Posted on Modified on Posted by National School Choice Week Team
My Top Five Picks for National School Choice Week 2025
National School Choice Week 2025 took place and took the nation by storm! Out of tens of thousands of events that took place in a single week, 67 large-scale “flagship” events were planned in 39 states. As the Director of Awareness Events on the Events and Partnerships team, I work closely with the organizers of these flagship events. I am thrilled to share details about a few of them to provide a glimpse into NSCW 2025.
I’ve celebrated at least 13 of the 15 years that National School Choice Week (NSCW) has been in existence. Before my two years of being a part of the team, my journey with NSCW began in 2014 when I was the Director of Mission and Strategic Coaching for the Public Charter School Alliance of South Carolina. Just two months into the job, I was asked to coordinate buses for about 300 students to attend the capitol rally at the statehouse. Our co-host for the event was the Palmetto Promise Institute.
From that moment on, I was hooked on celebrating NSCW and was determined to expand the events while aligning them with my mission of raising awareness about the education options in South Carolina. Over the years, I have organized capitol rallies, school fairs, student showcases, movie screenings, digital campaigns, and more.
National School Choice Week is a unique public awareness effort that emphasizes the importance of students and their parents in a positive, engaging, and informative way. What distinguishes this effort from others is its empowering approach, as it provides families with information about the different learning options while celebrating the accomplishments of students and educators across the nation. Central to this mission are our flagship events, which are fun, family-friendly gatherings held in each state to raise awareness about school choice options.
These flagship events are organized by state organizations, school districts, associations, and community leaders who are passionate about promoting awareness of school choice options. Their collaborative efforts with the NSCAF team throughout the year focus on empowering families and promoting awareness events. The result is a series of enjoyable celebrations that empower families to explore the exciting world of school choice.
All-Star and Flagship events are two terms we use as a team to highlight events we think will make the biggest splash during a celebration of NSCW. All-Star events are typically community-specific, planned by schools, homeschool groups, or individuals, and highlight a particular learning option. Flagship events are planned by organizations or coalitions of organizations, have a broad impact across a state or region, and highlight a variety of learning options.
Event Highlights for National School Choice Week 2025
It can be challenging to decide which events to showcase when my colleagues and I are worked on 67 flagship events. However, I am thrilled to share five of the celebrations that took place from January 26 to February 1, 2025.
Columbia, SC – South Carolina Capitol Celebration
This is a high-energy event that felt like three events in one. I loved the pep rally-style student showcase that kicked off the day. Although multiple groups took the stage to perform, it was really a time to excite all the participants. It also allowed the adults in the room to loosen up and have fun with the kids.
My favorite part of the event was the walk to the statehouse. It was incredible to see the students celebrate their schools. There’s a lot of excitement, and it gave the public a chance to witness how passionate we are about school choice. It felt like a mini parade, complete with marching bands and cheerleaders.
Birmingham, AL – Family Feud-School Edition-Student Showcase
I really enjoyed the upcoming Family Feud “School Edition” event. This event featured a game show-style competition taking place in the middle of Regions Field, which is Birmingham’s very own minor league baseball park. I was excited to see the competition among the fifth-grade classes.
Houston, TX – School Fair
Hosted at Minute Maid Park, this event showcased schools representing a range of education options like traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, and private schools. Attendees got the chance to meet educators and get questions answered to help parents make the best and most informed choice for their family. This event was fun and family-friendly, featuring a balloon artist, photo booths, free food and face painters!
Carson City, NV – Capitol Rally
From 10:30 am to 11:30 am, students from all over Northern Nevada gathered to meet with state leaders and share what school choice means to them. This event highlighted many of the state’s educational options and the opportunities they offer to families. Featuring student and parent speakers, this event was an exciting opportunity for students to learn about the state capitol and for state leaders to hear from students, families, and educators about the importance of school choice!
Denver, CO – Capitol Rally
Over 500 students from schools all over Colorado gathered to meet with legislators and share what school choice means to them. This event highlighted many of our state’s educational options and the opportunities they offer to families. It was an exciting opportunity for students to learn about the state capitol and for legislators to hear from students, families, and educators about the importance of school choice!
While these events may be a glimpse of the celebrations, there are so many other amazing events that happened around the country. To get a better idea of what National School Choice Week had in store, check out our flagship event recap page.