Online sign up sheets make coordinating class party volunteers a cinch, and these super fun game and party ideas will make the rest a breeze too!
Check out our free e-book full of class party game and snack ideas, including Valentine's-themed activities (pg. 14 - 15) like Traveling Hearts and Thumb Print Cards, courtesy of TeachMama.com!
Show your school teachers, leaders and staff some love this Valentine's Day too with a "love bomb," or thoughtful gift card!
By: Sherry Truhlar of RedAppleAuctions
The New Year brings talk of resolutions and all the things we plan to change this year. I’m not a big believer in resolutions. I like to think I’m willing to make changes any time changes are needed. I do concede that January is the time to start thinking about our annual school auction. If resolutions help you get others on board with change, then I am a champion of resolutions!
When you’re working on your school auction this year, here are a couple of resolutions to consider:
First, resolve to improve your benefit auction marketing. Successful auctions get people excited about the event in the weeks leading up to the fundraiser. Guests are eager to attend. Guests are excited to bid. Guests are curious about new activities. Guests are excited to see friends. To generate this level of enthusiasm, you need to be marketing to your guests. There are many ways to do this, and one suggestion would be to add Facebook to your arsenal of marketing tactics.
Facebook has not caught on big in benefit auctions, and I don’t exactly know why. Maybe it’s an administrative issue. A number of groups tell me that until their Board / attorney / school superintendent formulates a policy on Facebook and other social media, their school / nonprofit / foundation can’t do anything with those tools.
Darn it.
Facebook can be a useful marketing tool for your auction – it’s easy to add photos, upload some videos, ask questions – so see if you can work through any internal legal or administrative issues and give it a try this year. (When you're ready, see this article on using facebook to boost fundraiser buzz and participation.)
What else should your charity auction be resolving to do this year? What about a resolution to examine some of the more traditional elements of your event and considering how to re-invent them? Let’s make your school auction “fresh.” Putting some twists into your gala could keep guests talking about your fundraiser long after the big night.
For instance, your volunteers on the food and beverage committee might be recharged if you challenge them to – economically, of course – incorporate some of the trends happening in event foods.
Small, mini, and petite is what I expect to see on serving trays and buffet tables. The invasion of cake pops, mini cupcakes, and bite-sized delectables will give a new look to a school auction’s dessert table. (It also means I have less guilt about polishing off three desserts.)
About the author:
Fundraising auctioneer Sherry Truhlar, CMP, BAS, CAI is featured in national publications for her trend-setting work with auction fundraisers. She teaches auction chairs easy ways to improve an auction’s financial return. Start improving your auction today by getting her FREE Auction Item Guide TM. The Guide lists the 100 top-selling items sold for over value in charity auctions. Claim your FREE copy at http://www.RedAppleAuctions.com.
We want to celebrate and thank our guest contributors for a great year of all things service and giving back. From insightful perspectives on school parent involvement, non-profit success and benefit auction how-to's, to volunteer management and social media tips, teacher appreciation and fun class party ideas, employee volunteering and corporate responsibility news, faith group and community-building concepts and so much more - our blog proved to be an ever-evolving foundation for sharing timely and desired content.
A favorite summer blog series, Teacher Tuesdays, was a thrilling opportunity to feature guest posts focusing on parent engagement in education from a teacher's perspective.
Our Summer of Service feature gave us the privilege of featuring leading guest bloggers who shared their unique and personal perspectives on service, volunteering and citizen philanthropy. Topics ranged from volunteering for kids and volunteer management, to the power of story-telling, employee service, supporting military families and so much more!
The My School My Way campaign brought together over 30 bloggers sharing the highs and lows of parent volunteering, and how they did it their way in their school. From humourous anecdotes to heart-warming insights, our My School My Way blog campaign had something for everyone, and we were honored to share these wonderful parents and writers with our readers. Wrap-up and roll call.
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April Welch, our resident Mental Clutter Coach, joined us week after week for Tidy Thursday - bringing fresh ideas and bright new ways to approach organizing our lives!
