Citizens Create! is looking for 3-12 volunteers to help set up their exhibit at the Lyric Theater on November 12 at 1 pm. Volunteers will do physical labor of carrying art, setting up displays, etc. If you are interested in helping with this, contact Melissa Newton, 859-433-7051 For more information about Citizens Create, visit their website. http://www.citizenscreate.org/
Friday, October 26, 2012
Komen Lexington - Dec 8- 23
Komen Lexington is looking for
volunteers for the following events:
*Saturday Oct 27, from 11am to 1pm at lexington Ice Center, to help with educational material(1person).
*Saturday Oct 27, from 8:30- 11:30 pm indoor league by Champs, to help
at a Komen educational booth (1 person).
*Sunday October 28th from 6-8pm on UK Campus -Seaton Center gym at the Komen educational table (2 people).
*Saturday Dec 8 from 3 to 6 pm at Barns and Noble to wrap christmas
gifts. ( 2 people)
*Saturday Dec 15 from 12-3 pm( 1 person) and 3-6 pm at Barns and Noble
to help wrap gifts (2 people).
*Sunday Dec 23 from 3 to 6 pm at Barns and Noble to help wrap gifts
(2 people).
For more information, cotnact Linda Uffman, 606-272-1414 or lindauffman@yahoo.com
Salvation Army Angel Tree - Nov 19 to Dec 21
Transylvania will host Angel Tree tags for the Salvation Army. Beginning November 19, tags may be picked up at the Beck Center, the Bookstore or the William T. Young Campus Center. Gifts should be returned to one of those locations, unwrapped, by December 10. As in past years, our tag list gifts that will fill in for children whose tags were not picked up. Salvation Army has found this very helpful, and all of our donations have been used in the past.
If you are looking for another way to get involved with this program, you might consider helping to sort the gifts at the distribution center. The gift distribution center will open November 26, the day after Thanksgiving, and will continue until December 21. The normal hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 am until 8 pm and Sunday from 1-8 pm. If you or your group would like to 'help Santa', contact Amanda Lewis, 859-252-7706 x-119, Amanda.C.Lewis@use.salvationarmy.org The distribution center is located at 1030 South Broadway, by Sonic Drive-In.
LEEP Tutors - ongoing
LEEP (Literacy, Education, Experience, and Postsecondary) is designed to support youth ages 16-18, looking for help with classes to graduate from HS, with their GED, etc.
They need 2-4 volunteers every day, Monday – Thursday from
4:30-5:30 pm. The program is located at 520 Toner Street (Russell School
Community Center – very close to Transylvania's campus!)
Volunteers need to complete a background check (no cost to
the volunteer) and an application. There is no training program for the background check. To obtain an application, students should call and ask for one
to be sent in the mail or should visit the location to pick one up.
Sign up through the Transy Tutoring Team or visit the CAC website for more information.
WinterBlitz - Nov 10
Like to work around the house, but don't have a house? Want to learn those winterizing skills? WinterBlitz, a program of the Community Action Council, will connect individual volunteers or student groups with to people who need help winterizing their homes for the winter! Kentucky Utilities will supply the training, the tools, the breakfast and free T-shirts. The project takes place Saturday, November 10 at 8 am at 913 Georgetown Street. Your work will help families with low-income stay warm this winter. If you want to form a team, you should have 3-5 people on your team. For more information, visit their website.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
LEEP Tutoring
Community Action Council LEEP
Tutors
It’s a program designed to support youth ages 16-18, looking for
help with classes to graduate from HS, with their GED, etc.
They need 2-4 volunteers every day, Monday – Thursday from
4:30-5:30 pm. The program is located at 520 Toner Street (Russell School
Community Center – very close to campus!)
Volunteers need to complete a background check (no cost to
the volunteer) and a volunteer application. There is no training program for this.
To obtain an application, volunteers should call and ask for one
to be sent in the mail or should visit the location to pick one up.
The primary contact is Mr. Theo Ware, 554-4350, x-4013 but
Katrina also works with the program.
