Offering free resources and lesson plans is a great way to connect with and provide value to local partners and stakeholders! Below are some tips and a sample outreach plan that can help you engage educators and young people by sharing the Hungry Pests Service Learning Curriculum.
Download the Toolkit
Youth in school clubs, afterschool programs, and youth organizations learn about invasive pests and take action through fun, interactive workshops that culminate in community awareness campaigns. Workshops are adaptable for different age groups from K-12.
- Service Learning Curriculum (21.97 MB)
- Service Learning Curriculum With Full Outreach Kit (includes email and social media)
- Service Learning Curriculum Outreach Plan (141.46 KB)
- Promotional Emails
- Social Media Posts With Outreach Calendar
- Grade Level K-5 Informational Article (6.99 MB)
- Grade Level 6-8 Informational Article (1.97 MB)
- Grade Level 9-12 Informational Article (2.61 MB)
Outreach Strategy Tips
Post across channels to increase effectiveness: To increase awareness and clicks, send an email and post aligned messages to social media.
Time your posts: Current research shows that Tuesday or Wednesday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., as well as Saturday, are great times to share messaging.
Make it easy for audiences to take the next step: Always include a link to the proper web page in each communication along with a call to action (CTA). See suggested CTAs below.
Plan your year-round communications: Educators often plan programs during their time off, so summer and holiday breaks can be good times to connect with them (see outreach timeline below for specific recommendations).
Use calls to action: Using effective CTAs lets your audience know what to do next. In addition to using the core CTAs below, customize them by highlighting valuable features such as service learning, summer learning, and free materials.
Recommended Outreach Timeline
Outreach #1: Back to school
July-August
- Email sharing educational resources
- Facebook post sharing educational resources
- Tweet sharing educational resources
Outreach #2: Promote the utility of the service learning curriculum
September/anytime
- Email highlighting the utility of the curriculum to youth programs
- Facebook post highlighting a fact about service learning and a call to action to download the kit
- Tweet with the same information
Outreach #3: Service learning curriculum raises awareness of invasive pests and plants
October-November
- Email focusing on the importance of raising awareness of invasive pests and plants
- Facebook post highlighting a fact about invasive pests and plants and a call to action to download the kit
- Tweet with the same information
Outreach #4: Service learning curriculum for youth and afterschool programs
February
- Email highlighting the utility of the curriculum for youth and afterschool programs
- Facebook post highlighting the importance of service learning
- Tweet with the same information
Outreach #5: Announce the start of Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month
April
- Email announcing start of Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month
- Facebook post announcing start of Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month
- Tweet with the same information
Outreach #6: Promote the utility of the Hungry Pests curriculum for summer programs
May-summer
- Email highlighting the utility of the curriculum for summer programs
- Facebook post with a fact about the importance of summer learning
- Tweet with the same information