Delivering the Raise Your Voice Message

There are many venues where Raise Your Voice messages can be delivered. Utilize the following suggestions to help disseminate the campaign's messages:

On-campus media: Use campus media outlets to communicate details about launch activities on your campus and in your community including the newspaper, radio, TV station and Web site. The school newspaper can be used as a place to insert a flyer or place an ad on the campaign, or publish an editorial on the benefits of volunteering or address issues that are important to students in your community; the radio or TV station can run a public service announcement (PSA) or host a talk show on volunteer and civic opportunities available to students on and around campus; and the college or university Web site can post a link to the Raise Your Voice Web site. (See Reaching Out to the Media for more information on how to promote events through the media.)

University Departments: Offices commonly visited by students throughout their day provide a prime opportunity to hit them with the Raise Your Voice campaign message. For example, use your campus career services center to showcase volunteer or civic opportunities available for students. Ask career advisors to tell advisees about opportunities in your community and to post information in a notebook for casual browsing. Suggest that the office of the president discuss Raise Your Voice in orientation speeches and place information on it in materials for new students.

Brief officials who staff the following offices on campaign messages and encourage them to participate in the campaign:

• Community service offices
• Office of the president
• Office of student life
• Deans' offices
• Registrar
• Admissions office
• Department offices
• Health centers
• Career services
• Security office

Popular Student Hangouts: Take advantage of popular campus venues to share details about activities during Raise Your Voice – A Week of Action. Ask dining hall workers to pass out flyers when students swipe their food cards or place flyers on each dining tray. Work with the marketing team to get the Raise Your Voice logo printed on the back of tickets or hand out postcards at the entrance of your campus arena or stadium. Place promotional materials such as flyers or postcards in shopping bags at your campus bookstore.

Also, make materials readily available in a display stand at the book buy-back area so students waiting in line can read about the campaign while they’re waiting. Local restaurants or shops might want to be involved in this exciting campaign as well. Ask local business owners if they are willing to give students a discount if they can prove they volunteered that day or suggest that they donate a percentage of their daily earnings made from student purchases to a charity of their choice. Ask business owners if they will allow you to use a window for a display on the campaign.

Cover the walls and bulletin boards of the following locations with flyers and other information that will grab the attention of your fellow classmates:

• Classrooms
• Computer labs
• Libraries
• Residence halls, laundry rooms, bathrooms
• Student activity centers
• Gyms
• Bus stops

For more ideas on how to publicize the campaign, see the media section in this guide. You may also want to check out “How to publicize” in the “Getting Started” section of www.actionforchange.org.