Organizing

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• Organizing Promoting Destination ImagiNation
• In Your Area

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Organizing Promoting
Organizing Promoting -Go out present DI to
the community informational nights, IC fun
days, etc. -Get the word out email, website,
letter/packages, TV coverage, etc. -Organize a
volunteer (but working) board of
directors involve interested parties, alumni,
big name/little name folks, etc. you cant do
everything yourself -Recruit schools to
participate -Develop a calendar of events -CPS in
the classroom -Train and develop DI TMs -be
flexible to add more trainings -One-on-one
counseling/help is important -Organize a
tournament or hook up with another area invite
people that can help get the word out -Think
outside the box for new members -Involve
community support
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Presenting DI to the Community.

• Go out Present DI to the Community
• -local events, mall shows, festivals, etc.
• -booth and/or speaking opportunity
• -have a fun presentation board and props from
  previous teams
• -make it fun for everyone have a few ICs ready
  to do for a large group
• -professional conferences give a session or
  have a booth
• -ask for name, address, school and EMAIL of
  everyone attending put out a pad of paper. Put
  them on an Interested email list
• -have posters and brochures available for all to
  take. Make sure your name, phone, website address
  and email are on every piece.

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IC Fun Days

• IC Fun Days Around the Area
• -in schools, malls, at festivals,
  shows/conferences
• -as a educational non-profit, ask for a free
  booth/table
• the festival could be listed as a sponsor of
  one of your events if they waive the fee
• -ask promoters to advertise that at 1, 3 and 5
  p.m. there will be a participatory activity for
  children they are looking for these activities
• -have posters and brochures available for all to
  take. Make sure your name, phone, website address
  and email are on every piece.
• -ask interested parties to give you their name,
  address, school, phone and email address. Put
  them on an Interested email list

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Email lists

• Develop email lists
• -Schools, educators, associations, community
  groups, etc.
• -target one or two teachers in each school
  (possibly gifted or drama or technical or another
  teacher)
• -keep each list in a different file
• -send out periodic emails announcing that teams
  are forming, training is coming up, tournament
  dates, etc.
• suggest time frame
• early fall (teams are forming)
• fall (announce informational meeting and/or
  training)
• later fall (construction 101 more trainings)
• early winter (not too late to form a team
  IC/Improv day)
• pre-tournament (inviting them to see your
  creative kids in action)
• post-tournament (announce the teams that will
  represent your region/state at the next
  tournament)
• -customize the message for each type of group
• -include the success story of a person
  currently doing DI in your area that has a
  similar background to the target market (i.e.
  high school theatre group that has formed an
  improv group, etc.). Not talking about 1st place
  team -- but talking about using the CPS skills
  in school, college, workplace.

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Emails part 2

• -Keep email letters BRIEF
• -Do NOT attach LARGE files
• if you feel you need to attach something, make
  it a PDF file that most can open
• -Do not put all the email addresses in the TO
  section send in the BCC section
• otherwise, when sending to large email list
  the first page can be all email addresses no
  one wants to read that.
• -Always include
• -a link to your local or the international
  website
• -your name and phone number and email address
• -Put it all in one font (most servers dont
  recognize different fonts or even underlined or
  bold or color dont waste your time and
  effort.)
• -DO NOT type in all caps it is shouting in
  email etiquette.

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Attention-Getting Letter

• How would you like to give your students an
  Unfair Advantage?
• Dear
• My name is Peggy Middendorf and Im one of the
  volunteers in West Virginia who supports the
  non-profit Creative Problem Solving program
  called Destination ImagiNation. The goal of
  Destination ImagiNation is to help kids to learn
  that through a combination of creativity,
  teamwork and tenacity they can develop creative
  solutions to complex problems COMPLETELY on their
  own. Along the way, the participants develop
  skills in teamwork, brainstorming, conflict
  resolution, time management and listening to the
  ideas of others. These life skills are the
  unfair advantage that participants in this
  program carry forward with them for the rest of
  their lives.
• And colleges and the businesses are actively
  seeking students with these life skills.
  Destination ImagiNation participants stand out
  among our new employees, said Roger Garriock,
  IBM Canada director of e-commerce development.
  Their presence, confidence and ability to lead
  put them years ahead of their age and
  experience.
• Check out the Destination ImagiNation Challenges
  and other program materials on the Destination
  ImagiNation web site (www.dini.org). If you
  take a moment to look at the Challenges, you will
  see that there is an educational objective
  embedded in each of them.
• My purpose in this note is two-fold. First, Id
  like to chat or correspond with you to see if
  there is a way this program can help you to meet
  the educational objectives youve set for your
  students.
• Second, Id like to ask your help in making your
  parents/students aware of this program. This
  could be accomplished via an assembly (or evening
  meeting) in which I explain the program to the
  parents and/or students. Alternatively, a simple
  announcement could let interested students know
  to pick up promotional material I provide.
•  As a volunteer my ONLY objective is to help West
  Virginia kids to reap the benefits available
  through the Creative Problem Solving process.
  Please feel free to contact me at [phone]
  or middendorf_at_mindspring.com.
• Thank you for your time and consideration.
• Peggy Middendorf, West Virginia Tournament
  Director

