Promote Your FCCLA Chapter
National Leadership Conference Survival Guide
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FRIENDS CLASSMATES LOSE THEIR LIVES EVERY DAY TEENS FROM AUTO-RELATED CRASHES. BROTHERS SISTERS
TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Car crashes are the no. 1 cause of death and injuries for teens in the United States. Drivers under the age of 18 are involved in an average of nearly 2,500 crashes every day. Half of all teens will be in some sort of crash before graduating high school. Driver error, speeding, and distractions (including passengers) cause most of the crashes. You and your friends can help change those statistics. Raise your voices for safer teen driving! The Allstate Foundation Teen Safe Driving Program has resources to help you encourage smart driving and protect everything that’s important to you: your keys, car, friends, future and freedom. Go to www.facebook.com/KeeptheDrive for more information.
Families Acting for Community Traffic Safety (FACTS) is a national peer education program through which students strive to save lives educating adults and youth about traffic safety and supporting enforcement of local rules and regulations regarding community traffic safety. Through FACTS, FCCLA members create projects that strive to save lives through sober driving, seat belt use, and safe driving habits. FCCLA members become the spokesperson for their safety, and bridge the gap between youth, parents, and other adults to understand the importance of driver education and traffic safety. Crashes deeply affect families; therefore, safety is an essential part of parenting and family roles. FCCLA members can help families by emphasizing safety and avoid related concerns.
Working together to help teens become safer drivers.
Find out more about how you can make a difference at www.fcclainc.org
inside
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March/April 2013
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Features 3 THE FUTURE OF TEEN TIMES See what FCCLA has in store for Teen Times in the coming years. 7 TOOLS OF THE TRADE: TOOLS YOU CAN USE TO MARKET FCCLA Use these tools to successfully market and promote your chapter and FCCLA. 12 CAUSE CAMPAIGNS THROUGH LOCAL EVENTS: KEYS TO SUCCESS FROM AT&T Learn how to create a cause campaign with these useful steps.
Regulars
3 Teen Times is the national magazine of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America—a career and technical student organization that helps young men and women become leaders and address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education, or as determined by the state department of education. Kenatu Muleta, Director of Marketing, Membership, & Communications Josh Bowar, Editorial Consultant LTD Creative, Art/Design Jon Giuffre, Communications Coordinator NATIONAL STAFF Lydia Denmark, Interim Executive Director Marla Burk, CMP, Director of Conferences Michelle Flinton, Director of Education & Leadership Development Dorothy Carpenter, Membership Affiliation Manager Charles Carson, Mailroom Manager Edie Doane, Leadership Development Manager Chuck Hoffman, Information Systems Manager Christine Hollingsworth, Competitive Events Manager Jeanne Wolff, Development Manager Leah Buller, Membership Coordinator Bethany S. Kohut, Education Coordinator Katie Younger, Meetings & Exhibits Coordinator Janet Glasser, Staff Accountant Chiquita Boston, Membership Affiliation Assistant Ali Flynn, Conference & Meetings Assistant Andrew Schantz, Leadership Development Assistant Malory Todd, Competitive Events Assistant Cindy Canning, Receptionist/Accountant Kate Gillooly, Administrative Assistant
2 FYI
16 TOP 10 CORNER
Photography for National FCCLA provided by Lifetouch.
9 HOW TO
16 IT’S A DATE
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America is a private, nonprofit national organization of more than 200,000 members incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia. It functions through public and private secondary school systems in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands as an integral part of the Family and Consumer Sciences education program, providing opportunities for enriched learning.
14 FCCLA IN ACTION
FCCLA MISSION To promote personal growth and leadership development through Family and Consumer Sciences education. Focusing on the multiple roles of family member, wage earner, and community leader, members develop skills for life through character development, creative and critical thinking, interpersonal communication, practical knowledge, and career preparation.
Editor’s Note: Please credit Teen Times for information you reprint, excerpt, or photocopy. Use the following statement to credit materials you use from this issue: Reprinted with permission from Teen Times, the national magazine of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Vol. 67, No. 4. Teen Times (ISSN 0735-6986) is published five times per year in September, November, January, March, and summer by Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Inc., 1910 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191-1584, (703) 476-4900. A portion ($4.00) of national dues pays for a one-year subscription to Teen Times. Inclusion of an advertisement does not constitute an endorsement of the advertiser’s claims, products, and services. Periodicals postage paid at Reston, VA., and additional mailing offices. Additional annual subscriptions for non-members: $8.00. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO Teen Times, 1910 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191-1584. Cover image credit: www.123rf.com/photo_17722933_megaphone-over-market-background.html
March/April 2013 • www.fcclainc.org Teen Times 1
fyi... Crocodile Catastrophe Thousands of crocodiles escaped from the Rakwenea Crocodile Farm, located along a river on the South Africa-Botswana border. Why? The gates to the farm were opened in order to lessen pressure caused by rising floodwaters. Anyone with expertise in catching crocodiles is being asked to help round up the 10,000 runaway animals. News reports show people hunting down smaller crocodiles at night and tying them up so they can take the animals back to the farm. FOR MORE INFORMATION http://bit.ly/WLmm6k
$4.2 Million, Batman!
