Promoting Your Club: Innovations & Inspirations

Promoting Your Club:Innovations & Inspirations June 23-26, 2016 St. Catharines, ON Brock University, Thistle Room 258

Welcome! • Maddie Webb, Advocacy Coordinator at CFUW National Office • Robin Jackson, Executive Director, CFUW National Office

Agenda Three Pillars for Promoting Your Club: • 1. Community Engagement 101: Why do we engage with the community? • II. Creating a Strategy: Group activity • III. Rolling Out Your Strategy: Tips & tricks from fellow clubs

I. Community Engagement 101 What role does CFUW play in the community? *5 minutes*

I. Community engagement 101 What happens when we engage with the community? • Raises your club profile • Makes advocacy more effective • Peaks interest in your club – can raise membership • Brings people together on issues of common interest

II. Creating a strategy • Book Sale • Speaker Series • Get-Out-The-Vote Campaign • Child Care Campaign • Sexual Assault Research Project • Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Project • Christmas Play

II. Creating a strategy What is likely to be your club focus this year?

II. Creating a Strategy

II. Creating a strategy Local organizations that: • Share your concerns • You have pre-existing connections with • Have capacities and tools that could be useful for your event/campaign • Corporation that might sponsor the event Potential Partners CFUW St. John’s presents $2000 to Project Grace – an after-school music program for children with challenging needs.

II. Creating a strategy • Op-eds • Press releases • Radio spots • Posters and flyers, and locations to drop them off? • Catering/Vendors • Speakers • Space • Volunteers • Decorations

ii. Creating a strategy Take ten minutes to discuss your plan with your table. Go over each section and see if you can help each other with ideas.

III. Rolling out your strategy community • Meet with your MP, MPP/MLA/MHA, City Councilor, Mayor Media partnerships Local high school class Cultural groups Immigrant organizations Local shops Sports teams • Attend local events: town halls, demonstrations • Media advisory • Press release • Letter to the Editor • Op Ed • Get involved in community events: adopt a Syrian family, volunteer with the food bank

Isobel Boylecfuw Guelph Community Forum on Child Care

How does CFUW Guelph see their role in the community? Reflecting our pillars of : Connecting Our community connection –Bridges Out of Poverty Learning Speakers Scholarships Advocating Out of Poverty Child Care/Education Women and Politics Indigenous Issues

How did you identify your big project? A Community Forum on Child care: We Need to get it Right Now is the time • Strong support among Canadians for a National Child Care Program • 2012 report by UN Committee on the Rights of the Child concluded the following about Canada’s Child Care System: • High cost of child care • Lack of available places for children • Absence of uniform training requirements for all child-care staff • Lack of standards of quality care • Most provinces have stated the need of increased federal support • Imminent Federal Election!

Resources and Strengths • Existing Child Care/Education advocacy working group • Available recent research • Connection with U of G Early Learning Centre • National CFUW Policy Involving Community Partners • YMCA-YWCA • Students from a local High School’s Media Studies Program • Neighbourhood groups

The Event A planning group formed and brainstormed the issue. We developed a task list including speakers, partners, budget, sponsors, advertising, videotaping, handouts, venue and press A community forum was chosen as this was the most appropriate way to address the issues to our targeted audience Speakers Martha Friendly –represented a National focus ZeenatJanmohamed – EC Educator and researcher Lorna Reid –Local Director of a Childcare and Learning Centre Audience included parents, grandparents, schoolboard personnel, teachers, local poverty task force, community organizations, EC educators, students, representatives from ON Council, and CFUW National

Getting the word out

Identified audience Sent invitations to MPs, MPP, Mayor Used connections in the School Board(s), teacher’s federation, notice to Day Cares and Early Learning Centres, Guelph Community Health Centre for inclusion in YMCA-YWCA helped with advertising Press release sent 2 weeks prior to event – one newspaper covered the event

RESULTS 70 people attended the event Diverse audience who were engaged based on the questions raised Videotaping made available nationally through CFUW Website Poster presentation of event Facts sheet on Childhood Education and Care Follow up meeting held with Ontario Ministry of Education Representative Increase in Club visibility

LESSONS LEARNED • Having an engaged team planning the event • Documenting an Action Plan to follow • Forming partnerships • Involving ON Council and CFUW National • Using connections

Judy Thomsoncfuwowen sound A Christmas Carol (Play)

Sheila Smythcfuwoshawa Violence Against Women Advocacy

Promoting Your Club: Innovations & Inspirations