2
after you have the image selected…
1) Go to “Upload Pin” on pull down
menu
2) At “Choose File” find the image
you selected and upload your image.
3) Pin it with your description
4) Click "See your pin" to view it on
Pinterest, or just click on the pin
after it’s in your board of choice
then click “Edit.”
5) Now add the web address to
“Source” so that it leads to the
page you initially wanted to pin.
It's not the simplest solution,
but it works
Type or paste link here

15. Secret Boards. You get three. - USE THEM!
•Not visible to anyone else (unless you want
to add another pinner)
•Pin content as you find it – as time
permits go back to review, approve and
place on appropriate board
•Collaborate/share ideas on pending projects…

16. 1. IF a PCL - If representing your Parish or Program – Do not mix your personal boards with
your professional resource boards.
2. IF a PCL - establish a policy regarding pinning resources that require a purchase. This
includes inexpensive downloadable content now easily found online, books for purchase,
textbooks or full curriculum requiring purchase. Another reason to always open a link so
that you can verify if the idea/resource is free or one that must be purchased.
3. IF a PCL - establish who can pin and/or approve content. Carefully select which boards to
allow other pinners to have access to. Be extremely cautious of invites to be added as a
pinner to Community Boards.
• A community board is added to your main page as if one of your boards. The ability to control
content is not yours. Someone else moderates the board. Know who controls the board before
accepting.
• BEWARE spam, biased/slanted content and non-related content on many of these boards.
• My suggestion; instead of joining a community board - just follow these boards.

17. 4. Always keep true to your Church’s Teachings and doctrines. However, you could decide to
pin an idea or lesson for something that could be adapted (ex. Protestant vs. Catholic Ten
Commandments) Make a note in the description or clearly label the need to modify idea or
content before using.
5. Know the teaching focus and the curriculum of your parish. Make sure that what you pin
follows not only Church teachings/doctrine but your parish/program focus as well.
6. Pin original content. Don’t just re-pin. Share the things you find on the web. Share the
ways that you are spreading the Message and the Good News in your class and parish.
7. Limit the number of pins to a board to somewhere around 200-250. After that it becomes
too difficult to navigate a board. Once a board get’s too large - subdivide or separate
content into a new board.
4.
8. Label and categorize as much as possible from the start. Having one board labeled
“Catholic” with a hodge-podge of everything makes browsing in the board for you and/or
your catechists difficult. Take the time in the beginning to sort and label – you will thank
yourself later.

18. Pinterest is an effective
branding, marketing and
social media tool utilized by
many types of businesses,
non-profits and ordinary
people for many different
reasons… but. .
Ask yourself
Why do I have these boards?
• Does it truly matter how
many followers you get?
• Do you know your true
purpose in providing and
maintaining these boards?
• Who/what are you
marketing/promoting?