Worship Wednesday guest posts from Sue Brage were a true blessing. From a faith-based perspective, her thoughts and words shed light on growing one's faith group and the interpretation of service in doing so.
Sherry Truhlar of Red Apple Auctions LLC brought us countless helpful tips, ideas and strategies when it came to running a successful auction. From publicitiy, to gathering volunteers, legal refreshers, and best practices, expert advice made auction fundraisers less of a dream and more of a reality for many readers.
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VolunteerSpotlights gave us a chance to shine a light on the amazing individuals and organizations who use VolunteerSpot to make a difference in their community. From school parent leaders to festival organizers, conference coordinators to humane societies, congregational volunteer leaders to regional homeless shelter organizers - the willingness to do good was colorful and widespread and we were honored to share each and every story.
Additional Guest Regulars included:
Chris Jarvis of Realized Worth brought us insights into workplace volunteering, corporate social responsibility, and employee volunteer programs.
Andrea Patten of What Kids Need to Succeed illumined top tips, best practices, fun stories and helpful hints when it comes to running a successful nonprofit.
Myrdin Thompson of RootsandWings Library and MomCongress provided a keen and astute perspective from everything grant-writing, to literacy promotion, and advocating for more school involvement.
Susan Wells of SteveSpanglerScience joined us to share super creative and much-needed ideas incorporating science into the classroom, whether for a class party, school science fair, or the "dreaded science project."
A variety of incredibly talented and knowledgable contributors made our array of free e-books available as a highly sought-after resource for countless volunteers, organizers, teachers, team moms, and room parents! From healthy snack ideas, to parent-teacher conference, class party, volunteer recognition, bake sale, school carnival, fundraising, talent show, and family volunteering ideas and tips, our e-books continue to be a fun and helpful resource for our readers and we are thrilled to be able to share them on our blog.
There are so many more favorite posts and contributors in addition to these listed and we hope you take the time to look around. Of course, our blog would be nowhere without our amazing readers and those who help promote and share our posts. 2011 was an incredible year and we are sure 2012 will prove to be even better - many thanks and here's to a New Year!
From health and fitness, to family, finances, and travel, top New Year's resolutions are never without the desire to VOLUNTEER and give back in the New Year. We hope you resolve to volunteer in 2012 - please tell us how you plan to give back in 2012 over on our facebook wall, and click below to grab your badge!
Some of us are wishing there were extra days in December (or at least 25 hours in the day)! January is fast approaching and we’re still in holiday mode.
Take a moment between sips of eggnog and grandma’s pumpkin pie to put a stake in the ground to increase Volunteer Engagement in 2012. DO ONE THING —Plan a First-of-the-Year Volunteer Gathering. (Then head back to the football games, tinsel and cheese balls.)
Simple or elaborate, kick-start the New Year with a January volunteer gathering. Host a coffee break, a chili luncheon, potluck, or pizza party. Offer a look back at 2011 and present plans for the year ahead – goals, big events, greatest volunteer needs, introduce new leaders and coordinators, etc.
Here are 6 simple ways to make the New Year’s kickoff a success:
Here's to a brand new year in service! Let us know what your volunteer team or organization is planning for 2012 over on facebook!
With school out in just a couple weeks, last-minute preparations are being made for this year's class holiday or winter party and we have a check-list to help make it a jolly success!
1. Plan & Get Help! From snacks to crafts to holiday reading material and activity stations, it is easy to get bogged down in the planning. Capture all your needs in one easy online sign up sheet, i.e. list: healthy snack option, sweet treat snack option, drinks, tableware and simple decorations, volunteer reader with winter-themed book, volunteers for the activity station, party act ivity supplies, etc. Once you have it planned, VolunteerSpot simplifies your holiday occasion! Plus, VolunteerSpot reminds your volunteers and even allows room for you to add in the folks who aren't using email!
Tip: Check with the teacher about the school's holiday policy. Will you be planning for nondenominational 'winter' and snow themes, or are Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza themes welcome and expected?
