Message 2 in 2012 IWALK Planning Process
Finding champions for your IWALK Campaign
International Walk to School (IWALK) Month is October 2012. This is the time to put together your IWALK team. Talk to your friends, neighbors, and parents of your children’s playmates — anyone you know who cares about walking to school. Ask them to join your IWALK event planning team. Recruiting now will really pay off once fall is here.
There are 3 steps to take at this point in the recruiting game:
1. Enlist a parent volunteer to own the campaign from start to finish
- This can be you or someone else you know who is willing to take on the organizer role.
2. Build a core team: at least 2 parent volunteers and a staff person is ideal
- Resist any tendency to go it alone. Getting others on board early will help you every step of the way. Call your friends and acquaintances today and ask them to be on your IWALK team. Plan a summer get together to talk it over (more information to come with the next Feet First IWALK email).
- Picture a school staff person you’d like to have on your team. This could be the school nurse, crossing guard supervisor, or an enthusiastic teacher. If you can contact them during the summer, great! Otherwise, prepare yourselves to ask them to join you as soon as they return to work in August.
3. Present at PTA and staff meetings to find more champions and cheerleaders
- Contact your principal or PTA president so that you have guaranteed time on the first meeting agendas of the year (20 minutes should do it). Presenting at these meetings is another chance to recruit volunteers and build your team.
Once you have a core team created, you will be in a great position to start planning your IWALK event. Our next IWALK blog will be about choosing the right campaign design for your school.
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Helpful resources:
Past IWALK blogs:
If you aren’t already signed up, join our IWALK listserv by sending an email to jen@feetfirst.org You will receive summer-paced information and links to put you in good planning position for the fall.