Coke Counting Calories Coca-Cola is taking to the airwaves to address obesity, sharing the company’s record of providing drinks with fewer calories and also reminding consumers that weight gain is the result of consuming too many calories of any kind. One ad features ways to burn off the “140 happy calories” that are in a can of Coke, sharing ideas like walking a dog, dancing, laughing with friends, or doing a victory dance after bowling a strike. In North America, Coke has seen growth only in low- and no-calorie drinks over the past 15 years, selling more products like Coke Zero and diet sodas. Diet sodas now make up nearly a third of all sales in the United States. FOR MORE INFORMATION http://bit.ly/XiisDe
The original 19-foot-long black car used in the 1960s “Batman” TV show sold at auction recently for $4.2 million. The car’s owner had transformed a one-of-a-kind 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car into the Batmobile used for the show. The car features things like lasers, a “Batphone”, and the ability to lay down smoke screens. The buyer is unknown, but the seller is said to be “pleased” with the results of the auction. FOR MORE INFORMATION http://bit.ly/W7OazB
Facebook Fees? Facebook has shared that it’s testing what they call “extreme price points” to let users pay $100 to send a message to company CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Instead of going to the “others” box, the message would go directly to Zuckerberg’s inbox. The company is also testing a service that lets people send messages to non-friend inboxes for $1. There are now more than 16 million people on Facebook. FOR MORE INFORMATION http://bit.ly/12HdVya 2 Teen Times www.fcclainc.org • March/April 2013
A Journey of 21,000 Miles Starts with a Single Step Journalist Paul Salopek plans to cross 30 borders and encounter dozens of languages in his quest to retrace man’s first migration across the world. Starting in Africa, winding through the Middle East, going across Asia, then to Alaska, then to the Western United States, and ending in Argentina, Salopek plans to walk 21,000 miles. Salopek wants to experience the many cultures along the way and tell the stories of the people he meets. FOR MORE INFORMATION http://bit.ly/YTqYqV
The Future of Teen Times Ever since the first issue was published in November, 1945, Teen Times has been a cornerstone of FCCLA. The magazine has continued to adapt and evolve as FCCLA has over the years, and it is now the moment for Teen Times to make its biggest leap yet. FCCLA is going to be bringing Teen Times online. One of the biggest benefits of going online is the ability for you to share what your chapter is doing on a much bigger scale. Instead of submitting photos along with your FCCLA in Action submissions, you can submit videos of your various chapter activities to share with all FCCLA members. The potential is there to make every page interactive and stand out. Never fear, Teen Times will still remain a printed publication. The purpose of bringing it online is to serve as an extension to what is on the page, and to provide even more material. There are endless possibilities where we can take the magazine, and we want your input to help take us there. At the beginning of the school year, the FCCLA national office launched a survey about what content you, the youth leaders, would like to see. Teen Times is your magazine, and FCCLA wants it to reflect what our members want. If you have not taken the Teen Times survey yet, please do so at http://svy.mk/X7X68i. From the results that we have seen so far, FCCLA is confident that we are taking Teen Times in an exciting new direction. FCCLA wants to continue to ensure that Teen Times is as essential to the organization now as it was almost 70 years ago. The times may have changed, but the integrity, values, and life lessons that FCCLA and Teen Times have shared have remained a constant guide to the Ultimate Leadership Experience. We hope you are as excited for the next evolution of Teen Times as we are! — The FCCLA National Staff
The Ultimate Leadership App Stay up to date with FCCLA info delivered straight to your smartphone throughout the year and at all of our national level conferences!
Capitol Leadership National Cluster Meetings National Leadership Conference Download the free FCCLA app today to take the ultimate leadership experience with you wherever you go!
March/April 2013 • www.fcclainc.org Teen Times 3
NECPROFILES
Meet your 2012– 2013 National Executive Council
Vice-President of Community Service: Magda Hernandez Age: 18 Grade: 12 School: Orange Grove High School Adviser: Molly Brock Favorite Food: Lasagna Future Goal: Magda hopes to make a difference in the world by becoming a pediatric surgeon.