2. Get creative with your games and activities this year! Some of our friends submitted fun and unique ideas:
“One of the best things my dd's school did was to get a tree donated from a store. They made decorations and gave it away to a needy family from the school. The kids put their heart into their creations. That tree was filled with lots of love.”
“For our parties, we have three activities -- a snack, a craft, and a game. The class is split into three groups, and each group does one activity at a time. It's an excellent way to cut down on the chaos! But it's also all-encompassing for our diverse school. For example, the game can have a Hanukah theme (Dreidel is always popular) the snack can have a Christmas theme and the craft can have an Eid theme.”
“Host a build-your-own hot chocolate station with cocoa mix, marshmallows, cinnamon, chocolate syrup, white chocolate chips, whipped cream in a can, and shaved peppermint to choose from and pin the button nose or carrot on the snowman.”
“Last year my daughter's class folded these amazing Finnish Paper Stars. We loved it so much we came home and made a bunch of our own stars in different sizes and colors!”
3. Last minute check!
Have a blast and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Check out VolunteerSpot's free Classroom Party Guide for more fun winter craft and game ideas, and check out ways your classroom may give back with their celebration!
For so many families, November is really when we start our traditional "holiday" season; once Halloween is over, all the holiday decorations start going on sale. And while my children generally start clamoring for the latest and greatest tech gear or toy and circling items in the Sunday circular, they also start a long wish list for the newest book in a series they have been reading as well.
Did you know that many children don't have access to books? According to reports, 2/3 of families living in poverty in the U.S. (61%) have no children's books in their homes. While we like to think that because the library systems in our city are so plentiful, everyone must have a chance to go as frequently as our family does, that quite often isn't the case.
If you are homeless and living in a shelter, or even sharing a home with a relative, that means you don't have a permanent address. If you don't have a permanent address you can't check out books from the library, or if you are able to check out a book, you don't have a place to keep it. Fewer than half (48%) of young children in the U.S. are read to daily, and more than 13 million children under the age of 5 go to bed every night without a bedtime story. This may mean that in my daughter's kindergarten class, 34% of her friends have entered school without the basic language skills they need to learn to read.
Thankfully a group of moms, just like you and me, joined together with support from Parenting Magazine Mom Congress and partnership from Reach out and Read, and created a literacy support program known as "Books Make it Better." By using the toolkit created by the Books Make it Better team, you can launch your own book drive in your community or you can participate in a virtual book drive. This means you can donate books directly to ROaR by choosing from one of eleven different titles, or sponsor a child for the full five-year ROaR Program.
We know that if you want to run your own book drive the amazing support tools that we use through VolunteerSpot can make what might seem a daunting task run like a dream! There is probably a community center or family homeless shelter that would love a box of new or gently used books. Maybe your child's classroom or school honor society could be the ones to run the drive with your support, encouragement, and planning. And just think, in the virtual drive your donation might just be helping one of your child's classmates get their hands on a great book! Who doesn't love Goodnight Moon? Or The Tale of Peter Rabbit? And for $50 you can sponsor a child for an entire year. Wow! I'm willing to give up 10 chai tea latte's for that-and everyone know's how much I love a good chai tea latte this time of year!
You might live in a "literacy rich" community or school district. I'm fortunate that here in Louisville our school district has a dedicated mentoring and reading program created in partnership between our metro government and our public school system known as Every1Reads. The National Center for Family Literacy (and that amazing new program called Wonderopolis) makes its home here as well. And on October 6, 2011, an outstanding 2,184,155 of us just participated in the recent Jumpstart "Read for Record" campaign by reading Llama, Llama Red Pajama to children all over the United States. For so many, unfortunately, there is no access to a book, no literacy night, no Goodnight Moon.
As Maya Angelou said "Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him. "Help create a habit this holiday season. One book, one child. Because "Books Make it Better."
Myrdin Thompson has been a Louisville public school parent, volunteer & advocate since 2002. Was recognized by the White House as a "Champion of Change" (www.whitehouse.gov/champions)(April 2011); is the Arts Advocate Mentor for Mom Congress; was the KY Delegate for Parenting Magazine's 2010 Mom Congress, "Mom of the Moment", Parenting Magazine, School Years, March 2010; and a KaBOOM! Playmaker of the Month (June 2008). She has a MA in Renaissance Drama from CSUF.
