This guide covers everything you need to know about managing participants and their project submissions in your ProjectBoard showcase. From inviting participants to reviewing submissions, you'll learn how to effectively manage the people and projects that make your showcase successful.

Inviting Participants to Your Showcase

Once your showcase is Live, you'll need to invite participants to submit their projects. There are a few different ways to invites students - here's how:

1. Sharing Your Showcase URL

1. From the Showcase Builder, click the Share URL button in the top-right corner
2. Share this URL with potential participants through:
   • Email newsletters or invitations
   • Your organization's website
   • Social media channels
   • Direct communication with schools or participants

When participants visit this URL, they'll see your showcase homepage with a Start Project button on the Details tab that allows them to register and begin the submission process.

Pro Tip: Create a custom URL before going Live to make it easier for participants to access your showcase.

2. Using the Invite Participants Feature

ProjectBoard includes a built-in invitation system:

1. In the Showcase Builder, navigate to the Participants page
2. Click the Invite Participants button
3. Enter participant email addresses or ProjectBoard usernames (comma-separated)
4. Click See Email Preview if you want to review the invitation email
5. Click the Send Invite button to distribute invitations

Participants will receive an email with instructions on how to join your showcase and submit their projects.

3. Using the zFairs Integration

If your organization uses zFairs for registration management, you can import your data directly:

1. Navigate to the zFairs integration section in your Showcase Builder
2. Follow the prompts to connect your zFairs account
3. Select the appropriate zFairs event to import from
4. Confirm the import of showcase data and participants

Note: For detailed instructions on using the zFairs integration, please refer to the zFairs Integration Guide.

Viewing Submitted Projects

As participants submit their projects, you'll need to review and manage them:

1. In the Showcase Builder, click on Participants in the left navigation menu

2. This page displays all participant submissions organized by status:

   • Submitted Projects: Projects waiting for your review
   • Approved Projects: Projects you've already approved
   • Declined Projects: Projects you've chosen not to display

3. Click on any project title to view the full submission before making a decision

Reviewing and Approving Submissions

Each project should be reviewed for quality and adherence to your showcase guidelines:

1. From the Project Submissions tab, click on a project title in the Submitted Projects column
   
2. Click to view or edit the complete project submission
3. Return to the Project Submissions page
4. Click on the project status dropdown and select Approve or Decline
   
5. When declining a project submission, we ask you to provide a reason which will be shared with the student in the Project Participant side panel.
   
6. Click Send Decision to finalize your decision and share it with the student

Approved projects will:

• Show a status as Approved
• Appear publicly in the Project tab of your showcase during the showcase period

Declined projects will:

• Show a status of Declined
• Not be visible to the public
• Still be accessible to you for reference
  
• Students are able to resubmit declined projects

Note: You can change your decision even after approving or declining a project. Simply use the status dropdown to change the status, then click the project to open up the submission details panel and click Resend Decision.

Managing Team Projects

Participants can create projects as teams, allowing multiple students to collaborate on a single submission.

How Teams Function in ProjectBoard

• One participant initiates the project and becomes the project owner
• The project owner can invite team members by email address
• Team members receive invitations and must accept to join
• All team members can contribute to the project
• The project owner submits the final project for review

Reviewing Team Projects

When reviewing team projects:

1. The project will indicate it's a team submission
2. You'll see a list of all team members
3. Review and approve/decline as you would an individual project

Participant Communications

While ProjectBoard doesn't have a built-in messaging system, you can communicate with participants in several ways:

Through Project Comments

1. On any project page, scroll to the comments section
2. Leave feedback, questions, or guidance as a comment
3. The participant will receive an email notification about your comment

Through External Communication

Use the participant's email address (visible on the Participants page in the Showcase Builder) to:

• Request project modifications before approval
• Provide additional feedback on declined projects
• Share important showcase updates

Common Participant Questions

Here are answers to questions participants frequently ask showcase administrators:

"I submitted my project but want to make changes."

Once a project is submitted, participants cannot edit it. If changes are needed:

1. The participant should contact you directly
2. You can review the requested changes
3. You can either decline the project (allowing them to submit a new version) or approve it with a note about the limitations

"I can't see my project in the showcase."

If a participant can't see their submitted project:

1. Verify whether the project has been approved
2. Check if the Showcase Period has begun
3. Ensure they're looking at the correct showcase URL

"I need to add team members to my project."

Participants can add team members:

1. While creating their project, before submission
2. By clicking the "+" icon in the Teams section
3. By entering email addresses of team members

After submission, team members cannot be added or removed.

Monitoring Showcase Activity

As your showcase progresses, monitor overall engagement:

1. Review the number of submitted, approved, and declined projects
2. Monitor comments and interactions on approved projects
3. Track visitor statistics through the Analytics tab (available on certain plans)

This information will help you measure the success of your showcase and plan improvements for future events.

Best Practices for Participant Management

• Set clear expectations: Provide detailed submission guidelines
• Be consistent: Apply the same review criteria to all projects
• Provide constructive feedback: Use comments to give helpful guidance
• Plan for volume: Allow adequate time to review all submissions
• Create a schedule: Review submissions regularly rather than all at once
• Document decisions: Keep notes on why projects were approved or declined