Reaching Out

How to create a grassroots campaign.

 

October 2008

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A teacher for more than 15 years, Neil Schafer currently teaches ninth and 10th grade English at Norristown Area High School, which serves 1,800 students in Norristown, Pa. Two years ago, as part of a reform effort to address lagging test scores, the school was divided into small learning communities and Schafer was assigned, along with 22 other teachers and 350 students, to the Health Science Small Learning Community. As part of his new assignment, Schafer was eager to create a community outreach program for health students. A nurse oncologist from the local hospital suggested they apply for a grant from the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Last year the school was awarded an $89,000 grant from the foundation to raise awareness about breast cancer in the greater Norristown community and to support free mammograms for local residents. Schafer outlines several keys to success in generating awareness for an important cause.

 

Educate Your Volunteers. The Komen Foundation Project represented the perfect marriage between health services and education. Forty of our students were trained as team captains in the area of early warning signs and detection of breast cancer, and they were urged to talk about breast cancer with all of the women in their lives. Students learned firsthand how to raise awareness about health issues, and they realized that education reaches beyond the school’s front door.

 

Build Internal Support. Teachers throughout our school were among the project’s biggest supporters. Many teachers traveled from their homes outside the county to attend special events. Their presence made a huge impact on students, who began to see their teachers as valued members of the community. The Board of School Directors and the school superintendent were impressed by the entire effort.

 

Know Your Target Market. To better reach the growing Latino population in the community, our school distributed literature on breast cancer in both Spanish and English. Bilingual team captains played an important role in reaching this key audience, which was critical since many Latinos have limited or no health insurance and many women in the Latino community have never received mammograms.

 

Promote Your Cause in Every Possible Way. To support the Komen Foundation Project, we did whatever we could to get the word out. Students and teachers held ice cream socials and a local charity walk. Team captains and school representatives spoke at community centers and back-to-school nights, and public service announcements were filmed at the school’s television station and broadcast on community-access stations. Whatever gets the word out, do it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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