VOL-12, New July 2001. Donna Reynolds, Extension Communications Editor, News and Public Affairs, and Chuck Hill, 4-H Program Specialists

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Publicizing National 4-H Week and Other Special Events Leader Letter

Four-H volunteers, agents, and young people can do many things to promote the organization, especially during National 4-H Week. This publication offers suggestions for activities that you Can do to publicize and promote your county's clubs and programs.

A publicity committee is a great place to expand community involvement. Recruit people from newspapers, radio stations, and businesses, such as car dealerships and banks, that have high-profile marketing programs. Young people should be involved in all phases of planning and promoting the event.

• Include a flier promoting 4-H in the monthly statement from local banks or gas, electric, phone, or cable companies. Arrange this far in advance.
• Ask the local newspaper (daily or weekly) to do a tabloid or special feature on 4-H with lots of action pictures of 4-H'ers in your county. Find success stories about local 4-H'ers, volunteer leaders, and 4-H alumni. (Example: The mayor of your town may be a former 4-H'er. Ask him or her to talk about the positive impact of skills learned through 4-H.)
• Extension Communications has promotional 4-H videos. Show them at various locations during the year. See if the local cable company will run a video regularly during National 4-H Week.
• Provide local radio and television stations with public service announcements about 4-H.
• Have 4-H'ers recognized as a group in their local churches or school assemblies. Four-H'ers could give testimonials on the positive influence of 4-H in their lives.
• Create a local proclamation declaring a 4-H Appreciation Week in your county or city.
• Put up bulletin boards about 4-H in schools, shopping malls, or churches.
• Have a 4-H club enrollment drive in your community and schools. Set up a booth in a mall, shopping center, or discount store with information about 4-H and what's available to youth in your county.
• Feature 4-H'ers and 4-H literature in a booth at the county fair or other public events.
• Announce special events with banners in and around the city or county.
• Have 4-H agents, volunteers, and 4-H'ers address civic club meetings (Rotary, Kiwanis, Jaycees, Civitan) or county commodity groups (rural electric company, cattlemen/cattlewomen organizations, producers' associations).
• Do a community project, such as reading to youngsters during story time at the city library or a school; clean up a street or stretch of highway; recycle cans or newspapers; participate in a food drive; help with a blood drive; or assist elderly residents with a clean-up project, such as raking leaves, sweeping driveways and walkways, etc. Present an entertaining program in a nursing home.
• Have 4-H announcements made at school during morning announcement time or during an assembly program.
• Do a 4-H skit at a school assembly program.
• Plant a tree or wildflower garden to honor 4-H in your community.
• Have 4-H'ers, 4-H agents, or community volunteers promote 4-H on radio morning shows, television talk shows, and local news broad-casts. Ask the cable company to do a video message board (crawl) promoting 4-H.
• Arrange for the public address announcer at Friday night football games to read a public service announcement promoting 4-H membership.
• Work concessions at ball games to raise funds for local programs. Wear your 4-H t-shirts while working.
• Wear various 4-H t-shirts (performing arts, 4-H Congress, environmental stewardship, forestry, etc.) to school during National 4-H Week.
• Create and wear buttons that say "Ask Me About 4-H" during National 4-H Week.

Whatever you do, make 4-H highly visible all year. Get excited about your programs and let others see in you just how great 4-H is!