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Professional Conferences/Meetings

• Present at local professional conferences/meetings
  
• Gifted association
• Principals meetings/conferences
• Teacher association
• Christian School association
• Independent schools, Montessori school
• Informational packages for everyone that stops by
  or attends at talk
• Put out a pad of paper and ask for name, address,
  school and EMAIL of everyone attending. Put them
  on an Interested email list.
• Other Conferences Events
• If possible, get a booth or offer a session at
  local/state 4-H, Boy Scout, Camp Fire and other
  events/conferences
• Make it fun and interactive

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Presentation Board
-Make it fun exciting -Purpose is to draw folks
to your exhibit -Lots of color and kids -Quick
sound-bytes to catch attention -Customize to
your audience -Single board or
tri-fold -Reusable
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Informational Nights

• DI Information Meetings
• At schools, libraries, community group meetings,
  etc .
• Give out posters (with website, name, phone
  email on each)
• Have brochures available
• Use the PowerPoint presentations available from
  DI
• Take a team with you if possible and let them
  perform
• AND have a team member talk to the group about
  the experience of being on a team
• Or show a video of a team presentation
• Be willing to go to THEIR site (if at all
  possible) to sell DI to them

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Using the Mail

• When you get inquiries(email or phone), mail out
  info ASAP.
• Follow up a few days later to make sure they got
  the info, answer any questions and set up an info
  night.
• Target a few schools and/or groups for
  membership.
• -If possible, identify someone within that
  organization that would be willing to get your
  mailing.
• -Mail a video, posters, brochures and other
  information.
• -Ask about DI reimbursing you for mailings.
• Send out periodic postcards as reminders of
  informational nights and training tournament
  dates

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Spreading the Word via the Internet

• Get DI info posted on Other Groups Websites
• -teacher associations by category
• drama teachers, language arts teachers,
  technical teachers, etc.
• -Independent school organization
• -Teachers/education association
• -Community/childrens groups YMCA, Boys
  Girls Clubs, 4H, etc.
• -Customize the message for each group
• -Emphasize the benefits for students, ease of
  joining and the trainings offered
• include dates for informational nights,
  trainings, deadline dates for registration and
  tournament dates.
• -Include your name, position, phone number,
  email and website

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Your Website

• Involve your webmaster to make your website
• Reflect the fun and excitement of the program
• Stay current with
• The latest dates of trainings and events
• The results of the tournaments
• Global experiences of teams
• Success stories of students and teams
• Keep the years dates online
• Shows potential members and sponsors all the
  events you put on and the trainings available

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Getting the Word Out

• Large School Systems
• Can help you by distributing information via
  their in-house courier system to ALL schools in
  their system. Usually need just one DI-inclined
  teacher or administrator to send it out for you.
• Often have pre-school meetings of all their
  gifted teachers or drama teachers, etc. Ask if
  you can have 15 minutes to present DI and pass
  out information. If you get 15 minutes stick to
  the time frame.
• Teacher Work Days
• Ask to speak at local schools/school systems
  during a regularly scheduled teacher work day.
• During their lunch period, ask to present during
  a Lunch Learn bring in sandwiches
  (hopefully sponsored by a local restaurant) and
  introduce them to DI while they are eating!

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Involve the Next Generation

• Involve the Next Generation
• Teachers, Parents Community Leaders
• College Student Teachers
• Get your local teachers college excited about
  CPS and involved in your tournaments. They might
  enjoy it so much that they form their own team!
• Alumni
• Utilize the CPS alumni in your area. Ask them to
  help you hold informational meetings, help out at
  trainings for TMs and students, be appraisers
  at tournaments and spread the word around their
  college and/or workplace.

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Media Coverage

• Media coverage of any and all events
• -send media invitation to cover IC Day,
  Construction 101and/or tournament -give examples
  of the fun that they will see that day
• -general info on DI
• -use examples from last years event for the
  fun they will see
• -send in names of teams moving onto the
  state/Globals tournaments
• -give phone numbers/emails for team contacts.
• -offer media-released photos
• -if local VIPs will be attending, make sure the
  media knows they will be there. It might increase
  the chance you event will be covered and
  publicized

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Thinking Outside the Box

• Think outside the box for new members
• The future of DI may not lie in schools but in
  community organizations and individual
  memberships
• Afterschool programs
• Local daycare, YMCA programs, etc.
• Already-established programs groups
• Boys Girls Clubs, 4H, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts
• Present a session or a booth at a local/state
  conference/event
• Make it interactive and fun
• Theater/improv groups at High Schools
• High-Tech, Forward-Thinking Businesses
• Companies that WANT our type of student might
  also sponsor or field their own teams.

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Involve Community Members

• Find Business/Community Organizations
• that emphasize CPS qualities
• teamwork, problem-solving, innovation, etc.
• You are looking for
• high-tech,
• forward-thinking businesses,
• community groups,
• government agencies/individuals
  professionals in the education/school
  system.

