Fundamentals of Crisis Communications
Kathryn Kolaczek
Crisis Communications Strategist
Master the Fundamentals of Crisis Communications with Confidence and Clarity
Students will leave this course with the confidence and practical skills to navigate any crisis with clarity and control. They’ll master the core fundamentals of crisis communications—from recognizing early warning signs and managing stakeholder expectations to crafting timely, credible messages and guiding recovery with integrity. By the end, students will not only understand how to respond under pressure but how to lead with calm, credibility, and purpose.
What you’ll learn
Learn to lead with clarity under pressure. Build a crisis plan, craft first-hour messages, and protect your organization’s reputation.
Identify early warning signs, map impacts, and act fast—before issues escalate.
Create clear roles, escalation steps, and approval paths so decisions don’t stall.
Produce holding statements, internal updates, media lines, and releases quickly.
Tailor what you say to staff, customers, partners, regulators, and media—without contradictions.
Prepare spokespeople, anticipate tough questions, and deliver calm, credible responses.
Test scenarios, refine templates, and strengthen your plan using real-world feedback.
Learn directly from Kathryn
Kathryn Kolaczek
Crisis strategist teaching you to lead with clarity, control, and confidence.
Who this course is for
PR or marketing pro seeking a clear, proven framework to lead crisis response with confidence.
Community-focused leader needing tools to protect trust and guide transparent crisis response.
Senior leader aiming to protect reputation and lead teams calmly through high-stakes crises.
What's included
Live sessions
Learn directly from Kathryn Kolaczek in a real-time, interactive format.
Lifetime access
Go back to course content and recordings whenever you need to.
Community of peers
Stay accountable and share insights with like-minded professionals.
Guest Speakers
Learn from communicators that have seen the most complex crisis communications scenarios and have them walk you through what went right and what did not.
Certificate of completion
Share your new skills with your employer or on LinkedIn.
Maven Guarantee
This course is backed by the Maven Guarantee. Students are eligible for a full refund through the second week of the course.
Course syllabus
19 live sessions • 21 lessons • 4 projects
Week 1
Apr
6
Session 1
Risk Level Checklist
Risk Scenario Mapping Tool
Crisis Communications Team Chart
Project 1: Risk Map & Vulnerability Assessment
Apr
9
Session 1 Office Hours
Video: Strategic Communications for Cyber Attacks: Building an Effective Plan
Case Study: Portapique, NS April 2020
Apr
9
Session 1
Week 2
Apr
13
Session 2
Week 2 – Protocols, Ethics & Stakeholder Alignment
Stakeholder Matrix
Internal/External Message Templates
Ethics in Crisis Communications Checklist
Project 2: Stakeholder Matrix & Command Centre Protocols
Apr
16
Session 2 Office Hours
Apr
16
Guest Speaker: Greg Trevor, CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS CASE STUDY: LESSONS FROM 9/11
Apr
16
Session 2
Free resources
Schedule
Live sessions
3 hrs / week
Flexible, 3-hour weekly commitment Plan for about 3 hours per week total. Each week includes a recorded class you can watch anytime plus one assignment to apply what you learned.
Mon, Apr 6
3:00 PM—4:00 PM (UTC)
Thu, Apr 9
8:00 PM—9:00 PM (UTC)
Thu, Apr 9
3:00 PM—4:00 PM (UTC)
Projects
1 hr / week
Weekly projects that build a real crisis comms toolkit Each week you’ll complete one practical project (about 1 hour) that turns the lesson into something you can use right away—templates, stakeholder-ready messages, and scenario plans. You’ll finish the course with a polished set of deliverables you can adapt for your organization whenever an issu
Testimonials
- Kathryn facilitated a full day crisis simulation workshop at a conference I attended. The workshop was full of realistic, useful, and insightful information combined with hands-on learning. Kathryn’s approach was engaging, warm, fun, and funny. She had us laughing and learning all day, and it was a great experience. I’d recommend this course!
Ginger Plumbo
Collaborative Communications Strategist. Purpose-Driven Servant Leader. - Kathryn is an outstanding speaker with a clear, engaging, and professional style. She communicates complex topics with ease, adapts well to different audiences, and keeps listeners engaged. I highly recommend her and her team!
Marina Cosentino
Intact Insurance - Kathryn, the founder and CEO of Alchemy Communications, hosted a compelling tabletop exercise at a recent Crisis Communications Bootcamp conference that challenged every comms professional in the room. The exercise reinforced important crisis PR principles for each of us and clearly reflected Kathryn's broad and deep expertise in the field.
Deb Lima
Managing Director at Sensei Advisory - Loved Kathryn’s crisis comms exercises at P World’s Crisis Comms Bootcamp! She is an excellent facilitator, who brings experience, expertise, and might I even say fun to a stressful part of any comm employee’s job.
Jen Burris
Strategic communications - In an era where media presence is not just an advantage but a necessity for businesses and professionals, Kathryn Kolaczek's media training stands out as an indispensable resource. Having personally experienced the transformative impact of her training, I am compelled to recommend her services to anyone looking to elevate their media skills.
Kim Miller
Strategic Communications
Frequently asked questions
$495
USD