Our History

It all started at a school assembly where entrepreneur and tech innovator Ben Pankonin was asked to speak to a crowd of students. “I happened to notice a few students in the front row diligently taking notes on their school-issued laptops,” he recalls, adding that each had a little sticky note taped to the edge of their keyboard. “When I asked, they told me they were involved in creating content for their school’s social media pages,” adds Ben, who’s spent much of his career building software for heavily regulated industries with complex compliance requirements and oversight. Lacking a better option, the students stored the logins and passwords to their school’s social media accounts on sticky notes fixed to their laptops. 

Robust School Social Media Management

Fast forward a few years, and today, Class Intercom serves schools and districts across the nation and around the globe–providing robust, user-friendly technology that helps educators and PR professionals empower student contributors safely, securely, and effectively. 

Under the experienced leadership of Dr. Jill Johnson (life-long educator, education administrator, and passionate student voice advocate), Class Intercom has become deeply intertwined in the communications and educational ecosystems of so many schools and districts. 

“The way schools capture and share the moments and experiences students and staff have as part of their school community is incredibly important,” explains Dr. Jill. “These moments weave together to become an authentic story–one that engages members of the surrounding community, including civic leaders, businesses, and citizens.”

Tech Built for Good

A full-service social media management software, Class Intercom is designed for the unique needs of schools, districts, and the communities that surround them. The platform helps administrators and educators co-create and manage social media with students at the level of integration where they feel comfortable. This allows schools to strategically and intentionally invite students to create meaningful content through academic disciplines like journalism, communications, photography, digital media, design, marketing, and more. Students get involved, moderators save time, PR professionals and districts reap the benefits of polished communications and consistent branding that abides by the state and federal regulations that govern school communications and public information.

“School stories have the unique ability to bring communities together,” notes Dr. Jill. “It can be especially challenging to collect, curate, and share those moments in an organized and inclusive way without the right technology.”

Designed for Students, Staff & Schools

Designed with the unique needs of schools in mind, Class Intercom is a powerful platform backed by curricular supports that turn digital content creation into a truly experiential education. Not only do these skills translate into real-world experience, they advance the broader goal of creating responsible digital citizens and stronger connected communities.