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Presenting to Business

• Present to an organization meeting or at an
  individual business.
• -Utilize the Tom Mauro Why Businesses Should
  Support DI talk handout
• -Customize the PowerPoint presentations
  combine the overview fund-raising presentation
• -Send them a personally written thank you note
  after you visit.
• -Follow-up with an email summarizing what you
  discussed at the meeting and asking for
  commitments for volunteers for the tournament,
  sponsorship, spreading DI, etc.
• -Invite them to tournaments treat them as VIPs
• -Ask THEM to help you spread the word
• -Many are involved with Work Force committees
  to help bridge the gap between what schools teach
  and what students need to know in the workplace.
• -In small communities, successful business
  people know the other influencial local community
  and education leaders. They know the right person
  to talk to and will often do that for you or
  facilitate a meeting.
• -Ask them for a sponsorship -money or in-kind
  service
• OR ask them to sponsor the membership fee for
  10 teams (1,750 max.)
• -Understand the lead time necessary
• -These businesses are often thinking many
  months/years in advance. BUT when they like you,
  they like you. So be patient and make contact
  every month or so to keep them fresh in their
  mind but dont BUG THEM their business and
  family are their first priority.
• -Be prepared to be hit with lots of sales
  pitches some businesses will see your
  presentation as their invitation for them to
  contact you to try to sell you their product or
  service.

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CPS in the Classroom

• Utilize the CPS curriculum (that comes with your
  passport) in the classroom
• -Integrate CPS skills into all classes (as
  possible)
• -Introduce other teachers/departments to the
  curriculum
• -Offer to give presentations on CPS in the
  classroom to your school/district/country at
  teacher work days, conferences, etc.

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• Strategies for
• Keeping Members
• (Team Loyalty)
• Generating
• More Memberships

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Team Loyalty

• If we increase team membership, only to lose them
  the following year, we have accomplished nothing
  possibly worse, they might bad mouth the
  program to other potential members.
• In order to grow our program, we need to nurture
  new members, but also not forget about the teams
  we have had in the past. Treat them well and help
  them grow as teams.
• And, when TMs and team members are happy, they
  spread the DI word for us Increasing
  memberships!

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Good, Better, Best Service

• Offer Good, Better, Best Service
• With of without direct CPS competition, DI is in
  competition with sports, classes and other
  educational competitions.
• Make DI in your area STAND OUT with
• -one-on-one TM help email lists
• -weekly emails (with ICs) to registered TM and
  school coordinators - important
• -once/month meeting of local TMs to air
  problems, help with solutions (regional)
• -Extras for hard-working TMs that come to
  trainings, etc.
• - Survival Kit (with goodies) handout,
• - I HEART DI stickers - handout
• -trainings at their site basic and advanced TM
  training
• -IC Improv Day
• -Construction 101
• -Lending library of videos of team presentation
  Global Finals for new TMs
• -Team manager, team member parent survey at
  tournament find out what is wrong and then you
  can work on fixing it - handout

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Building a Volunteer Board

• Build a volunteer board
• Divide up duties and/or geographic area
• No one can do it all alone
• Work together and pool talents resources
• Bring in more reliable dedicated volunteers
• Utilize friends who know how much the program
  means to you and students
• Include rep from school system to help spread
  the word and facilitate everything with the
  schools
• Make it a WORKING board no honorary titles
  for the resume here
• EVERY board member has a specific responsibility
  (with help from other board members and
  volunteers)

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Building a Volunteer Base

• Assemble a pool of appraisers (database built
  from appraisers from previous years)
• Establish sources of volunteers (schools, alumni,
  former TMs, community groups, HS community
  service, etc.)
• School/membership coordinators
• Teams that return year after year
• When TM retires, ask that person to volunteer in
  another capacity.
• Ask alumni to give back to the program by
  appraising, being a challenge master or
  volunteering in any capacity.

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Make Events Fun for All

• Make tournaments
• ( ALL DI events)
• FUN, FUN, FUN
• -call it a tournament ---not a competition
• de-emphasizes winners vs losers
• -fun activities
• hat contest, scavenger hunt, word search, maze,
  silent auction, Decorate Your Team Manager, IC
  pitting TM and team members
• -Primary teams compete in time between end of
  competition closing ceremonies
• -Celebration Arch ideal for picture-taking
  when teams come out of IC
• -decorated arch balloons, etc.
• -true celebration at closing ceremonies
  decorate and lots of fun
• -Cake afterwards says
• CONGRATULATIONS,
• Youre winners!

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VIP Tours

• Offer VIP tours at the tournaments other events
• -for community members that want to learn more
  and support the program
• -Invite local VIPs in local government,
  education, business and community groups to
  your tournament. Increases media attention and
  may increase membership or sponsorship.
• -Ask experienced TMs or board members to take
  VIPs around to explain the program, point out the
  extraordinary creativity of team members and
  answer any of their questions.

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Involving Your Community

• Involve your community
• high-tech, forward-thinking businesses
• community groups
• government agencies/individuals/funding
• education/school systems
• Invite them to tournaments
• other events
• Ask THEM to help
• you spread the word
• They have a vested interest in making the
  community better.

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Share Your Ideas

• Share Your Ideas that have worked to Increase
  Membership/Loyalty in Small Memberships