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Aren’t there days where you wonder where your parent group’s fairy godmother is? After all, with a “bippty-boppity-boo” Cinderella was instantly transformed into a princess, and there was swag to boot! In these trying fiscal times, however, you really have to make your own magic happen if you want to transform your child’s educational and extracurricular experiences.
First you need to understand that there is a vast difference between a grant and all the Facebook and internet competitions you enter. While it is great to pass along the word about an amazing Box Tops opportunity, you are relying on a small group of people to go to a website every day to click on a button in order for the chance to win a small or even substantial cash prize. Don't pin your hopes and dreams upon these types of endeavors - they're fun to participate in, but not to rely on for funding.
A more focused use of your volunteer time might be to track down a viable grant or two and apply for that instead. A grant is a fund disbursed by one party (could be government, could be a corporation like Wal-Mart, Target, or others) to a recipient. Most grants fund a specific program or project (like a field trip grant, or “a create a school garden” grant) and some grants require your parent group to show that you have obtained “matching funds." For example, if the grant is for up to $1,000, and you know you can only raise $500, only ask for $500. If you ask for the full $1,000 you will be eliminated from the grant before they’ve looked over your project.
Before you even surf the internet and take a look at sights like Grant Wrangler, Foundation Center, or Grant Watch, you need to have a crucial conversation with your school Principal. Just because you want to build a playground and know that KaBOOM! can help, doesn’t mean that this is at the top of the priority list for your Principal and school.
If you are part of your school’s PTA or parent group as a board member, the Principal should be as well. Use planning meetings to discuss school needs and concerns, and your group can present the project as a partnership building endeavor, not as a done deal. Once everyone in the school community is engaged in the idea, then you move forward:
Bottom line: If you don’t get the grant don’t be discouraged. Follow up (if you can) and ask what worked in your application (so you know to keep it for the next cycle) and what didn’t (so you know to change that part). But by all means, APPLY. The truth is that not everyone will get lucky and get the first grant applied for. More often than not, it takes numerous times to get it right, however, when you do get it right, celebrate and share with your community. After all, you wrote that grant for them, didn’t you?
Myrdin Thompson has been a Louisville public school parent, volunteer & advocate since 2002. She is currently the Kentucky PTA Reflections Commissioner and her son's middle school PTSA President. She was recognized by the White House as a "Champion of Change" in April 2011; is the Arts Advocate Mentor for Mom Congress; and was the Kentucky Delegate for Parenting Magazine's 2010 Mom Congress. She is dedicated to building support for and enhancing the quality of education in the Jefferson County Public Schools for all children in the district.
Read more by Myrdin on Roots & Wings and follow her on Twitter:@myrdinjt
October is here and you know what that means, holiday class party season is in full swing! Whether it's the costumes, the festive games, (the candy!), or the spookiness of it all, Halloween is definitely a favorite holiday for kids. Here are some creative and thoughtful ideas for room moms, teachers and parents for making this year's Halloween party truly memorable while still saving time and energy organizing it!
3 Steps to Halloween Party Fun
1. Plan it
Organize the class party into 'stations' with small groups of kids rotating through activities to keep the pace moving for the kids and the group-size manageable for parent volunteers. Everyone comes together for the final station, story time.
Simple, fun crafts include cardboard tube mummies, crayon resist fall leaves, decorating mini pumpkins, thumb print witches and spiders, and face painting.
Consider space limitations when choosingparty games. Four Halloween favorites:
Tip: Check out our Classroom Party Guide with 10 fun craft and game ideas for Halloween and Fall celebrations.
Stories about pumpkins, spiders and witches are sure to please. Ask your children's librarian to recommend spooky tales that are age-appropriate.
For snacks, consider sliced apples dipped in caramel sauce, pumpkin muffins with cream cheese, popcorn monster hands, and warm apple cider.