Red Cross Pumpkin Toss - Nov.4
Delta Sigma Phi's Red Cross Pumpkin Toss
Transylvania's Delta Sigma Phi is hosting a Pumpkin toss on Sunday, November 4, from 1-5 pm. This event will take place at the new athletic field, and they will use a pumpkin catapult for the toss. Cost is $5.00 and the proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross. For more information, contact Daniel Lyvers, dclyvers15@transy.edu
Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center Training - Jan 25, 2013
BRCC Volunteer Training – Winter 2013
The Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center will be holding their January training session starting January 25, 2013, at 5:30 p.m. in their Lexington office. BRCC volunteers serve as coverage for our 24 hour crisis hotline, directly providing crisis counseling to survivors, their friends and family members via phone. Volunteers also serve as medical advocates, responding to calls from our local emergency rooms to act as a support and a source of information for recent survivors who seek medical treatment. This volunteer opportunity offers direct client service experience to students, but working with the BRCC also affords individuals a chance to make truly meaningful change within their communities. Below is the training schedule for your reference. For more information, contact Caitlin Bentley, Caitlin.Bentley@bluegrassrapecrisis.org
Read
each section indicated in your Volunteer Manual prior to the next training
session.
Friday,
January 25, 2013
Read Section 1
Client-Centered Empathy - 5:30
PM to 8:30 PM
Presenters:
Jennifer Johnson & Charlotte Easley
The presentation
will include an agency overview and will lay the groundwork for understanding
the complexities of sexual violence. Further, volunteers will explore
stereotypes and examine biases that volunteers may have as well as how to cope
with these biases while providing quality advocacy to victims of sexual
violence.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Read
Sections 2, 3, 4
Rape Culture - 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Presenters:
Kristen Parks & Devin Harris
Rape
myths and stereotypes will be discussed as well as stages of trauma, victim and
offender profile, gender roles, media, and how rape culture affects daily
decision-making.
Lunch Break 12:00
– 1:00 PM
Crisis Counseling Techniques - 1:00
PM to 4:30 PM
Presenters:
Kathy Doyle & Theresa Fitzpatrick
In this
presentation, you will learn the basic tools essential in crisis line work
including reflective listening, validating, clarifying, paraphrasing and
decision making. Group role-plays will give volunteers a chance to practice
crisis intervention techniques. Practice skills assignment will be given at
session’s end.
Saturday,
February 2, 2013 Read
Sections 5, 6, 7, 9
Child Sexual Abuse& Adult Survivors - 8:30
AM to 10:30 AM
Presenters:
Angela Gibbs
This
discussion on child sexual abuse issues includes myths, indicators, and duty to
report, among other topics. Discussion will then move into working with adult
survivors of child sexual abuse. Volunteers will participate in group
role-plays.
Legal
Advocacy - 10:45 AM to 12:00 PM
Presenters:
Stephanie Humes
This
presentation will provide a broad overview of legal information with special
emphasis on judicial procedures and other information likely to be used by the
volunteer.
Lunch Break, 12:00
PM to 12:30 PM
Medical Advocacy - 12:45 PM to 5:00 PM
Presenters: Cari
Calico & Karen Sheppard
Volunteers will
reconvene at the University
of Kentucky Hospital Emergency Room
******Training schedule continues on back
******
Saturday,
February 9, 2013 Read
Sections 8, 10
Special Populations- 8:30
AM to 10:00 AM
Presenters: Dani Rodgers
This
presentation will provide tools for dealing with special circumstances while
providing crisis counseling and/or medical advocacy to individuals from various
populations.
Crisis Counseling Follow-Up - 10:00
AM to 11:30 AM
Presenters:
Kathy Doyle & Theresa Fitzpatrick
During
this session, we will review tools essential to crisis counseling and answer
questions from the group pertaining to this piece. Facilitator will also review
BRCC protocol for dealing with suicidal and homicidal clients.
Lunch
Break 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Presenters:
Caitlin Bentley
Outreach Vol. Policy & Procedure - 12:30
PM to 1:30 PM
Presenters:
Leeann Hayslett
Outreach
volunteers will meet to review the volunteer policies and procedures that each
person must know before being scheduled to provide medical advocacy.
Outreach Vol. Role-Plays - 1:30
PM to 5:00 PM
BRCC
staff will observe outreach trainees as they break into groups to do an
afternoon of role-plays.