“In our small town, FCCLA is known as a student family that volunteers numerous hours to better the community - which is exactly what I wanted to do. Through motivational speakers, workshops, and friendships, FCCLA is continuing to help me become a better person and leader. Thanks to this amazing organization and all of the wonderful people involved, I have been able not only to grow tremendously, but I have also had the opportunity to turn my own challenges in life into a gift that can help people.”
Vice-President of Development: Chandler Classen Age: 17 Grade: 11 School: Logan View High School Advisers: Patricia Kassmeier & Allison Kreifels Favorite Movie: The Shawshank Redemption Future Goal: Chandler plans to pursue a career in law or public policy and would like to run for a public office someday.
“My friends asked me to join FCCLA, and I’m so glad they did. Through this organization, I have been able to develop my leadership abilities to a level I never thought possible. I have become talented in public speaking and confident with my abilities. Most importantly, thanks to FCCLA, I have become closer with my family and an effective community leader.”
Vice-President of Membership: Caleb Hearon Age: 18 Grade: 12 School: Chillicothe High School Adviser: Kristi Christy Favorite TV Show: “Modern Family” Future Goal: Caleb plans to attend a four-year university to obtain his bachelor’s degree. While he’s currently unsure of what career he wants to pursue, he knows that he wants to focus his life and career around helping others, possibly through work with a charitable organization.
“To be honest, I joined FCCLA to get out of school and hang out with a girl I liked. It didn’t take me long to realize how wrong I was about what that membership dues money was going to mean for me. FCCLA truly has been an amazing journey for me thus far; it has taken me from a middle school kid who didn’t have much confidence to an outgoing high school student leader. Coming from a small Missouri town, FCCLA has also given me the opportunity to experience a world much bigger and far more diverse than my home surroundings.”
4 Teen Times www.fcclainc.org • March/April 2013
competitiveevents
Maximize Competitive Events for Chapter Success! FCCLA’s competitive events (STAR Events [Students Taking Action Through Recognition], Family and Consumer Sciences Knowledge Bowl, Skill Demonstration Events, and contests) are a great way to promote your FCCLA chapter and Family and Consumer Sciences program in your school and community! Here are just a few examples of how you can put competitive events to work for your chapter: • Host a STAR Events pre-competition night. Using the gym or multiple classrooms, invite family and community members to serve as an audience for STAR Events “dress rehearsal” performances. Normally STAR Events are closed to spectators, so this is a great opportunity for them to see the work of chapter members. Ask some key supporters to fill out event rubrics for even more detailed feedback. Take photos of the event and submit them to your local newspaper or post on your chapter’s website. • Maximize your school’s existing media efforts. Find out who in your school is responsible for the school website or social media announcements. Save them some work and provide ready-to-post articles, photos, quotes, or short videos that promote projects used in STAR Events or competition results. • Need to raise some funds? Try hosting a trivia night! Have chapter members develop questions from the areas of the Family and Consumer Sciences Knowledge Bowl, and run rounds of competition. Teams with the most points at
the end of the night can win prizes donated by the chapter or community. See if you can get teams of teachers, administrators, or other student groups (organizations and clubs) to compete against each other for a fun night of friendly competition. Charge each team a small fee to participate, and have a concession stand available to sell snacks as well. • Host local competitions modeled after FCCLA contests. At the beginning of the year, have a poster contest promoting FCCLA (use the national contest guidelines) and encourage all chapter members to participate. Select the chapter’s favorite entries and enter them into the national FCCLA Week Poster Contest. During FCCLA week, ask local businesses if they would consider posting one of the chapter posters for their customers to view. (Remember to collect the posters when FCCLA week is over, and write a thank you note to the business owners.) Start brainstorming with your chapter members about new ways to use what your chapter is already doing (competitive events) in a new way to maximize everyone’s time and efforts. Remember that these events showcase the learning and leadership taking place in the FCCLA chapter activities, and through the Family and Consumer Sciences classroom. Sharing this information with the community in a fun and interesting way is a key to retaining support and keeping the Family and Consumer Sciences program strong.
March/April 2013 • www.fcclainc.org Teen Times 5
The 2013 National Cluster Meetings Attend a National Cluster Meeting next fall and discover new ways to put FCCLA’s national programs to work for you! Travel to one of three exciting cities and prepare for your future as you participate in FCCLA: The Ultimate Leadership Experience.
2013 National Cluster Meeting Locations: Spokane, Washington: November 15–17 Charlotte, North Carolina: November 22–24 Omaha, Nebraska: November 22–24 More information will be delivered to chapters in August.
6 Teen Times www.fcclainc.org • March/April 2013
TOOLS OF THE TRADE: Tools You Can Use to Market FCCLA Direct Mail
Cell Phone
Send letters and flyers to chapter supporters to rem ind them of the gre at things you’re doing through FCCLA.