Tip: Ask the teacher if any kids have food allergies and if the school has policies limiting sugary treats.
2. Get Help!
Ask class parents (and grandparents) to pitch in and volunteer either during the party or by contributing supplies and food. Remember to plan for craft and game supplies, snacks, paper ware, and simple decorations (think plastic table cloths and mini pumpkins).
Tip: Free online signup sheets from VolunteerSpot.com make it easy to coordinate parent helpers. With the click of a mouse or a tap on a smartphone, parents can quickly choose when to help and what to bring. Automated reminders keep everyone on track.
3. Have Fun!
Be ready for joyful chaos! When things don't go exactly as planned, don't stress. Instead, put on a big smile and know that the kids will have a great time no matter what. Be sure to take lots of pictures, party day is a very special day at school!
Tip: Bring a child's wagon to help carry supplies from your car to the classroom
Happy Halloween!
Hey teachers and school leaders! Does the very thought of sending out an email about parent teacher conferences and waiting for tens of replies to sift through to get parents scheduled simply make you shudder?
How about those novelty clipboard sign up sheets with names, times and addresses you have to manually input to a spreadsheet? Last-minute phone calls and backpack Pony Express got you down? Ok, you get it! Parent-teacher conference sign ups can now be less stressful and time-consuming with free and easy online sign up sheets!
Parent-Teacher Conference Organizer View (Day): Organizers may set up each conference spot as it's own shift with a specific time slot via the Add a ToDo button. One day's schedule can then be copied to all future conference dates with the click of button.
**Invite class parents via invitation through your activity or with a speedy link/web button in an class e-newsletter, on the class' web page, or simply in an email! Parents click the link provided from their smartphone, ipad or computer and sign up with a click!
Parent-Teach Conference Volunteer View (Month): Volunteers select the date which they are available to look for open conference spots.
Parent - Teacher Conference Volunteer View (Day): Class Parents click to fill a spot for the time slot which works best for them!
Conference parents can sync their spots to their online calendars, and teachers can rely on automatic reminders sent two days prior to each parents' commitment! Parent-teacher conferences should be about the students and how to make this school year the best possible for them; stress less and save time with fast, easy and free online sign up sheets for your parent-teacher conferences!
You may also like:
8 Important Questions to ask at a Parent-Teacher Conference
Parent-Teacher Conference | Parent Guide
Parent Teacher Conference Scheduling - Free and Easy
I love the first few days of school. The excitement on my children's faces as they put on new school clothes, as they discuss with one another about whether they will get to be line leader, or make the debate team this year.
I love that when they get home they wave all these bits of paper at me, enthusiastic that these documents will make all the difference for their school experience in the year ahead.
And they are right.
Those magical, colorful scraps of paperwork CAN make a difference for everyone engaged in educating a child. Here's how...
When we started school nine years ago, I knew that I would no doubt join the PTA and be "active" to a certain degree. After all, I knew that a room parent could be a vital partner to a teacher, beyond just bringing snacks for special days or cutting out paper flower patterns.
Plus, for all the selfish reasons in the world I just wasn't ready to be "away" from my oldest for any real length of time and I knew that a room parent would mean I could be "with" him without being "with" him.
And so began my journey as a Parent Volunteer...
Which is where I find myself nine years later. I have been the room parent (or co-parent) each year for each of my children. Sometimes I'm better at it than others, and once my oldest started middle school room parents weren't really a part of the requirement/need.
I've been the PTA VP of Ways and Means, the PTA Secretary, the PTA President, the PTA Membership Chairperson, the PTA District President, the State PTA Legislative Committee Member...
I've loaded and unloaded and inventoried tee-shirts, cookie dough, wrapping paper...I've decorated and cleaned up for fall festivals and silent auctions...I've written, edited, xeroxed, stapled, and distributed
newsletters...I've shelved books in the library and worked at book fairs...I've called/emailed/action alerted school board members, city council members, the Mayor, Congressman/women, Senators about a variety of education issues...I've dug holes so a playground could be installed...I've lead workshops and webinars...participated in panels...
