ü
To further our
web outreach,
can you or a
friend help us on
our new website
intended for Pledge
signers? (www.e-xplore.org).
We
REALLY need volunteer
help--someone with a
little web
design experience.
ü
To further the
Pledge overall, we
are tentatively
seeking a full-time
co-coordinator.
Though we hope later
to make this a paid
position, currently
it will be an
internship, covering
housing, food,
health insurance,
and a small
stipend. It's a
great opportunity to
further the Pledge
cause and social
change, gain
leadership skills,
and enhance your
resume. Though we
have interested
parties, we are not
set yet on anyone.
If you or someone
you know has any
interest, please let
us know right away.
Keep the following
in mind as the end
of the school year
draws near:
ü
We’re in the home
stretch--good luck
on any remaining
activities for the
year and on
graduation day
itself. In
preparation, don’t
forget the pledge
website for final
possibilities for
materials like
cards, posters, and
fact sheets
for distribution.
And the March 18
Pledge update
contains information
about getting green
(or other colored)
ribbons.
ü
We just sent you the
Pledge press release
for your
modification and use
locally. If you are
able to get
publicity, via
paper/web/broadcast
outlets, both on and
off-campus, you will
not only raise
consciousness on our
concerns, but also
make your work
easier next year
(e.g., do
investigate
on-campus
collaboration with
other
groups/departments/
offices/individuals
next year).
ü
See samples of
written articles for
this graduation both
on and off campus (University
of Pennsylvania)
(Broward
Community College
).
ü
Make a few quick
calls to your local
paper/TV, as it
really increases
your chances for
coverage. You can
say that you're part
of a national
project and give
them my contact info
(Neil Wollman;
260-982-5346;
njwollman@manchester.edu).
You might also urge
local TV stations to
feed the story to
their national
headquarters. If you
have national media
leads you’d
rather we explore, tell us.
And finally:
ü
See below the draft
of a form you will
be asked to complete
in a future
update--you‘ll go to
a website and fill
it out. So thanks if
you can already
start to gather this
information. The
last item might be a
little burdensome
for those with many
pledge signers, but
do the best you can
and if necessary, we
may work out other
possibilities for
submission
electronically or by
regular postal mail
(the more you can do
individually, the
less the national
office must do when
added up).
ü
A remainder again
that we achieve real
impact only if
pledge signers carry
out their
commitments. We
continue to work
slowly on
www.e-xplore.org
(for pledge
signers). You can
also reach out to
signers in other ways:
(a)
a newsletter,
(b)
an email list (or
listserv),
(c)
a web site, and
(d)
collaboration with
your alumni or
career service
offices so word gets
out to graduates in
mailings/publications/visits
with alumni/etc. (click
here for
hints on working
with those offices).
ü
Particularly now
near graduation
time, but any time,
consider using our
underused (seemingly
extinct!) listserv,
where you can post
suggestions,
questions,
information about
your effort. (Send
your message to
gradpledge@yahoogroups.com.)
Your ideas are
valuable to other
organizers; we can
benefit from
exchange of ideas.
Most of you are on
the list; if you
want to be added, or
aren’t sure if you
are already on, ask
me. It is sent as a
daily digest, so you
won't get more than
one email message
per day (and you can
always unsubscribe
later).
That’s it!
Neil
Neil Wollman
National Coordinator
MC Box 135,
Manchester College
North Manchester,
IN 46962
260-982-5346
njwollman@manchester.edu
P.S. Here’s a
quote submitted
by a Pledge
board member
that is
attributed to
recently
deceased
reverend and
social justice
activist William
Sloane Coffin:
“Remember this,
even if you win
the rat race,
you re still a
rat.” (said to
students
pondering
post-graduation).
============================================================================
•
School address
(city,
state/province,
country)
•
Contact name(s)
for next school
year
•
Contact phone
for next school
year
•
Organizations/
Departments/
Programs that
organize or
sponsor
the Pledge
•
Total student
population
(approximate)
•
Total number of
graduating
seniors
(approximate)
•
Total number of
seniors that
signed the
pledge
•
Pledge
activities you
did this year
•
Pledge materials
you used (e.g.,,
ribbons, pledge
cards,
information
sheets to help
those on the
job)
•
List of pledge
signers
with
their most
permanent email
address-- for
those willing to
be contacted in
the future,
mainly
to help them
meet their
Pledge
commitment. No
need to gather
names of those
with no email
address.