Send out text messages to your contacts, and ask them to forward the message to their con tacts.
Displays
message Write a short, informative d it to sen and r, pte cha r about you all of your email contacts.
Set up a display in a bu sy area of your school. Make sure the display has some kind of interactive element, such as a quiz.
Website
te that links from Create a chapter websi ke sure to keep Ma te. bsi your school’s we chapter information. the site updated with
Flyers/Posters
Hang up or pass out flyers/posters that include information about FCCLA and the many programs and opportunities offered.
Community Events
Set up a booth at community events like home shows, fairs, exhibitions, and other gatherings.
Newspaper Call the ed
ucation reporte rs of local news papers and tell them about your chapter’s accomplishmen ts they can high light in the next issue.
ity unity Public Free Comm t: library rke ma to ces pla nity mu
So you’ve got something great happening and want others to know about it. What do you do? FCCLA needs YOU to market the great organization we all love. Here is a checklist of newsworthy characteristics that will help you decide how your story rates on the news scale: • New Information: Is it something the public doesn’t already know? Example: member award winners, new programs, and what your chapter is doing to solve a problem. • Timeliness: Does it relate to something that is happening now, or will be happening soon? If you pay close attention to national news stories, you can connect your story with a national cause/ event. Know your media deadlines so that you can get them the information they need, when they need it. • Significance and Scope: Does it affect the lives of large numbers of local residents? • Human Interest: Is it a compelling story—one that will hold people’s interest? Will the story relate to people on an emotional level? • Uniqueness: Is there a unique angle on the story-something that makes it special and unexpected? • Relevance: Does the story relate to an important issue facing the community and its residents?
Remember free com ip n boards, houses of worsh and grocery store bulleti spaper, new the in ars end cal newsletters, community and more. business billboard signs,
Radio
Word of Mouth
Radio stations often play pu blic service announcem ents (PSAs). Write or reco PSA for your rd a local stations and ask them put it on the to air.
Nothing works like people sharing information with their friends. Start a movement by asking your friends to pass along information to their frien ds.
TV
of local TV Call the education reporters you or w rvie inte to them Ask . stations nts. eve ng omi cover one of your upc
Social Media
Start a Facebook,Tw itter, or YouTube account. Make sure to update it regularly to keep pe ople interested.
The Guide for Promoting FCCLA is for members and advisers to promote what they do in FCCLA to the public. Gaining name recognition on the local, state, and national levels will benefit the members as well as the organization. Check out www.fcclainc.org for more information.
March/April 2013 • www.fcclainc.org Teen Times 7
MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN Caleb Hearon, 2012–2013 VP of Membership Think back to before you were a member of FCCLA or maybe even the beginning of your experience with the Ultimate Leadership Experience. Think about who you were, your challenges as a leader, and your views as a person. Now think about yourself today, having been influenced as a member of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America. Have you become a better leader? Have you overcome leadership challenges such as fear of public speaking? Have you been exposed to diversity and been given new views on life through traveling and networking? FCCLA took me from a shy and self-conscious middle school student to a bold and outgoing high school leader. FCCLA has shown me the importance of diversity, standing up for what you believe in, and being your own person. Without my involvement in this organization, I would be significantly less prepared for college, my career, scholarship interviews, and so many other things I am dealing with as a high school senior. That is a perfect example of why it is so important to recruit members to join FCCLA! Membership isn’t important because of dues money or making the organization look more impressive, although those things are great! The real reason we recruit members is because we want more members to experience our awesome organization tomorrow than we had yesterday. FCCLA is striving to promote personal growth and leadership development and the more teens we can reach; the better our generation will be because of it. Keep recruiting your friends so they can go Toward New Horizons along with you. Remember: there are some pretty awesome rewards for your work through the iRecruit membership campaign, found on the FCCLA national website at www.fcclainc.org/content/irecruit.
API AD
8 Teen Times www.fcclainc.org • March/April 2013
howto
Put Together a Marketing Campaign for FCCLA in Six Easy Steps FCCLA is such a great organization, and its members do many awesome things! Let’s work together to get the word out about FCCLA so others can also be involved in our work with families, careers, and communities. Check out these six easy steps to get a marketing campaign put into action.
1. What’s your goal?
4. What tool(s) will you use?
First, you need to decide what you want to advertise or promote. Do you have a fundraiser coming up? Do you want others to have an awareness of FCCLA? Narrow your marketing goal so you can really communicate a focused message.
Check out the examples of tools in the feature section of this issue. Pick the tools that you think would work best for your audience and for your message. Remember, you want to speak the language of your audience, so don’t use the newspaper to reach other teens in your school.