And at the end of the day I know this:
"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” - Edward Everett Hale
So just imagine if EVERY parent filled out those forms...if all 26 plus parents of my daughter's kindergarten class offered to be the room parent, to chaperoned a field trip, to shelve books in the library, to inventory tee shirts, to help build a playground...and just think if every parent in all three of our school's kindergarten classes offered to serve on a PTA (or other parent group board)...and just think if every parent in every kindergarten class at all the elementary schools in our district offered to call a legislator or send an action alert about a major education issue that impacts children...just think if every parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, big sister, big brother, community member said "I CAN DO SOMETHING" because just ONE something combined with another ONE something can make an AMAZING amount of somethings... and an amazing amount of somethings means an amazing opportunity and
educational experience for our children.
I'm not saying that every parent volunteer has to be me, after all, there is only one Myrdin Thompson, but I do know that every parent has a something to contribute. It doesn't have to be every day, or every week...it can be at home, at a community center...nothing is trivial, nothing insignificant. EVERY moment makes a difference...and if we work together...well "a thousand spiders can tie up a lion." So please, take a moment, fill out the volunteer records check, ask what your child's teacher needs, offer your skills, your talent...communicate, collaborate, connect, care. CONTRIBUTE.
Why? Because Together Everyone Achieves More..."team"work...and many hands make light work, for you, for your child's teacher and school, and most importantly for your child.
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Myrdin Thompson has been a Louisville public school parent, volunteer & advocate since 2002. She is currently the Kentucky PTA Reflections Commissioner and her son's middle school PTSA President. She was recognized by the White House as a "Champion of Change" in April 2011; is the Arts Advocate Mentor for Mom Congress; and was the Kentucky Delegate for Parenting Magazine's 2010 Mom Congress. She is dedicated to building support for and enhancing the quality of education in the Jefferson County Public Schools for all children in the district.
Read more by Myrdin on Roots & Wings and follow her on Twitter: @myrdinjt
Your kids need time and space to play in school. It’s not just about having fun—physical activity during the school day can help their attention, classroom behavior, and achievement test scores.
Most schoolyards could do so much more to inspire kids to play and run around, but the good news is that you can take matters into your own hands. These three projects won’t cost an arm and a leg and, with the right prep work and a dedicated group of volunteers, can be done in a single day:
1. Paint games on unused asphalt
Stretches of plain asphalt at your school present valuable opportunities for play—just add paint! Markings for simple games, like hopscotch and four square, help incentivize children to engage in play and physical activity. A scientific research review actually concluded that painted games are an effective intervention strategy in the childhood obesity epidemic, increasing children’s physical activity and energy expenditures. Plus, they increase motor skills, create learning opportunities for conflict resolution, and maximize the potential of your playspace.
2. Build an outdoor classroom
Why restrict use of outdoor spaces to recess time? The outdoors is rife with learning opportunities, and with a healthy dose of creativity, teachers can find ways to take advantage of outdoor spaces and to incorporate natural, sensory, and “messy” elements into their lesson plans. Exposure to environment-based education significantly increases student performance on tests of their critical thinking skills. Parents can help facilitate outdoor learning by pitching in to build a DIY outdoor classroom so that kids have a dedicated space outside to gather and reflect.
3. Just add shade
Many playgrounds offer no shaded areas, which discourages use in hotter months, during which slide temperatures have been known to reach 155 degrees F!. Shade structures come in all shapes and sizes and can be added to existing equipment to provide some respite from the sun. If your budget is tight, consider erecting temporary shade structures from tarps, fabrics, and/or tents. And don’t forget about planting trees, which not only provide shade but also beauty, greenery, and new climbing opportunities for children!
Sign this Back-to School pledge, brought to you by VolunteerSpot and KaBOOM!, and we’ll send you a FREE copy of How to Save Play at Your School—featuring these and 12 other action ideas that parents can take this fall to make school grounds and school days more playful. Plus, learn how you can win $750 to spruce up your school playground!
Across the nation kids are officially "BACK TO SCHOOL"!
