4 Replies Last post: Jul 25, 2008 8:34 AM by adubois  
Click to view adubois's profile   4 posts since
Jul 22, 2008

Jul 23, 2008 4:13 PM

How do you get buy-in for your program at your own school?


For several years now our officer team has provided lunch for our entire faculty and staff during one of the teacher work days before school starts. The desire was two fold. One, to show our teachers, administration and staff how much we appreciate them. (We have about 110 people that we provide the meal for so the cost is not small.) Also, we take this opportunity to have the officers in official dress introduce themselves, share the chapter's accomplishments at state convention during the summer and just spread good will in general. Unfortunately many people (including our counselors), choose to take their food or just eat and leave before the students get to speak. I realize that schools are all quite different but I was wondering if anyone does something in their chapter to accomplish this same type of purpose that you feel has been very successful. We are ready to try something new to improve our marketing efforts for our chapter. Any comments will be greatly appreciated.

Alice

Click to view kcouture's profile   11 posts since
Nov 12, 2007
1. Jul 23, 2008 8:00 PM in response to: adubois
Re: How do you get buy-in for your program at your own school?
I applaud your efforts to provide lunch for your staff. I might suggest that you look for a different opportunity other than those initial work days. Teachers tend to be stressed in those initial days with faculty meetings, district-wide meetings, not to mention trying to get their room ready for the beginning of school. You might also consider a monthly e-newsletter to the faculty and staff about what is happening with your program and FFA chapter. My school does something we call the Blues Cafe every Friday. One or two of the staff volunteers to bake or bring other food for the staff to stop in and enjoy. There is a can for donations that go to our student emerency fund to help students if they need something for school that they can not afford. Our chapter sponsors this event during FFA Week and one or two more times during the year. If you have a school newspaper, get your reporter to meet with the teacher advisor and student editor to ask them include articles about your agricultural education program and the FFA chapter. Local radio stations love to feature students talking about the great things that are happening in your program. Best of luck!
Click to view smithl's profile   54 posts since
Nov 7, 2007
2. Jul 24, 2008 3:00 PM in response to: adubois
Re: How do you get buy-in for your program at your own school?

We have a picnic in the summer before schools starts. We invite students, parents, alumni and administrators. Our FFA officers speak and the alumni president speaks about the activities they supported for the year. We collect alumni dues and have a dessert auction. No, it's not the enire high school faculty, but some key individuals are there and they enjoy the program.


Another thing we used to do was feed the faculty during P/T conferences. The principal set aside an hour without interuption for the entire faculty to eat together in the shop. We served ribeyes... that service got to be too expensive.