2. Who’s your audience? Who do you want to reach? Different audiences need different methods. Would you write the same email to your grandma that you would to your friend? Of course not! Decide who will be getting your message so you can really speak their language.
3. What do you want people to know/do? Decide what your message will be. Keep it simple and to the point. You don’t want to overwhelm or confuse people with multiple messages or directions. Figure out two or three main points you want to communicate and summarize them in a creative and catchy way.
5. Do it! Unleash your marketing campaign! You’ve put a lot of hard work into creating it. Now make it happen!
6. How did it go? Make sure to assess how you think your campaign went. Did you reach your audience? Did you get the results you wanted? If so, way to go! If not, think about what you could change for future marketing campaigns.
Now give it a shot! Work with other members in your chapter to come up with a marketing plan for your needs.
What’s your goal?
Who’s your audience?
What do you want people to know/do?
What tool(s) will you use?
Do it! How did it go?
March/April 2013 • www.fcclainc.org Teen Times 9
teentimesasks
How to Promote FCCLA through Social Media
By Linsey Armstrong, VP of Public Relations
Erik Qualman once said, “We don’t have a choice on whether we DO social media. The question is how well we do it.” In today’s technology-based society, the way we market products and organizations has revolutionized. Flyers and newspaper articles are slowly becoming a thing of the past. Today, it seems like every organization and business has a Facebook page or a Twitter account. While some adults may be on the end of the learning curve for social media, teenagers are not. Promoting FCCLA has never been easier, thanks to our innovative student leaders. There are hundreds of social media sites that you could use to promote FCCLA, though the really popular ones are where you’ll most likely succeed. If you haven’t already, create a Facebook page for your chapter, district, region, or state association. This is a great way to recognize members, collect photos from students and community members, and remind members of events, like meetings and service projects. Another popular social media site for teens is Twitter. In 140 characters or less, you can stay connected with students, alumni, and other FCCLA supporters. There’s even a way to link your Facebook statuses to your tweets, so you don’t have to do both! You can also show recognition to your community business partners and sponsors by “liking” and “following” them on these social media sites. For those chapters looking for more fun, trendy ways to promote FCCLA on social media, there are other great sites out there. Pinterest is an excellent site for promotion and also for brainstorming ideas. You can pin links to local online newspaper articles featuring your chapter, pictures and descriptions of your community service projects and STAR Events, and resources for students. If your chapter officers are struggling to come up with an idea for a chapter theme or an activity to do at your next chapter meeting, this site is sure to spark some creativity! Another great idea is to encourage your upperclassmen members to create a LinkedIn account. They can upload their resume; add hobbies, skills, and awards; and connect to family, friends, and acquaintances. The chapter adviser and fellow teachers can even leave recommendations for the students! All these connections will be useful for them in the future as they graduate and enter the workforce. While these are just a few of the great social media sites, there are plenty more out there. Be sure to talk to your members and determine which ones will work best for your chapter. Get started now and spread the red!
Social Media
Do’s and Do Not’s Do’s: 1. H ave a purpose: Your motives will drive the success of your social media strategy. Don’t do it just “cuz everyone is talking about it”. 2. H ave strong administrators: Closely monitor the activity in your group so you can present a positive image for yourself and for the organization. 3. Tweet daily: Daily communication is essential to engage your followers, members, or fans. Provide them with information, stories, or YouTube videos that are relevant to your group. 4. P ost Pictures: Display your events and share the fun that you are having. 5. M ake it Share worthy: Post “viral” topics so others will share or retweet your post. This will maximize your efforts and broaden your reach exponentially.
Do Not’s: 1. Friend Everyone on the Book: Don’t add hundreds of people to increase your numbers. Make it personal, have a connection, and have a purpose. 2. Ignore your Group: Don’t make people wonder where you went or leave questions/comments unanswered on your wall. 3. B e Risky: Don’t facilitate discussions of politics, faith, or something you’ll regret later. This may turn off members. 4. H ave Multiple Groups on One Site: Don’t confuse your followers by having a group, fan page, and a cause page. One is enough. 5. A sk friends for money: If you build and manage your social network properly, they will come. Don’t be a salesman. Excerpted from The Ultimate Officer Handbook
10 Teen Times www.fcclainc.org • March/April 2013
The 2013 National Leadership Conference Survival Guide The National Leadership Conference (NLC) is just a few short months away. Soon, nearly 7,000 FCCLA youth leaders and advisers will be descending on Nashville, Tennessee, to show what the Ultimate Leadership Experience is all about. For some, this will not be their first rodeo, but for first-timers, it can be an overwhelming experience. This guide will provide some tips that will help you get the most out of the 2013 National Leadership Conference.
