The SmartSchools NetDay organization encourages districts to hold pilot events at schools prior to the event date. The SmartSchools organization publicizes these pilot school events on the volunteer listserv, the company contact listserv, and the Web site. It is essential that any volunteers signed up for a pilot school are notified in advance to ensure their participation. The SmartSchools NetDay organization commits one staff member full-time for four weeks to organize the training event and hires a temporary staff member to assist with logistics. The event is held two weeks before SmartSchools NetDay.
Bilingual volunteers can translate the guide into other languages for distribution at the schools.
Publicizing the Event Public service announcements to local newspapers, radio and television stations publized the event. Volunteers primarily signed up on the Web site, generating a database for sign-in sheets and name tags. They could also RSVP through a hotline number, e-mail, or fax. All school coordinators were encouraged to attend. The training event occurred in the largest high school in the area.