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Rights. Respect. Responsibility.®—The Keep it REAL Campaign Toolkit [PDF]
Getting Involved in Rights. Respect. Responsibility.®—The Keep It Real Campaign
How to Get Involved?
Advocates for Youth recommends that, as an activist, you identify an organization that is interested in participating in the Campaign. This can be an organization that you are already a part of or one that you are interested in working with. Working with an organization will be beneficial because an organization can provide resources, including additional volunteers, to support your campaign efforts.
However, if you are not part of an organization and can’t find one with which to work, you can still participate in the Keep it REAL Campaign. See the box below for tips on participating as an individual.
Tips for Working with an Organization on the Keep it REAL Campaign
- First Review this Organizing Toolkit. It provides practical guidance on direct organizing. While this toolkit is not an exhaustive guide to advocacy, it focuses on using direct action organizing to mobilize youth and allies to build Congressional support for the REAL Act. For links to more information on the REAL Act and sex education as well as organizations that support youth’s access to comprehensive sex education, see the Resources section.
- Next Contact Advocates for Youth. Contact the YAN via: e-mail to caeden@advocatesforyouth.org or by phone to 202.419.3420. Advocates for Youth will provide you with technical assistance and training opportunities for this Campaign. Advocates for Youth will also connect you to your Regional Organizer who can answer your questions, get you resources, and help you to track your progress.
- Identify an Organization with which to Work. Approach the organization’s leaders with information about the Campaign.
- Now Reach Allies Who Might Be Interested in Joining You in Your Efforts on This Campaign. Work to build a strong network of allies and supporters that together can garner strength, keep on course, and work successfully.
- Together Create an Action Plan. The Campaign’s intermediate goal is to increase co-sponsorship of the REAL Act by 25 senators. Think strategically about how you can help the Campaign meet its goals. Identify objectives for your campaign efforts.
- Finally, Determine which Tactics You Will Use to Move the Campaign Forward, and Apply Them. Review the sample tactics, and decide which will work best for you, based on the strength of your organization, the amount of time available to you and your allies and supporters, the amount of community support or opposition you expect, etc. If you have questions about tactics, contact Advocates for Youth or your Regional Organizer.
Working with an Organization
Once you have decided to participate in the Keep it REAL Campaign, you should identify an organization with which to work and then present the Campaign to the organization’s leaders. Potential partner organizations include student groups of which you are already a member or other campus organizations that you believe might be interested in participating in the Campaign, such as: pro-choice organizations; sex education groups; gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender organizations; and campus groups with social justice missions.
Once you have identified an organization, schedule a meeting with its leaders. Below are some talking points to use to encourage the organization to participate in the Keep it REAL Campaign.
Talking Points:
- This is an important issue – Young people have the right to honest sex education that can help them protect their sexual and reproductive health.
- The Campaign will connect the organization with a national organization (Advocates for Youth) that can support the efforts.
- Running a campaign with set goals and tactics can increase participation of your members and can serve as a recruiting tool for new members.
- Outreach regarding this Campaign can increase the organization’s supporters, allies, and volunteers.
- Being part of a national campaign will connect the organization with student groups across the region as well as nationally.
- Forming connections with members of Congress will open the doors for future communication on issues of importance to the organization.
Using Campaigns to Strengthen Your Organization
Running campaigns should always strengthen—and never weaken—an organization. So, consider the wants and needs of the organization. Look at the organization’s strengths and weaknesses. Being clear on where the organization is strong and where the organization is not will help determine what the organization can put into the Campaign and what it can hope to gain from participating. Consider:
- Resources
First, list all of the organizational resources that the organization can offer to the Campaign. For example,
- 10 dedicated students who will each give three to five hours per week
- Three strong student leaders who will dedicate 15 to 20 hours per week
- 50 potential volunteer contacts
- Internet access
- Five phone lines, available 24/7
Be specific about what the organization has—this way you can really assess your strengths and identify your weaknesses. If there are a few people willing to dedicate time to the Campaign, write down exactly how many hours they will commit per week. List the exact number of computers, telephones, etc., to which the Campaign will have access. Include everything and anything in this list that will help to make the Campaign a success.
- Gains
Next, consider what the organization wants. This list is about what the organization wants to gain from participating in this Campaign. For example:
- Gain 25 new volunteers
- Raise $500
- Recruit four new youth leaders
Remember that participation should strengthen the organization. Identify areas where the organization is weak and consider how participating in this Campaign can improve those areas.
- Internal Problems
Finally when thinking about organizational considerations, list the organization’s internal problems, if any, that might be a barrier to participating in the Campaign. Such problems can range from no money to a limited membership. Be honest about internal conflicts that could prove to be an issue. For example, if the organization’s leaders are not getting along or the organization has a divided membership, the Campaign efforts may fail. Identifying these problems in advance will allow you address them before they derail the Campaign
tips for Participating as an Individual in the Keep it REAL Campaign
- Review this Organizing Toolkit. It provides practical guidance on direct organizing. [This toolkit is not an exhaustive guide to advocacy but it does focus on using direct action organizing to mobilize youth and allies to build Congressional support for the REAL Act. For links to more information on the REAL Act and sex education as well as to organizations that support youth’s access to comprehensive sex education, see the Resources section.
- Next Contact Advocates for Youth. Contact the YAN via: e-mail to caeden@advocatesforyouth.org or by phone to 202.419.3420. Advocates for Youth will provide you with technical assistance and training opportunities for this Campaign. Advocates for Youth will also connect you to your Regional Organizer who can answer your questions, get you resources, and help you to track your progress.
- Reach out to Other Interested People and Organizations.
- Determine if Your Senators Are Co-sponsors of the REAL Act. You can find out by going to http://thomas.loc.gov and searching for bill number S. 368.
If your senators are not co-sponsors:
- Write a letter asking for their support. You can find a sample letter on page 26.
- Work with your friends to write letters to their senators.
- Schedule a lobby visit for when your senators are in their local offices rather than in Washington, DC. Take friends from your home state with you. Find additional information on lobbying on page 27.
- Encourage your friends to visit their senators when they (the friends) are home on break.
If your senators are co-sponsors:
- Write a letter, thanking them for their support and urging them to encourage their colleagues to co-sponsor the bill.
- Work with your friends from other states, drafting letters and setting up meetings for them to discuss co-sponsorship of the REAL Act with their senators.
- Increase Public Knowledge of the REAL Act through Community Forums.
- Use the Media to Increase Public Knowledge of the REAL Act.
- Identify Additional Tactics that Interest You.
- Keep in Contact with Advocates for Youth. Advocates can work with you and your allies, assisting you in your efforts on this Campaign. Keep track of Advocates’ online training programs and other activist-related opportunities by reading e-mails from the Youth Activist Network. Also, keep Advocates informed about your progress.
- Build Your Skills as an Activist. Participate in Advocates’ online training programs (announcements about times and topics arrive via e-mail).
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