Get Involved There are so many things to do at NLC from which you can benefit. Every hour of the day, there are tons of opportunities to participate in great activities and ways to meet new people, whether it be Competitive Events, leadership and professional development workshops, a trip to the exhibit hall, the special event at Nashville Shores, or the FCCLA Gala. Take part in as many of these as you can to truly experience what FCCLA and the National Leadership Conference has to offer.
Meet New People
Explore Nashville If you have the opportunity to explore the Music City, Nashville has plenty to offer. Attractions such as the world famous Wildhorse, the Grand Old Opry, and the General Jackson Showboat are just a few of the many options. FCCLA also offers a variety of tours you can register for and take part in. Visit the FCCLA national website for a sample list of tours offered.
Use the FCCLA Mobile App The FCCLA mobile app is the perfect tool to use when attending the National Leadership Conference. You can use it to look up times for workshops, special events, and share your NLC experience through Facebook and Twitter. You can also take part in Click, an interactive photo hunt you can use with your phone’s camera. The app will also give you some background information on workshop presenters and the general session speakers, and exhibitors. If you have not done so, download the mobile app now by scanning the QR code below!
With over 6,000 people attending NLC, this is the perfect opportunity to meet other youth leaders from all over the country and share your love of FCCLA.
March/April 2013 • www.fcclainc.org Teen Times 11
Cause Campaigns through Local Events: Keys to Success from AT&T Local events are a great way to bring important messages to your community, and provide an excellent opportunity to showcase your work to friends, family, and leaders who inspire you. At AT&T, we’ve worked hard to spread the message that no text is worth a life, and more than 1.3 million pledges to never text and drive have been taken as part of our It Can Wait campaign. A big part of our success came from engaging local communities through the passion of teens like you! Here are some tips and tricks we learned along the way that you can use to make your own outreach a success.
By Andrea Brands, Director of Safety and Consumer Education at AT&T
Define Your Goal Cause campaigns are most successful when you can clearly articulate what you are trying to achieve. With It Can Wait, we are working to end texting while driving by educating teens (and adults!) across the country about how dangerous texting behind the wheel can be and encouraging everyone to take action by pledging to never text and drive.
Be Organized and Plan Ahead Events can help raise awareness and support for your cause. They can be a lot of work, but they are a whole lot easier if you start early and leave time to make sure everything runs smoothly. State the objectives for your event and how you will achieve them, and then create a timeline when certain tasks should be completed. Find friends and other people at school who can help you with your event, and find a teacher, parent, or another group leader who can help you keep things on track. Make sure to assign everyone a clear role so that they know what to do to help make the event a success! Identify the five w’s early: who (is in charge of what, is attending), what (will the event look like, will be the focus), where (is it taking place), when (timing) and why (will this help your cause).
12 Teen Times www.fcclainc.org • March/April 2013
Advertise and Create a “Hook”
Have Fun and Say Thank You
In order for an event to be successful, people need to show up to it. Make sure you take time to create a plan for informing people about your event, and come up with a creative way to get people to show up. A great hook can even attract the attention of local television stations or newspapers. For our campaign, AT&T employees and supporters got the word out through social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter to raise awareness of events and also worked with schools and local organizations. At many events, AT&T also featured a simulator where people could experience first-hand the dangers of texting while driving.
Events take a lot of time and energy to pull together, and the best part of an event is seeing your hard work come to life! At the event, take some time to ask people if they are enjoying themselves, and do your part to create an atmosphere that keeps your attendees engaged and interested. Also, make sure you thank those who helped make the event a success. If you can, thank them publically during a speaking opportunity. A hand-written note of thanks never hurts either! This step is important because it helps build credibility and interest in future events that you host.
show their support will help draw a crowd. These can be principals, mayors, local TV anchors, members of city councils, or popular community leaders. You could also ask a well-known teacher or coach to attend your event. AT&T invites local leaders and others who care deeply about our goal to save lives and raise awareness about the dangers of texting while driving.
text and drive at www.itcanwait.com.
By creating a strong message, engaging in
Nasco Family & Consumer Sciences Division thoughtful planning, and doing all you can to Identify “Champions” forTimes (FCCLA) Teen spread the word, you’ll be well on your way to Your Event March/April 2013 hosting a successful event. Also, we at AT&T Inviting a few local “celebrities” who come to encourage all of you to take the pledge not to TT1303
Good luck on your event! TT1303
Engage Your Attendees with a Call to Action When spreading your message at a local event, use the opportunity to give your attendees the chance to become a part of your mission. Beforehand, come up with something that you will ask the people at your event to do to help keep the momentum going. It can be as quick as sending a tweet with your message or going home and telling five friends, and it should be as accessible as it is impactful.
