Budget Hold’em Workshops for Schools
School leaders see both sides of the equation: the practical need to make the most out of tight budgets and the students who need more and varied resources to do their best work.
We can help you balance both.
Our two-hour interactive Budget Hold’em workshop is designed to help you build a winning hand of budgeting strategies that address your school’s unique needs. Choose one of two options:
- Budget Hold’em for Elementary Schools. Explore key instructional strategies for accelerating early learning in high-priority areas like math and ELA.
- Budget Hold’em for High Schools. Consider shifts to resources—such as academic advising, scheduling, and instructional time and attention—that help prepare students for their post-graduation steps.
Our budget experts will guide you in building a hand from 30+ investment and tradeoff cards, sparking dynamic conversations about transforming critical systems in your school. You’ll play in groups of 4-6 people, then come together as a full group for a robust discussion.
Learn new ways of thinking about budgeting, center your school’s core strategies, and examine what priorities are most important to your team—all through a fun, engaging game.
See Budget Hold’em In Action
Hear one of our expert facilitators break down the benefits of Budget Hold’em, and hear education leaders who’ve experienced it share firsthand reflections.
Let Our Experts Lead the Way
With our Budget Hold’em workshop for schools, ERS facilitators bring their decades of experience working with school leaders to guide the discussion, pinpoint key insights, identify overarching themes, and help your team think through strategic moves that can address your school’s unique needs.
Want to take your game to another level? Customize your Hold’em workshop with bespoke investment and reduction cards tailored to your school’s context. Your teams will use (and take home) custom card decks that include your:
- Logo and branding
- Size and staffing levels
- Per-pupil spending
- School-specific investment or reduction strategies
“The game was awesome! Every school leader who is responsible for budgets should do this. It was great to connect with colleagues and see how our values emerged in the decisions.”
— High School Principal in New York City
“This was one of the most practical and useful school principal trainings I have ever attended.”
— High School Principal in Tennessee
Facilitate Your Own Budget Hold’em Workshop
Want to DIY your Budget Hold’em Workshop? Grab your colleagues and get ready to make strategic choices that could lead to big gains. Our printed Budget Hold’em for Schools card decks are available for purchase with fast shipping, so you can play any time that’s right for your team.
- Give your team a screen break with 30+ printed cards
- Choose between targeted card decks for elementary schools and high schools
Work cooperatively and creatively to learn about possible trade-offs that could support your school’s strategy and your bottom line
Not Ready for a Workshop Yet?
Our free online games help you take Budget Hold’em wherever you need to go.
- Get started in seconds to play anywhere, anytime
- Save and share your hand to collaborate with colleagues
- Set the stage for your team’s budget conversations