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Vermont Reads 2008 |
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“Sharing Our Past — Shaping Our Future” Since 1974 |
Program Coordination Tips
AUDIENCE
Know Your Audience – Be sure you know your audience before determining the activity or activities you plan to undertake. You may be interested in hosting programs for adults, young adults, middle-schoolers, or a combination of the above. A Restless Spirit was chosen for its appeal to a wide range of people: young and old, those who are strong readers and those who want to strengthen their reading skills. You may choose to appeal to a diverse group or target a specific type of reader. (The Council encourages open, general public programming whenever possible.)
Involve Your Audience – Involve your audience in planning your programs—in the choice of activities, the planning details, and the on-site coordination of them. This will help everyone, especially children and young adults, feel invested in the event from start to finish.
Book Access – Ideally, participants will come to the programs and activities having read and thought about the book. However, with the possible exception of book discussion programs, this should not be a stringent requirement for participation. In particular, read-a-thons and staged readings may be the first exposure that participants have to the book, so make sure you have copies on hand to give away or sell. (Publicize where participants can get a copy of the book. Remember: Access is the key to success.) Please make every effort to accommodate beginning readers or those needing a reading partner. Places to contact for assistance include Adult Basic Education Centers, libraries, and schools.
NOTES ON ORGANIZING PROGRAMS
Combining Programs – Many of these programs and activities can be combined—held simultaneously or on successive days or evenings. Consider holding a book discussion one night and a panel discussion the next. Or an outdoor excursion and art project. Or a writing project culminating in a poetry reading.
Location, Location, Location – Program location possibilities are as endless as types of activities. Consider transportation needs when deciding on a location and arrange for busing or car pools whenever possible if the need arises. For some, getting to an out-of-the-way site presents a challenge, so consider central locations with easy access (including access for the disabled). Traditional sites such as libraries, schools, senior centers, and town halls/civic buildings are excellent, but we encourage you to think non-traditionally as well in order to increase your audience. Try these locations: cafés/coffee shops/restaurants, Laundromats, beaches/lakefronts, nature centers/parks, organizations such as the YMCA/YWCA and Boys-and-Girls Club, church function rooms, bookstores, local businesses.
Funding – Think outside the box in this category, too. Rule #1: Collaborate. This not only increases your potential audience, but two organizations have more resources than one, and those resources only increase when more organizations join the mix. By resources we don’t just mean cash, but person-power and in-kind donations such as the use of a photocopier or beverages and snacks during the event. Invite local businesses to support the program by donating funds outright, or space in their facility.
Publicity – Any community sponsoring a “Vermont Reads A Restless Spirit” project should take advantage of the Council’s FREE publicity, including notices on our web site and in our monthly media calendar.
Submit the Vermont Reads publicity form at least one month before the event date and include a title and description of the activity, plus date(s), time(s), location(s), and contact information.
VHC also provides Vermont Reads poster templates in two sizes, as well as digital versions on our Web site, and graphical elements (VT Reads seal, VHC logo, book cover) that can be used to custom design a flyer. Hang posters and notices everywhere you can think of: libraries, schools, colleges, bookstores, churches, general stores/co-ops, restaurants/cafés/coffee shops, laundromats, town halls, community bulletin boards, and other gathering sites.
Contact your local papers, radio stations, cable access channels, newsletters, and web sites to find out how far in advance they require calendar information and send out a press release about your activity before the deadline. And don’t forget: word-of-mouth is still one of the best ways to draw participants.
Food and Beverages – Making food available—and advertising it—almost always increases attendance. Relate food and beverage items to the book for added flare. Have participants join in the preparation of the refreshments. If you have the funds to go fancy, great, but even the standard coffee and cookies, juice and fruit, or crackers and cheese will be welcome. (Local groceries, co-ops, restaurants/cafes, coffee shops, and other food-service businesses are often happy to donate food items in return for recognition. Just ask!)
OTHER IDEAS
Involve Community VIPS – Local VIPs automatically draw an audience. Consider asking one or more of them to kick-off your community activities, lead a discussion or field trip, sit on a panel, be photographed with the book, or anything else you can think of. VIPs to consider include area poets and educators, business owners, the mayor, city council members, other politicians, school board chair, historical society president, sports stars/coaches, principals, sheriffs/police officers, and others.
School/Summer Reading Lists – Ask your middle or high school to add A Restless Spirit to its curriculum or summer reading list.
After School Programs – Many Vermont Reads activities would work well as after-school programs. Contact your local middle and high school teachers to get Vermont Reads A Restless Spirit on the agenda.
Displays: Libraries, Bookstores, Schools – Ask your library, bookstore, or school to feature prominent displays of Vermont Reads A Restless Spirit, other books on Frost, accompanying photographs of the poet, and/or enlarged copies of some of his poems.
Culminating Celebrations – Many communities have chosen to end a series of Vermont Reads activities by holding a festive and fun event such as a dinner put on by several collaborating organizations or a themed potluck. These final events are also useful for showcasing student artwork, poetry and other readings, musical programs, or panel discussions.
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Office in Montpelier
11 Loomis Street, Montpelier, Vermont 05602 802.262.2626 Fax: 802.262.2620 E-mail: info@vermonthumanities.org |
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UNDERWRITER |
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For more information about Vermont Reads, e-mail info@vermonthumanities.org or call 802-262-2626. |
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MEDIA SPONSOR |
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With support from the Jack & Dorothy Byrne Foundation |