March/April 2013 • www.fcclainc.org Teen Times 13
FCCLAinaction Read what FCCLA is doing across the nation! Submit your chapter activities to teentimes@fcclainc.org.
▲ Kittitas FCCLA, Kansas, has been busy teaching all seventh grade students in their district the importance of personal finance. The chapter teamed up with Junior Achievement and taught twenty lessons to complete the Finance Park Program. The project ended with a culminating activity at JA world where students went through a simulation with individual life scenarios, where they were required to create a budget and balance. Students applied for home loans, car loans, paid lights, water, sewer, and chose phone programs based on their needs etc. It was a great experience for them to demonstrate what they had learned about personal finance.
▲ Over thirty FCCLA members from Evans High School, Evans, Georgia, made spirits brighter last Christmas for the residents of Westwood Nursing Home. Chapter members assembled several Christmas trees throughout the facility. They also strung lights and decorated the trees. Evans High School FCCLA members visited with residents and brought Christmas cheer to the senior citizens. The chapter members returned during FCCLA Week on Valentine’s Day to assist with the Valentine’s Day party for the residents.
▲ As a part of the Power of One Take the Lead, Sudan FCCLA members of Texas volunteered their time and effort to pick up the trash at football games. At the beginning of the 4th quarter of the home games, the announcer would broadcast that it was time for “Pass the Trash,” and that Sudan FCCLA members would walk the aisle to accept the trash being passed down the row. The members made a huge impact at the school by keeping the football field clean, raising awareness about environmental pollution, and speaking out for FCCLA when people from the home and visitor’s sides wanted to know more about the organization.
▲ Kelliher FCCLA Chapter in Kelliher, Minnesota, and volunteers from the senior class are preparing and delivering fruit and vegetables to the elementary students every afternoon. Through a grant from the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that was received in September, Kelliher FCCLA is preparing fresh fruits and vegetables to serve to the kids in grades K–6. Members are also teaching health facts and fun fruit & vegetable facts to the kids. They call their project Fruits and Vegetables Galore, Helping Kelliher Kids Eat More! And they are.
▲ FCCLA members Janassa Swaney and Sidnee Brown of Stockton High School, Kansas, put together a fundraiser to send money to Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy victims. The fundraiser was called Penny Wars, where the SHS power hour classes competed against each other to see who could get the most money. Each power hour had a jar that they put pennies in. Other power hour classes put nickels, dimes, and quarters into other power hour teams jars to count for negative points. The students raised $250.
To see more FCCLA chapters in action, go to www.fcclainc.org/content/teen-times. 14 Teen Times www.fcclainc.org • March/April 2013
▲ The Montgomery County Middle School FCCLA of Montgomery City, Missouri, sponsored a “Taste the Rainbow” event for kindergarten students as part of the FCCLA national program Student Body. The event featured tables set up with all the colors of the rainbow and samples of fruits and vegetables in each of the colors for the children to taste. The children were given passports that were colored at each station they visited after they sampled the foods of that color. The purpose was to help children learn to enjoy eating fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors, and to help improve eating habits at a young age. The chapter also sponsored a fruit and vegetable coloring page contest for the kindergarten students.
▲ “PINK OUT” with the Winchester Community HS FCCLA chapter of Winchester, Indiana. Chapter members organized a weeklong event to celebrate life and support those in need of kindness that might be battling the effects of all kinds cancer. Special activities included: placing color ribbons on car antennas (different colors representing different cancers), selling of pink ribbon suckers and pink beaded bracelets, Costume for a Cause dress-up day, donate a dollar and PINK the track. Profits were donated to Cancer Society.
▲ Sharyland Family Texas FCCLA hosted a cereal box drive October 15 to October 19, 2012. One in five kids in America struggles with hunger. It’s a national crisis that threatens the nation’s future, and our children’s. By collecting and donating cereal boxes to the Rio Grande Valley Food Bank, FCCLA members contributed to the community by giving children something nutritious to eat. Twentysix cereal boxes were collected. The boxes were donated to Rio Grande Valley Food Bank by President Andrea Perez and VP of Records Melissa Silva.
Vidalia High School’s FCCLA Chapter once again helped with the annual S.O.A.P.S “Spay-ghetti Dinner” fundraiser. Students dipped plates, served patrons, and cleaned up the Vidalia Community Center after all patrons were gone. Approximately 300 people attended, and FCCLA students along with city officials acted as “celebrity servers.” Students, city officials, and “Yumion” (Vidalia onion mascot) were all on hand for this picture. S.O.A.P.S (Sweet Onion Animal Protection Society) is a local group that helps pay for spaying, neutering, and often times food for animals in local shelter. They also act as animal rescue transporters when needed.