Moms (and dads!) around the country are collectively releasing a giant sigh. Here at VolunteerSpot headquarters we are proud to have brought you 30+ bloggers who shared the good (and the guilty) of all things School-Parent Volunteering!
Please help us thank the WHOLE list of bloggers involved on our Roll Call.
We set out to host a diverse buffet of voices.
Bloggers support THEIR school... THEIR WAY.
Including:
And all the mom's in-between...
Three themes emerged from our cornucopia of bloggers.
Guilt
Moms seem to be made of it. We always worry that we aren't doing enough. That we could be doing more. We worry that one more pan of brownies should have been made, that one more hour of mystery reading should have fit in our lunchtime or one more school carnival should be notched on our belt.
But what's more important is that we take stock of what's most important in our own families, right now. No one argues that you should do more if it doesn't fit with your family.
{Support your school your way: In a way that works for your family, right now.}
Creative Solutions
Many bloggers shared that the knew what they could NOT do and instead of refusing to do anything, jumped in and found a creative way to volunteer that made sense for them.
Volunteer from home, make sure your kids are well fed, and well prepared for school each day, sometimes the small things mean more to your kid and your school in the long run.
{Support your school your way: By remembering that small things are still worth doing. }
Dedication
So many parents tackle time consuming volunteer jobs and do it with little fanfare or praise. We understand that not everyone can lead the PTA year after year. But to those who run school events, step up to help fundraise and lead by example, we stand up and salute you.
We see your passion for volunteering and we see you use your skills and talents for the betterment of all kids not just your own.
{Support your school your way: By letting your passions lead the way.}
From the whole team at VolunteerSpot, WE THANK YOU!
You've inspired us all to take {personally} meaningful action and SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS!
Click to see the whole shebang of Parent Voices in the I Support My School... My Way series!
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VolunteerSpot's FREE online signup sheets make it easy to organize parents and signup to help for just about anything: classroom helpers, snack schedules, carnivals, library volunteers, parent-teacher conferences and more.... No more 'Reply-All' email chains or clipboard sign up sheets! Please share with your room mom, teachers and parent leaders…
What's your school's big fall fundraiser? A carnival, fall festival, auction, wrapping paper sale? Whatever it is, social media tools like facebook and twitter can rally parents, extend your reach, recognize sponsors and boost profits!
This is the fifth post in our series about activating your school -parent group through social media. We've covered power facebook tips and Twitter tips for PTAs and PTOs, and how to recognize volunteers using social channels. Let's put it all together in creating a Social Media Plan for big events.
As you're planning your big event, put some dedicated thought into how you will use social media before, during and after the event. Think about what you will post and who will post it. Enroll your inner-circle of parent leaders who are already using social media to particiapte as a way to show early traction. Not only is a school carnival or auction a terrific opportunity to engage parents and your community online, you can also attract new parents to your online communities during these events.
4-5 Weeks before the event:
1-3 weeks before the event:
Week-of the event:
During the event:
Day after the event:
Within a week of the event
The Twitter campaign will follow similar steps to the facebook time-line, but limited to 150 characters. The same guidelines apply for announcing tickets, posting items of interest, bonuses and acknowledging sponsors and volunteers. A few additional suggestions:
Thanks @GroceryStory, we're having a Gr8 day at #EastElemCarnival because of you!
Don't miss Principal A. in the dunking booth at 2pm! Big fun @ #EastElemCarnival. Thx 2 r sponsor @GroceryStore!
@MildyManicMom - you rocked the cakewalk! Thx for baking BIG for #EastElemCarnival! <link to photo>
We hope these social suggestions make your event more fun and profitable and boost your online communities. This is all so new and we know your parent groups will get even more creative than these suggestions. Please let us know what you try and learn over on our VolunteerSpot facebook page. Happy Fundraising!
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VolunteerSpot's FREE online signup sheets make it easy to organize parents and signup to help for just about anything: school carnivals and auctions, classroom helpers, snack schedules, library volunteers, parent-teacher conferences and more.... No more 'Reply-All' email chains or clipboard sign up sheets!
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