SSP International

SSP International: Proactive and Reactive Crisis Communications & Media Relations  

For more than 65 years, SSP International (SSPI) has provided high schoolers with immersive science-related experiences that foster engagement in STEM to accelerate learning. It is one of the oldest STEM programs in the nation. Its flagship initiative, Summer Science Program, was the first summer program for science in the U.S.; it gives students unmatched opportunities to conduct advanced, collaborative research in astrophysics, biochemistry, synthetic chemistry, bacterial genomics, and cell biology.  

Today, SSPI’s courses take place on 13 college campuses nationwide. The organization recognized the need for a rigorous crisis communications plan to protect students, maintain stakeholder trust, and safeguard the organization’s reputation.  

Rosica, a national PR firm, developed a proactive and reactive crisis communications program that addresses one to two potential scenarios each month, ultimately building a comprehensive crisis plan tailored to SSPI’s operations. Scenarios developed to date address student fatalities, transportation and field-trip accidents, drug or alcohol incidents, and sensitive student conduct matters. Each scenario establishes immediate response protocols, internal and external messaging, stakeholder communications, spokesperson responsibilities, media procedures, and protocols for monitoring misinformation. 

This work prepares SSPI leadership to communicate quickly, compassionately, and consistently with students, parents and guardians, faculty and staff, host institutions, board members, emergency responders, law enforcement, and the media. By working through potential crises before they occur, Rosica is proactively giving SSPI clear protocols and messaging it can put into action immediately when a serious issue arises. 

Rosica also leads media relations for SSPI’s Summer Science Program across its 13 campuses, developing national and local stories that showcase student research, educational impact, and the nonprofit’s STEM expertise. Rosica has secured coverage in the Associated Press, The Washington Post, K-12 Dive, University Business, and numerous broadcast outlets, including CBS Minnesota, ABC Knoxville, and CBS Lansing, building SSPI’s national and local thought leadership in STEM education.