BRCC staff will
observe Lexington
Training Wrap-Up - 5:00
PM to 5:15 PM
Staff will
review topics discussed throughout training session and answer any remaining
questions. Exit interviews will be scheduled during this time with Lexington
Good Giving Guide Challenge 2012
Good Giving Guide Challenge 2012
Sarah Billiter Cameron, Transylvania Class of 2008, serves on the advisor board for the Visually Impaired Preschool Service (VIPS) and is specifically involved in their Good Giving Campaign. Below is a flyer outlining the Good Giving Challenge. To learn more about the Good Giving Guide Challenge, visit their website, http://bgcf.org/good-giving-guide/
Friday, October 12, 2012
New Hunger and Homelessness Interest Group - Oct 19
Are you interested in issues of hunger and homelessness?
Plan to join the meeting on Friday, October 19 at 3 pm in Conference Room A.
Currently Transylvania's Peanut Butter and Jelly Club is a program of the Office of Community Service and Civic Engagement, but it is in the process of transitioning to become a student organization. This process will provide the opportunity to expand programming, including educational and advocacy projects. If you ever dreamed of having a sleepout for the homeless or an Oxfam dinner at Transy, now is the time to step up and attend!
For more information, contact Brittany Fallen, blfallen15@transy.edu or Ellen Heffron, eeheffron15@transy.edu
ASB Meal Planning Presentation- Oct 17
ASB Meal Planning Presentation
Are you tired of endless sandwiches and chips for lunch on your service trips? Find your group is wasting food? Have no fear! Transylvania Alternative Spring Break invites you to a presentation by Chef Aaron Welch, Executive Chef for Sodexo. Chef Aaron will speak about how to plan menus for groups of 10-20 people on Wednesday, October 17 at 3:30 pm in the Cafeteria. You might want to attend if you are planning a retreat, service trip or similar event in the near future. For more information, contact Justin Bullock, jlbullock15@transy.edu
Arghandab Cookie Competition - Nov. 20
Event update: A very nice thank you note!
Thank you very much for
participating in the Arghandab River Valley Cookie Competition. Competition was
fierce and the judges were very nearly overwhelmed by the number of entrants.
Unfortunately, the judges ran out of cookies before they could determine a
conclusive winner. I’m happy to announce that all entrants will automatically
qualify for next year’s cookie competition.
On a more serious note I would like
to give my most sincere thanks for the cookies that you sent in. A good day
here is generally very much the same as every other day here. Soldiers fall
into routines here because they work and that matters here more than anything
else. They go out, they come back, they write reports, they eat, they sleep.
After nine months it wears thin and the conversations all sound the same. The
smallest change makes a huge impact on the soldiers here, especially the
younger ones who often have come here straight out of high school and have not
had the time or experience to develop strong emotional support structures.
Moreover, after eleven years, the war simply is not at the forefront of
mainstream culture and it becomes discouraging to young soldiers who often feel
that their sacrifices go unnoticed by the general public. The simple act of
making cookies and sending them is a strong statement that shows Soldiers that
there are people that remember they are still out here in a strange land and
that has had an enormous positive effect on them.
Once again, thank you.
Respectfully,
John Benson
1LT, U.S. Cavalry
Arghandab Cookie Competition
This request comes from Kelly Ficker, Transylvania graduate and avid volunteer. Her boyfriend is in the Army and is hosting the Arghandab Cookie Competition with the hopes of lightening the spirits of his fellow friends and troops working abroad. Cookies are due to John by November 20th for judging so if you are baking you would need to send them by the end of October or the beginning of November, 2012.
Address:
John Benson
TF Legion 2-2 SBCT
COP DPC-A FOB Walton
APO AE
09367
We are still pending on a few more details about this, such as how many cookies, etc. We will update this post when we learn more details.
Carnegie Center Family Fun and Learning - Nov 20
The Carnegie Center is looking for five to eight volunteers to help with its Family Fun Night November 20 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Volunteers serve food, set up and clean up after projects, etc. The theme for this month's event is "Celebrate Culture". To sign up, contact Alyssa at outreach@carnegiecenterlex.org. Please indicate that you are from Transylvania when you contact her. For more information, contact Karen Anderson at 8182, or kanderson@transy.edu.
Teach for America-Oct 18
-Join in the TFA Conversation with Abby Adams, Teach for America 2010-11 as she shares about her experience on Oct 18 at noon at the CARE House. Kelly Torigoe, the Midwest Recruiter for TFA will participate via Skype. To promote the event and obtain questions for the event, we will ask people via twitter to send us questions (@Civic Engagement) by October 17. After Abby shares her story, Abby and Kelly will address the questions.
