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Creating “After-School Buzz”: Activities to Spread the Word
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These activities will generate awareness among the public and the media of the importance of after-school programs and After School Education and Safety Program (ASES) funding. Using the tools in this kit, you can do these activities yourself and ask other advocates and their networks to participate.
- Create a leave-behind kit.
Use materials from this kit and other local information
you feel would be persuasive to create a personalized
packet to leave with the decision-makers and advocates
you’re meeting. For example, principals might appreciate
data on which other schools have ASES or 21st CCLC programs
and issue briefs such as “Afterschool and School
Improvement” and “Older Youth Need Afterschool
Programs.”
- Write op-eds or letters to the
editor.
The opinion page is one of the most-read sections of any
newspaper. It’s also the most direct route to getting
your words in front of thousands of readers, and you have
two options for doing so: letter to the editor or op-ed.
A letter is a short piece, typically 200 words or less,
in direct response to another item in the paper, be it
a news article, a feature or even another opinion piece.
Op-eds tend to be longer, 500-700 words, and do not necessarily
have to respond to an item in the paper, but it is a good
idea to “hook” the op-ed to something topical.
Coverage of ASES is not expected to wane as the time for
implementation grows near, so opportunities probably won’t
be hard to come by!
- Urge local media outlets to run
public service announcements (PSAs).
The Afterschool Alliance joined with The Advertising Council
and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation to launch a media
campaign aimed at youth. The PSAs use humor to encourage
kids to find out more about after-school programs at www.afterschoolscene.com,
a new website that showcases the kinds of activities after-school
offers, and features articles and projects created by
after-school students. Getting local media to run these
PSAs is a simple way to help promote after-school programs
and let kids know they have more options after school.
Click here
for more information on the “Something Way Better
to Do” campaign.
- Participate in Lights On Afterschool!
Lights On Afterschool is celebrated nationwide every October
to call attention to the importance of after-school programs
for America's children, families and communities. If your
school or district receives ASES funding, create a big
event for the program and the community. Be sure to invite
everyone who participated in helping the school or district
secure the funding. (Go to the Lights
On Afterschool website for more information and
ideas and tips for creating a successful event, including
sample invitations, press releases and decorative artwork.)
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“…After-school programs keep kids safe in the afternoon hours, a time of day when they are far more likely to be either the victims or perpetrators of crime. That's among the reasons an overwhelming majority of California voters supported Proposition 49's requirement that a small portion of the state budget be directed toward after-school.”
John Poch, After-School All-Stars — Greater San Jose
Letter to the editor, San Jose Mercury News
March 3, 2006
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