Lesson 8

EVALUATE: Media and Publicity and Check Progress Towards Goals

About this Lesson:

Publicizing your community goal or project will draw attention to groups’ efforts and success. Local newspapers, television and radio should be contacted, but most importantly, students should advertise their project (s) to their peers, family and community. The RYP/NYSD Tool Kit’s appendix contains sample media releases to photocopy and use as a template. Another great "Publicity" venue is the loudspeaker or intercom at the program site, over which students can make announcements to raise awareness about their RYP or NYSD project and to recruit participation from their peers. For more information about the topics addressed in this lesson, please refer to Chapter 7 and the Appendix of the RYP/National Youth Service Day Tool Kit. The Appendix also provides Curriculum Connections.

Since all students personal goals will be varied and have different needs, and since these are goals that are ‘personal’ in nature, its time to for the teacher to moderate and have a discussion with the students. This can also be done on a one-one basis (student-teacher)

Learning Objective:

Students will identify various media sources to advertise their project. Students will identify key elements of their NYSD project to include in written and oral advertisements. They will also check progress towards their goals.

Curricular Connection:

English/Language Arts: reading, writing, communication, critical thinking skills
Social Studies: Understanding of culture, analyze conditions to develop understanding, understand mechanisms to meet needs of citizens
Visual Arts: Understand and apply art media
Mathematics: Understanding and utilizing technology and other technological mediums; problem solving

"Publicity, publicity, PUBLICITY is the greatest moral factor and force in our public life."

-John Pullitzer, Publisher

"Media has been great in getting the word out to talk to other people," says Jason Crowe, 14, from Newburgh, Indiana, who has spent the last three years working locally, nationally and internationally bringing attention to the condition of the Bosnian people. At the age of 12, he created "Operation Yellow Bow for Kosovo," a campaign to raise money for Kosovo, to show concern for the troops and make known the atrocities of ethnic cleansing and war.

Jason publishes his own newspaper, The Informer, that discusses issues affecting youth and shows kids how they can make a difference. "My newspaper interconnects kids around the world to get them involved in service," he explains. "I have several sections on how to make a difference in your community wherever that may be. I also provide information on what is going on nationally or globally and provide contact information for youth to become involved."

During the "Operation Yellow Bow for Kosovo" program, Jason mobilized plans to send a peace statue to be sent to Bosnia from the kids of the world to demonstrate their desire to live in a world free from war and genocide. Last June, he began organizing an international youth group to meet with a delegation of Bosnian young people representing the various ethnic groups of the Balkans. The group will meet to promote peace, conflict resolution, cultural diversity and develop a plan to help the youth of Bosnia rebuild their communities.

"AD CAMPAIGN"

Materials Needed:

Large sheets of poster board or construction paper
Markers, pens, crayon and other art supplies such as glue, fabric, paints, etc.
Old magazines to cut up
Copies of the sample letters, press releases and other written materials for media found in the Appendix of the NYSD Tool Kit

Facilitating the Lesson:

As NYSD approaches, students will want to "advertise" their projects. Advertising can also be used to encourage funders and to recruit volunteers

DIRECTIONS:

Recap NYSD event plans, asking students to share what is most important about the project. Write their responses on the board. Ask the following questions:
- How will we let others know about what we are doing?
- What types of things might we want to include in an announcement or poster? (Description of event, contact telephone numbers, date and time, etc.)
- List various types of media - Newspapers Ads and articles, Radio Ads, TV Commercials etc
Ask students to break themselves into small groups.
Students should select a way for their group to publicize the project including; designing ads, writing letters (using the templates in the NYSD Tool Kit), writing a radio announcement, or other mediums to advertise their project.
After the allotted time, reconvene the students and ask groups to share their work with the class, and decide which mediums the class will use to advertise their project.
Determine who will be responsible for advertising and make sure they have all the supplies they need in order to send out press releases, etc.

Reflection

To accommodate multiple learning styles, select several of the following suggested reflection activities.

WRITING

Go to www.ReachYourPeak.org and fill in your Media Plan on Project Plan-It!. Also check out how RYP utilizes various media to promote its goals. Send out the Press Release that you develop there.
Respond to some of the following questions in a journal:
- Describe your favorite television commercial.
- What about this commercial makes it memorable?
- Name seven different places where you can find advertisements.
- What are the best places to advertise? Why?
- How can you get radio or television coverage of the project?
Write a newspaper or magazine advertisement for your service-learning project.

READING

Read different announcements and advertisements for community events.
Read articles about successful marketing strategies in business magazines or on the internet.

TELLING

Present a 30-second radio announcement for your project in your best newscaster voice.
Talk to someone involved with your school or local newspaper about the project.

DOING

Role-play a television news interview about the project with a partner.
Hang posters advertising your project throughout the community.
Post your project on www.ReachYourPeak.org