-“Chat With Kelly” week is Oct 22-26. To sign up go to this google doc ; feel free to sign up for a time slot. Kelly’s coordinator, Ram Lakhani, will then work with you, send a confirmation and reminder emails.
-Free online events!The TFA Midwest Recruitment team will be holding a series of informational events over the coming months for students at schools throughout the Midwest to learn more about a variety of topics regarding Teach For America. Here is a list of upcoming events that might be great for youto attend. All you have to do is click on the link to RSVP. These are online events and they can sign in and view the presentation from any computer and listen to the audio portion from any phone.
i.Math and Science Education: The Injustice and the Opportunity: October 29th from 7 to 8 PM EST: Only 50 percent of students growing up in low-income communities will have a math or science teacher who has a major or minor in the field they are teaching. These students' math and science skills lag far behind those of their higher-income peers. Corps members, alumni, and faculty in math and sciences will talk about the opportunity math and science majors have to help solve this inequality in math and science education. Register here.
ii.Impacting Latino Communities: October 29th from 8 to 9 PM EST: Hear about our commitment to building a diverse corps. This event will feature Latino corps members and alumni sharing their experiences and the impact they made while teaching in Hispanic communities. Register here.
iii.Introduction to Teach For America: October 30th from 7 to 8 PM EST: A session designed for those with limited prior knowledge about Teach For America. Learn about our mission and approach to closing the achievement gap. One of our corps members will talk about his or her experience. Includes Q&A session. Registerhere.
iv.Impacting Native American Communities:October 30th from 8 to 9 PM EST: Learn more about Teach For America’s work in Native American-serving regions. Learn about the profound additional impact a Native American can have as a teacher and leader in the corps. Register here.
v.Corps Member and Alumni Stories: November 6th from 7 to 8 PM EST: A panel of corps members and alumni will discuss their personal experiences in the classroom and the impact it had on their lives. Registerhere.
vi.Parent Information Call: November 7th from 7 to 8 PM EST: Do your parents have questions and concerns about your decision to join Teach For America? Invite your parents to learn more about our program and to get their questions answered from staff members and other parents. Register here.
vii.Impacting African American Communities: November 8th from 7 to 8 PM EST: Learn about our commitment to diversity and hear African American corps members and alumni discuss their experiences and the impact they made while teaching in African American communities. Registerhere.
viii.Our High Need Regions: November 27th from 7 to 8 PM EST:Teach For America currently has 46 regions where we place our teachers. Five of our 46 regions have been named as a region with even more of a need for qualified teachers. These regions are Detroit, Mississippi Delta, Oklahoma, Memphis and the Las Vegas valley. Learn more about each of these regions and how you can potentially make an additional impact in a region with extremely high need for teachers. Register here.
ix.Introduction to Teach For America: December 19th from 7 to 8 PM EST: A session designed for those with limited prior knowledge about Teach For America. Learn about our mission and approach to closing the achievement gap. One of our corps members will talk about his or her experience. Includes Q&A session. Register here.
Keep in mind that the next deadline for TFA applications is November 2, 2012.
One day, all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.teachforamerica.org | Facebook | Twitter
33 Things You Can Still Do to Engage Students in the Election
Paul Loeb shared some ideas for you below:
Here’s a list of things you can
still do to engage students in the election, created by our Campus Election Engagement Project.
Please circulate, post, and pass it on however you can.
Paul Loeb, Founder Campus Election
Engagement Project, author Soul of a Citizen and The Impossible Will
Take a Little While
33 Things You Can Still Do to Engage
Students in the Election
Created by the Campus Election Engagement Project
Here’s a quick list of things
schools can still do to get students engaged in the election, pulled together
from all the good ideas that different campuses have come up with. We’ve broken
them down by category, though some overlap. We hope these ideas will help
you think of last minute ways to engage students in voter education, voter
protection, getting out the vote, and finding ways to stay involved the
election.
The key in these final weeks is to
follow through on good ideas already begun and pick new ideas that will
complement other activities. Most new ideas will need to be low-cost,
simple and creative to pull off in this short time frame, but any of these
could still make a significant difference. We hope you’ll scan these ideas
and pick some things to do that you aren’t already doing. Also, take
a look at the listed ideas that we got from you!
GENERAL VISIBILITY
1.
