The EASIEST way to inject laughter and smiles to your start of year.

What is it?

BRAND NEW FOR 2026!

Everyone agrees that building relationships among your staff is critical to start the year. The hard part is finding a way to do it that doesn't feel forced.

Built on the same mystery format that has become one of our most-loved experiences in schools across the country, Back to the Faculty is a week-long adventure that unfolds in the background of your normal school week. It gives teachers and staff something to laugh about, talk about in the hallways, and look forward to each day, building connections naturally instead of relying on awkward icebreakers or meeting time-fillers.

Flexible enough to run during your first in-service days or later in September or October when everyone could use a boost, it fits seamlessly into your normal schedule before culminating in one of the funniest and most joyous 30-minute staff meeting finales your staff will ever hold.

Why staff love it

Everything feels like a mystery game created just for them. Each day, new clues, missions, and surprises appear, creating those little moments that make the workday more enjoyable without taking over anyone's schedule.

Teachers love that it respects their prep time, gives them something genuinely fun to look forward to, and creates the kind of shared experience that people still talk about months later.

How Much?

FLASH SALE: $79/school (Regular price $119 after August 6th)

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed - Love it or email us back to exchange or refund.

Fill out the 10-minute setup file to form your teams and pick your date, then email it back to us. We’ll process the file and send you a complete kit with custom, daily messages and missions.

How it works.

Back to the Faculty unfolds through a series of daily messages, clues, missions, and surprises delivered throughout the week.

Everything kicks off with an announcement that the principal (or an assistant) has been doing some “traveling” and now wants to host a contest with a special SECRET prize picked out for the winners. That's all the information at this time, but everyone should look for an email the next day.

The following morning, teams receive messages from different cities around the world, all detailing how they suspect the principal has been time-traveling, jumping from era to era, and offering their help to win the secret prize.

You'll be amazed how quickly the mystery takes on a life of its own as staff begin discussing clues, speculating about what happens next, and filling your hallways with laughter and energy.

Each day teams get new messages, new missions, and new clues. Everything builds upon itself, and they must strategize, communicate, and come together as a team to solve the mystery and win the contest.

"Missions" only take 5 minutes a day to complete, but they’ll be talking about it all day. The goal is to make their week more enjoyable, not add more work to it!

The plot involves twists, turns, clues, and tons of humor. There are jokes, hidden clues, riddles, talent competitions, trivia, and contests of all kinds.

The only requirement for the school is a prize for the winning team, but you get creative ideas so the prizes need not cost you anything.

Easy to Implement

Fill out the 10-minute setup file to form your teams and pick your date, then email it back to us. All staff are welcome to participate, not just teachers. Keep grades together to strengthen bonds, or mix them up to increase communication.

We’ll process the file and send you a complete kit with custom, daily messages and missions to print for each team.

Want the easiest option? With the Fully Hosted option, we’ll handle the week for you, sending the daily messages directly to staff from their city's "headquarters." No printing, no handouts, and no daily management on your end. Just complete the setup file to form your teams and we'll take it from there.

Built Upon What Teachers Love

Over 10,000 schools have participated in The Contest over the last ten years, our most successful program of all time.

Back to the Faculty was built upon what made The Contest great, capturing the same mystery, laughter, spontaneity, and excitement, while introducing an all-new time-travel adventure featuring secret cities, historical clues, and a completely new storyline.

Whether you've never heard of The Contest or you've run it multiple times, Back to the Faculty delivers a fresh adventure everyone will love from beginning to end.

Reviews:

“It was exactly what we needed! I haven't laughed that hard with this group of people EVER before! The staff loved it and it helped to cement our foundation of trust and collaboration for the rest of the day's professional development topics. Thanks so much for offering the program to us! I'll be sharing the idea with the rest of my colleagues to use in the future” --Leslie Hochsprung, Principal

“Quite honestly, I was shocked at how much the staff got into it. I have always prided myself on having an upbeat and positive work climate, but I don't think we realized how much we needed something fun to do as a staff until this event came along! In my 14 years, I've never seen anything quite like it. Thank you!” -- Jeffrey Riel, Principal

“It was beyond my imagination! We had such a great week. Best of all was the laughter that filled my school and the camaraderie that my staff who works so hard all year exhibited. It was priceless! 5 stars. I will gather some pictures for you this weekend. Thank you.” --Cindy Donnelly, Principal

“It's been great! I said at our school board meeting last night that this has been one of the best weeks in my four decades of teaching!   Hearing my staff laughing in the halls, especially at this time of year, is a joy to my heart!” -Sharon Stanley, Principal, Winfield School

Bundle and Save

Back to the Faculty creates an unforgettable week-long experience, but many principals also like having a few smaller activities to use before it begins or to sprinkle throughout the first weeks of school.

For just $30, you can add The Office, The August No-Cringe August Playbook, or Start-of-Year Masters to your order. Paired with Back to the Faculty, they make it easy to fill those first few weeks with the kind of moments that shape a great school year.

You’ll see these options available at checkout.