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Publicity Programs
This is a collection of program ideas that focus on publicizing USY.
And remember, these are just starter ideas! You can combine them, mix them
up, and build off of them to come up with all sorts of cool publicity programs.
And if you come up with more ideas, please send them to us at
youth@uscj.org! Then they'll be added to this page
and other chapters and regions will be able to benefit.
- Publicity Programs for USYers
- Publicity Programs for Parents and other adults
The 30-Second Publicity Program
A publicity program can be as long or a short as you want it to be! A really
short publicity program that you can fit into almost any other program is
to simply get up in front of your chapter or region and tell them about
something cool that they can get involved in! Make it a part of every meeting/lounge
night/etc., so that every time they come they can learn about a new aspect
of USY. Make sure that it's interesting and fun, and that you don't go on
too long. You should explain what the program is, what's so cool about it,
how they can find out more information, and what it can do to make their
day more fun and entertaining.
A USY Picture Gallery
Have people bring in pictures from USY programs, and show them around. These
pictures can be from conventions, summer programs, encampments, past programs,
and anything USY! People can also bring in old yearbooks for people to look
at; it's a lot of fun, and if there are people there who haven't been to
a convention before, or on a different USY program, then they can get psyched
for it because they'll see how everyone had such a good time on it, and
people who went can tell them about their experiences.
Ask a USYer
Set up a panel of USYers who went to a convention, a summer program, or
anything else. Invite prospective USYers, parents, and interested USYers
who haven't gone before to come hear from them about their experiences,
and ask them questions they might have about it before they go.
Movie Night
If your chapter is having a movie night, especially in the International
Convention registration season (September and October), and the months before
it, as a preview to the movie, show the International Convention video!
This can also work for any other video, if you have videos (or made your
own!) about programs that are coming up.
USY Club Fair
Set up a booth for each of the main USY clubs (plus any cool clubs that
your region runs), manned by the appropriate chapter officer. Have activities
that your USYers can do at each of the booths that apply to the clubs, and
forms for them to sign up. Ideas for activities include:
- For Hechalutzim
- Israeli trivia
- Israeli food
- Israeli dancing
- Forms to plant trees in Israel
- For the 613 Mitzvah Corps
- Information about Tikun Olam
- A social action project of some sort
- For the Heschel Honor Society
- Jewish trivia
- A religious debate program - have a list of 10 topics for debate, and
let someone debate them with the person running the table for 3 to 5 minutes.
Then someone else gets a chance to debate any issue they choose to; this
can get really interesting really fast.
A visit to the 8th grade class
The eighth-grade class is extremely important to get hooked on USY. If you
get a strong eighth grade class, then you will have a strong USY class for
years to come. A good way to get them interested in USY is to have the board
visit them one day during Hebrew School, and talk to them about USY, what
kinds of programs we run, and so on. Bring pictures to show them, and just
generally be excited about USY. Your excitement will excite them about USY,
and let them know what is out there for them to see and do.
You can do this same kind of a thing for visiting the 9th, 10th, 11th,
or 12th grade classes at your local day school or Hebrew high school as
well.
Parents Informational Meeting
Parents often want more information about what they're sending their kids
to. So why not invite USYers' parents over to a board members' house for
an evening with the chapter board to talk about the upcoming regional convention,
how to get scholarships, and just a chance to schmooze with the other adults
in the Jewish community? You can also hold a meeting about summer programs
(to drum up interest in what their kids could do for the summer other than
sit around all the time and do nothing), International Convention, or even
a big event that's coming up like chapter elections. This can also work
to invite the parents of prospective USYers over to talk about why their
kids should join USY - the benefits, the opportunities, the good times,
and just how great USY is!
Parents Wine and Cheese Party
It is important to solicit the active support of the parents of your USYers
as well as to give them the opportunity to learn more about what the USYers
are doing at the various programs. With these goals in mind, sponsor a Parents
Wine and Cheese Party to better familiarize them with USY. This is also
a superb opportunity to invite parents whose teenagers are not yet USY members
in order to learn more about what USY has to offer.
Speakers may include your chapter advisor and president, the youth commission
chairperson, and regional officers. Allow time for questions and answers.
You should have informational brochures and pamphlets on hand and any pictures
of your USYers taken during a USY activity should be prominently displayed.
The Inside Scoop
It's very important that the synagogue board know what's going on in the
USY world. As the youth organization of their synagogue, it is high on their
priorities that you are having a successful year, and if they know that
the USY chapter is actually doing something, then the odds are that they
might just up the funding they give you for next year, and have better reception
to larger-scale programs, putting flyers in the Bulletin, and so on.
A great way to let them know the goings and comings is to have a USYer speak
at a synagogue board meeting about his or her experiences with USY. Have
him or her give a report on the latest convention, event, or whatnot, or
just talk about the kinds of things that people in your chapter are going
to be doing on USY summer programs.
Public Speaking
Have a USYer talk about a recent convention or a past USY program at Friday-night
services, or on Saturday morning. While (depending on your synagogue) there
may not be a lot of USYers there, many grandparents, parents, and other
relatives of USY-aged people go there, and if they hear about USY, they
may talk to their kid about USY, who may come and join. This also is a way
to keep the active synagogue members in the know about what their USY chapter
is doing.
Showing Parents USY
At many conventions, after Shabbat ends, the USYers go to host homes to
change, and the come back for a dance or some other program. Who drives
them to the program? The parents! So at that time in the convention, there
are a good number of parents who are all at the synagogue. Take advantage
of this!
While all the kids are having a fantastic time, keep the parents entertained
too by having a couple of the staff run a publicity program for local parents
about your region and what you're all about. This is a great program especially
when you are having a convention with a chapter that is struggling, because
then the parents will know more about your region and might be more receptive
to sending their kids to regional programs. And if you have your staff run
a program at each convention, then over the course of the year, the parents
in all the cities in your region that host conventions will learn more about
USY.
You're Invited to Join Us
When adults see USYers having a fantastic time, and how USY helps Jewish
teenagers grow Jewishly, they see just how vital USY is to their congregations,
and to the future of Conservative Judaism as a whole. So invite parents,
synagogue presidents, and Rabbis from synagogues nearby to a regional convention.
Run alternate programming for them, on topics such as "What USY can
do for your synagogue", "Encouraging the growth of your USY chapter",
"Scholarships for USY", "What USYers do at a convention",
and "Other Programs USY has to offer." These programs, in addition
to them seeing the convention and the ruach, fun, and excitement that accompanies
it, helps to strengthen their support of USY, and let them know what is
out there. There is a big difference between, "Our USY chapter doesn't
do anything except go to conventions and hang around at the youth lounge,"
and "Wow, look at our kids! Did you hear about that convention, did
you see her daven? I wonder what USY could do for our synagogue if we gave
it more support."
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