Guerrilla
theater! In 2008 the University of
Colorado at Denver ordered Obama and McCain masks and gigantic boxing gloves
and used them to hold mock fights and breakdancing contests all over campus.
They were hugely popular with students, so if you want to order
Romney/Obama masks they're $19.95 each, orderable here. And this
is where you get the two pairs of $9.99 gigantic blow up boxing
gloves. You can order either with two-day or next-day shipping. The
possibilities with such approaches are limited only by your imagination: Hold
amusing or serious skits about voting, publicize issues or debates, and gather
crowds in visible places to interest students who might ignore tables or signs.
Use these events to hand out voter pledges and voting information. Be creative
and try to entertain as you engage and educate.
2. Halloween
activities: Trick or Vote canvassing
on or around Halloween. Materials are available online so you don’t need
to start from scratch. Take advantage of parties happening on that day to
spread your voter protection, voter education and get out the vote messages. Hand
out candy messages: Get some bags of candy and stick or tie small message
to them (“vote on nov 6”, “bring ID to the polls”, “what time are you voting?”,
“how are you getting to the polls?”, “what kind of ID do I need? www.866ourvote.org,” “election party,
_____ dorm,” etc.) Then put on a costume (or not) and hand them out on
campus—having more information available can be helpful but people are much
more likely to take a small piece of candy than a flyer.
3.
Plan parades to
early voting sites or polling places and absentee ballot parties. University of Colorado Denver also did a parade of student
voters to the nearby early voting site. Schools where sites are too far
to walk can do this with carpools or school-sponsored shuttles. Early voting
is key: It avoids the problems of jammed student schedules or long polling
place lines, and gives students a chance to correct registration problems. On
November 6th, you can repeat these efforts to make voting a community activity
and celebrate having so many people turn out. Find creative ways to keep
folks occupied (like providing some sort of entertainment or snacks) while
people wait at the polling place for their friends to make it through the
lines. Westfield State in Massachusetts held an absentee ballot party, where
students could get their necessary ID info photocopied and have snacks while
privately casting their ballots, addressing them, and stacking them to be
mailed. Other schools have given students stamps to mail back their ballots, so
they won’t have to hunt them down. And election night parties let
students come together to watch the returns come in.
4. Display posters, banners, signs and sandwich boards as permitted around campus with various messages
encouraging voting, reminding people of absentee ballot request deadlines, and
educating them about what to bring to the polls. Use existing templates, or create
your own. Hand out iVote stickers, which can go on everything from book covers
to water bottles to bicycles. You can also provide chalk for students to chalk
campus walkways with various messages and images to encourage voting, share
websites and announce activities.
5.
Write op-eds
and letters to editors for newspapers
about the importance of each person’s vote and your campus initiatives to
engage students. Encourage students to make time both to arrive at educated
choices on issues and candidates and to figure out how and when they’ll fit
voting into their lives. Remind people to exercise their right to vote and be
prepared in case the lines are long.
6. Get students to sign a “Pledge to Vote”: Create a generic card to sign or send them to various
online pledges (e.g., Rock the
Vote) and pledges to vote for candidates and issues of folks’ choice. If
you create a pledge card, you could also include on it places for people to
make specific commitments to themselves about WHEN they’ll learn about the
issues and candidates and decide how to vote, HOW they’ll cast their ballot (at
their polling place, at home via absentee ballot or by early voting), WHAT TIME
they’ll got to the polls (or fill out their ballot), WHAT they’ll take with
them to vote (e.g., identification, sample ballot, directions to polling place,
friends), OTHER ARRANGEMENTS they’ll need to make to fit voting into their
schedule and actually get to the polls, etc. Make sure to encourage faculty
to distribute pledge cards in class and allow class time for students to
make a plan and research the issues and candidates.
7. Use social networking sites to carry your message. Use existing groups and causes and encourage students to
post onto their sites so their friends will vote. Distribute the Election
Protection Smartphone app via your campus IT department, and encourage students
to use it to register, check registration and ID rules, and find out and tell
their friends where their precincts are located. Consider placing ads during
the last two weeks on Facebook, targeting students on your campus. Perhaps
do a new ad each day with a slightly different message, including a countdown
to remaining deadlines and to Election Day. After the election, continue with
“what’s next”-type messages to keep people involved. You can also register at
www.Campusvotemap.info so other
administrators, faculty and staff on your campus can contact you to help engage
your students. People in every academic discipline and higher education
professional network will hear about the project through their national
associations. Our VoteMap lets them connect with you so you get valuable allies.
