Mobilize The Community

Community mobilization efforts benefit from concrete, successful activities which engage diverse sectors of the community in fresh and meaningful ways.

Parents Who Host, Lose the Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinking is a “turn-key” program for community mobilization, which means that short-term efforts can quickly garner community support, raise awareness and provide a success for community members engaged in the project.

Whether you are just beginning to convene community members around alcohol and other drug prevention, or if you have established community partnerships, Parents Who Host, Lose the Most: Don’t be a party to teenage drinking can maximize your community change efforts.

Maximize Your Campaign Impact

Examine your community to determine the most effective ways to get the message disseminated. The suggestions below, organized by sector, are examples of successful engagement strategies employed by many communities across the nation.

Schools

• Put campaign information in school newsletters from the principal or superintendent
• Mail fact cards to parents of high school students along with prom or graduation information
• Develop a parent pledge in which parents commit to not host parties where alcohol is available to teens
• Put campaign logo and information in school event programs such as choir, band or play performances
• Place information on school website
• Develop text alerts for parents/students
• Incorporate the message into pre-season parent sport meetings
• Collaborate with PTO/PTA to send campaign information to parents

Businesses

• Display campaign posters for employees and customers
• Insert fact cards in employee paychecks
• Use fact cards as bag stuffers
• Place static clings with campaign logo on beer coolers
• Place stickers on delivery boxes (appropriate for pizza shops, fl orists, bakers, drycleaners, etc.)
• For fast-food restaurants, place campaign stickers or stamps on all to-go bags and print tray liners
• Post the campaign message on marquees outside of businesses

Law Enforcement

• Print law enforcement telephone number on materials to report parties
• Increase monitoring of teen house parties during prom and graduation weekends
• Inform public that there will be an increase in monitoring for teen house parties
• Post campaign logo and law enforcement telephone number on billboards
• Place campaign logo and law enforcement telephone number in bus stop shelters

Parents

• Distribute ready-to-use parent handouts, such as Parents: Know The Facts and Parent Party Tips
• Send text messages to students on prom and graduation nights reminding them to be safe
• Volunteer to place a campaign yard sign in the front yard

Media

• Run a story in the newspaper promoting the campaign’s message
• Write an editorial about the importance of campaign message
• Promote campaign message through radio, TV or newspaper interviews
• Place campaign logo and information ads in newspapers or on radio stations
• Post information with link on websites