▲ In November 2012, Monument Valley High School FCCLA, Utah, sponsored a Family Fun Night centered on FCCLA’s Families First program. Monument Valley’s Teen Living class plus other members of FCCLA, created and set up stations to choose from: parents reading to their children, making family calendars and duty charts, family and group pictures, and using their photos to design and make their own frames. People also participated in fun activities including cake walks, decorating cupcakes and string games. Not only was this a great time for families to be together, but it was also a great public relations opportunity for members of FCCLA. March/April 2013 • www.fcclainc.org Teen Times 15
quickquiz
Top 10 Spring Break Activities Spring break is just around the corner! This spring break, grab your friends and try out one or more of these fun activities:
10. Explore a Local Museum Many towns have museums, big or small, that you most likely visited as a kid for a school field trip, but haven’t been back to since. You’ll learn new things there now that you’re older and can appreciate it more.
9. Get Involved in the Community Check the newspaper or online for events going on in your community over spring break and join the fun. You may even find an enriching volunteer opportunity.
8. Get Crafty Plan to have a craft day with friends. With the help of things like Pinterest or your own imagination the possibilities are endless. Maybe you can even make a craft for members in your FCCLA chapter!
7. Strap on a Pair of Roller Skates Roller skating is a lost exercise. Fewer people are roller skating these days, but it used to be a big activity. Get retro and try it out!
6. Have a Movie Marathon Lots of new movies come out during the spring. Make a day of it and go to back-to-back showings. Or, host a movie marathon of your favorite series.
5. Dust Off the Old Board Games While there are many video games that allow you to compete or play with your friends, nothing can beat the interaction of a board game.
4. Water, Water, Water With the weather hopefully getting warmer, spring break is a good time to jump in the water! You can go swimming, go to a lake, or make a slip-n-slide in your own yard.
3. Learn a New Hobby During the school year, you may not have time to try something new. Spring break gives you just the time to pick up that new hobby you’ve always wanted to work on or learn.
2. Plan a Picnic in the Park You’ve been inside all winter, so go enjoy some vitamin D and sunshine at the park. Be sure to take along a delicious picnic so you can stay and play outside all day without getting hungry.
1. Take a Road Trip Many parents still work during spring break, but some may have 1 or 2 days available. If you don’t have time for a long trip, research a fun place to explore and see that’s just a few hours away.
16 Teen Times www.fcclainc.org • March/April 2013
Plan FCCLA projects and activities for these special days! Financial Literacy Month April www.financialliteracymonth.com Global Child Nutrition Month April www.gcnf.org/index.php?/content/view/58 FCCLA Youth Scholarship Applications Postmarked April 1, 2013 FCCLA Run4Red 5K Walk or Run July 7, 2013 FCCLA National Leadership Conference in Nashville, TN July 7–11, 2013 www.fcclainc.org/content/2013national-leadership-conference FCCLA Capitol Leadership in Washington, DC September 29–October 2, 2013 www.fcclainc.org/content/captiolleadership FCCLA National Cluster Meeting in Spokane, Washington November 15–17, 2013 www.fcclainc.org/content/nationalcluster-meeting FCCLA National Cluster Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina and Omaha, Nebraska November 22–24, 2013 www.fcclainc.org/content/nationalcluster-meeting
LEAD
ADVOCATE
SERVE
EXPLORE
LEARN
NETWORK
CAPITOL
LEADERSHIP
SEPTEMBER 29 - OCTOBER 2, 2013
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Join youth leaders and advisers from across AD IS INCORRECT SIZE the country at the nation’s capital to develop your leadership skills, learn about CURRENTLY 8.5” X 11” government relations, and meet with (NEEDSforTO BE 8” elected officials to advocate Family andx 10.5” WITH 1/8” BLEED) Consumer Sciences education and related topics. Capitol Leadership is open to all nationally affiliated FCCLA members and advisers.
Registration Package Includes: Capitol Leadership registration Hotel accomodations for 3 nights Leadership Banquet Service Learning or Special Event participation Transportation to/from conference events on Monday/Tuesday
PLAN TO ATTEND THIS FALL!
Capitol Leadership polo, bag, and training materials
Registration and logistical information coming soon
www.fcclainc.org
tinyurl.com/NationalFCCLA
#FCCLADC
competitive events • adviser & youth networking • national officer elections • professional development for students & advisers • leadership academy • dynamic keynote speakers
the ultimate leadership experience
www.tinyurl.com/NationalFCCLA
#FCCLANLC
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America • 1910 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191 • T 703.476.4900 • F 703.860.2713 • www.fcclainc.org