8. Set up mock polling places,
perhaps in the student union, with sample ballots for students to practice
voting and consider how they’ll vote. University of St. Francis (IN)
conducted mock elections as part of their registration drives. Such dry runs
now for new voters can help people assure they bring what they’ll need with
them if they vote at the polls and encourage them to learn about issues and
candidates before they enter the polling booth on November 6th. Have
written
information available to help students both with the mechanics and the issues
they’ll need to know about to vote. You can also have stamps available
so you can encourage absentee voters who complete their real ballots to send
them in immediately. And set up computers with lists of informational sites like League of Women Voters, Votesmart.org, NY Times Election Guide,
On The Issues, Public Agenda & Vote Gopher.com for issues and
candidates and The
Brennan Center for Justice &1-866-Our-Vote
for voter protection issues and local rules.
9.
Publicize polling locations near campus, including
directions, hours and transportation options. Also,
check state voter registration and ID rules, which should be posted on the
election section of your state Campus Compact affiliate or other
CEEP-affiliated state election engagement project sites. Many state rules have
changed a lot since 2008, so it’s critical to be on top of new rules and ensure
you have accurate information to share. For instance, Pennsylvania schools now
need expiration dates on student IDs for them to serve as IDs at the polls, but
the new rules can be met if schools add expiration stickers. A new Florida law,
for the moment invalidated by a judge, requires groups registering voters to
register with the state and turn in registrations within a two-day window.
STUDENT
VOLUNTEERING
10.
It’s not too
late to ask faculty to give students extra credit for volunteering in the
campaigns of their choice and reporting back through journals, papers or
classroom presentations. If students get
involved now, they’re more likely to be involved in future campaigns. Many of
the ideas in this list parallel campaign activities and faculty and staff can
encourage students to participate directly, in ways that give them a chance to
give voice to their own particular convictions.
11.
Volunteering at
the polls or for initiatives and campaigns on Election Day is a great way to get more involved in the process.
Students can knock on doors, make calls, or volunteer as poll-watchers with the
candidates of their choice—playing a critical role in getting out the vote for
the campaigns they support. They can also go to the national sites of their
preferred candidates and make phone calls to key voters in other states or
other areas of their own state. Finally, students can volunteer with
local voter protection efforts through the existing campaigns. Law students
can play a particular role volunteering with the non-partisan Election Protection coalition.
12.
Publish a list
with campaign contact information (for all
parties, candidates and initiatives) in the school newspaper and encourage
students to volunteer in these ongoing efforts. Also include campus-initiated
volunteer opportunities (like College Republicans or College Democrats or some
listed in this document) that are in place so people can plug in easily.
13.
Students can also
sign up (and
even get paid) as non-partisan poll-workers.
EDUCATION ON
ISSUES, CANDIDATES and THE ELECTION
14.
Display
information on candidate platforms in the student union, blown up large enough so it’s visible to passing students.
Also, publicize information on initiatives, which are likely to be far less
high-profile and therefore a source of far more confusion. You can find
downloadable information on your state’s initiatives here.
15.
Ask your
election board or League of Women’s Voters for the official non-partisan voters
pamphlets for the area and place copies in key locations around campus. The League Guides may also have information on more local
races, which are extremely important but often overlooked.
16.
Hold formal and
informal debates and discussion sessions where
students can discuss issues and candidates with other students and help decide
how they want to vote. Screen election-related films such as Iron-Jawed
Angels, The Young Candidate or Journeys through the Red, White and Blue.
17.
Post lists of good websites for learning about issues
and candidates in libraries, study areas, dorms and places where students
use computers.
18.
Make a fun Election Quiz for students
to take in class, at lunch, at home. See a
sample for Indiana.
GET OUT THE VOTE
19. Work with the campus IT department to send reminder emails,
voice-mails and text messages to every student on campus. Messages can include links to resources such as www.govote.org where students can find out
where to vote and what they need to bring, and sites where they can verify registration. Make
sure to check out the Campus Election Engagement Project website
to view our latest resources, including new online tools.
Encouraging students to make a logistical plan for how and when they’ll
cast their vote is helpful in addition to a simple reminder. Check that key
campus websites have been updated to include links to such useful voter
information sites and include a countdown to Election Day. If you distributed
the Election Protection smartphone app, follow up with everyone who signed up.
