Invest in Success (IS)

Invest in Success is the entry point into APPA professional development, designed for the frontline staff who keep educational facilities running every day. It builds the foundational skills, institutional awareness, and professional identity that give early-career facilities workers a strong start and a clear sense of where they can go.

At a glance

• Who it's for: Frontline facilities staff in custodial, trades, grounds, and operations who want to grow professionally
• Structure: Two tracks, delivered together over two days
• Length: 2 days
• Format: In-person, facilitated
• How to attend: Available through APPA On Campus, hosted by your institution, region, or chapter
• Credit: 14 PDHs and a certificate of completion

Who it's for

Invest in Success is built for the people doing the work on the ground: custodial staff, trades workers, grounds crews, and operations employees who are new to educational facilities or early in their careers and ready to invest in themselves. It also serves employees transitioning into educational facilities from other industries, and team members who want a clearer sense of how their role connects to the institution's larger mission.

No prior management experience is required. The only prerequisite is a willingness to grow.

What you'll learn

The program runs across two tracks, delivered together over two days.

Track 1: You as an Individual

This track focuses on the personal foundation every professional needs. You explore the mindset and habits of personal leadership, build emotional intelligence and resilience, and develop the communication and trust-building skills that make you effective on any team. You also work on understanding your own strengths and how to apply them, so you leave with a clearer sense of who you are as a professional and what you bring to your organization.

Track 2: You and Your Institution

This track connects your day-to-day work to the larger institutional mission. You learn how educational facilities supports student success, how to navigate workplace relationships across a facilities organization, and how unconscious bias shapes team culture and how to work against it. You also explore how to communicate across different roles and levels of the organization, building the skills to collaborate effectively beyond your immediate team.

What you'll gain

• Communication, teamwork, and leadership skills that make you a stronger contributor at any level
• A deeper understanding of how educational facilities supports the institutional mission and student success
• Greater emotional intelligence, resilience, and agility in the face of change
• Clarity about your career direction and the development opportunities ahead of you
• 14 PDHs and a certificate of completion you can apply toward continuing education requirements
• Connections with peers across the educational facilities community who share your commitment to the profession

How to bring it to your team

Invest in Success is delivered on your campus, at a regional event, or through your chapter. Two facilitator options are available:

• APPA-provided facilitator: APPA coordinates and provides a trained facilitator. $495 per attendee.
• Host-provided facilitator: Your organization provides an APPA-certified facilitator. $249 per attendee.

A minimum of 15 attendees is required. Groups of up to 25 can be accommodated with one facilitator; groups of up to 40 require a second facilitator (flat fee applies).

To schedule an Invest in Success for your team, contact APPA's Professional Development team at professionaldevelopment@appa.org or visit APPA On Campus for more information.

For all upcoming events, visit our events page.

Every facilities professional starts somewhere. Invest in Success makes sure that start counts.