Ideally at least one message could go out before deadlines to order an absentee
ballot as a reminder for those cannot get to their polling place or vote early,
and a second message could be sent on November 5th to remind all
others to vote at the polls.
20.
If the prime
polling place is off-campus, offer rides to the polls and encourage carpooling
and going to the polls with friends. Some
campuses have rented buses or vans to shuttle students from campus to their
polling place, having worked out liability details.
21.
Ask faculty to
let students miss classes, if need be, to vote. This is particularly valuable at community colleges, where
students often have little time between work and school. In 2008, Virginia’s
Liberty University cancelled all classes on Election Day and scheduled
shuttle buses to take students to the polls. Their 10,500 students’ usual
academic routine was replaced with an all-day
campus concert that turned into an election party when the returns began to
come in.
22.
Parades to
early voting sites or polling places. University of Colorado Denver is doing a
parade of student voters to the nearby early voting site. Schools where the sites are farther away can do this with
carpools. Early voting is key, because it avoids the problems of jammed
schedules or long polling place lines, plus it gives students a chance to
correct any problems. Then on November 6th, it can be repeated to
make voting a community activity and celebrate having so many people voting. Plan
for entertainment and snacks near the polling place while students wait in
line or wait for their friends to make it through the lines.
23.
Ask students to
text their friends and send Facebook messages to their friends with voting
reminders leading up to Election Day and on the day itself.
24.
Encourage “Take
a Date to the Polls” and “Real Friends Don’t Let Friends Vote Alone” concepts to foster support within peer groups, using
posters, messages, Facebook ads, etc.
25.
Organize
dorm storming on Election Day. Knock on doors and offer rides or company
going to the polls to registered students blowing it off at the last minute.
You’ll have to coordinate between Residence Life, Campus Security and Student
Activities to make sure student groups have access to the dorms. Make “I voted” buttons or stickers to give
to people you find who have voted and invite others to get theirs once they do
vote.
26.
Phone bank all registered voters
whose numbers you have. If you did a registration drive you should have them
already, or check with the county election board to purchase copies of voter
rolls.
27.
Plan Election Night Parties to
watch returns in student unions, dormitories, fraternities, sororities and
other places where students gather. Distribute a list of campaign parties around
town as well so students can join in the celebrations in the community as well,
particularly with campaigners.
ELECTION PROTECTION
28.
Encourage
students to verify their
registration, and to address any
problems before it’s too late.
29. Double-check state ID rules just
before the election, and let every student know what they need to bring to the
polls. In many states, ongoing court cases
may change the rules a month or less before the election. If useful, issue
appropriate issue zero balance utility bills or personalized letters from the
president to provide ID for students who’ve registered at dorm addresses.
30. Distribute the election info
number 1-866-OUR-VOTE, which connects you to volunteer lawyers who can answer
questions and correct misinformation from poll-workers, make posters with info
such as voter ID rules and polling locations, and plaster the campus with them. Have student
volunteers outside the polls with the election information number in case
students have problems. If problems do occur (and with this many new voters and
twists and turns of election rules, they may well), it’s critical that any
student whose vote is challenged knows to call this number for how to respond
and cast their vote.
POST-ELECTION
ENGAGEMENT
31.
Ask Faculty to keep students engaged
post-election. This is especially important since most voters have no plans
to stay engaged after voting. This could include reports from those who
volunteered in election activities or pledges and planning to stay involved on
issues they care about.
32.
Set up forums for students to discuss
the “meaning” of the election results in the weeks after the election. Invite parties
and issue groups to table so students can consider ways to stay involved. Student
government and student groups can also convene town hall meetings,
where students examine community needs, define local and national issues and
explore on courses of action. These could also draw in existing
student-engagement groups like the PIRGs.
33.
If your school
increased its student participation and turnout from 2008, celebrate publicly. Make sure every student knows. Find out what methods
worked best, and make plans for how to build on it and learn from the
experience of other schools. Our Campus Election Engagement Project will be
updating our website to incorporate the great new ideas that people have come
up with, so check back for examples to help carry your efforts forward, and
send any great stories or examples to CEEP staffers you’ve been working with or
campuselect@gmail.com. Thanks for
everything you’ve done!
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