just ask
- 1. RAINFOREST ALLIANCE CHALLENGE Create an education and outreach campaign (using free or existing digital tools) to increase understanding of the social and environmental benefits of Rainforest Alliance certification among college students, and mobilize them to ask for Rainforest Alliance Certified products on campus and in surrounding businesses. THE PITCH: “JUST ASK” ALL UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES IN THE US HAVE STUDENT ACTIVITY DEPARTMENTS OR STUDENT AFFAIRS OFFICES. THESE DEPARTMENTS TYPICALLY ADVISE AND SUPERVISE ALL STUDENT RUN ORGANIZATIONS AND ASSIST WITH ALL CAMPUS STUDENT ACTIVITIES FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR. THE ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDE STUDENT ACTIVITY BOARDS, SORORITIES, FRATERNITIES, STUDENT PUBLICATIONS, STUDENT GOVERNMENT, RADIO STATIONS, AND MANY OTHER STUDENT CLUBS AND INTER-ORGANIZATIONAL COUNCILS. THESE DEPARTMENTS, CLUBS, ORGANIZATIONS ARE CONSTANTLY ON THE HUNT FOR UNIQUE ACTIVITY PROGRAMS AND DESIGNED TO ENTERTAIN BUT ALSO
- 2. PROGRAMS TO INCREASE STUDENT SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS AND INVOLVEMENT. THESE ARE EASY CONTACT POINTS ON CAMPUS FOR A COMBINATION SOCIAL AWARENESS AND FUN CAMPAIGN THAT I AM CALLING, “JUST ASK”. “JUST ASK” WOULD BE SPONSORED, ORGANIZED AND IMPLEMENTED BY STUDENTS THROUGH THEIR ORGANIZATIONS AND THE STUDENT ACTIVITY DEPARTMENTS. IT CAN BE ORGANIZED AS A COMPETITION AND/OR A COLLABORATIVE ALL- CAMPUS EFFORT. CAPS AND T SHIRTS WITH THE RAINFOREST ALLIANCE LOGO, AND “JUST ASK” PRINTED ON THEM WOULD BE WORN BY THE MEMBERSHIP OF ALL PARTICIPATING GROUPS SUPPLIED BY THE STUDENT ACTIVITY OFFICE. THE CAMPAIGN WOULD BE PROMOTED BY TRADITIONAL RESOURCES, SUCH AS THE CAMPUS NEWSPAPER AND RADIO STATION, AS WELL AS ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, UTUBE ETC. IN ADDITION, CAMPUS BOOKSTORES, AND ANY OTHER STUDENT RUN CAMPUS CO-OPS AND SHOPS WOULD SELL THE CAPS, T-SHIRTS AND CERTIFIED RAINFOREEST ALLIANCE PRODUCTS. THE POTENTIAL ALL CAMPUS CAMPAIGN WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATIVE MATERIALS CONCERNING THE RAINFOREST AND THE ALLIANCE PRODUCTS. INFORMED SPEAKERS COULD BE INTERVIEWED FOR THE RADIO AND NEWSPAPERS, AND VIDEOS MADE FOR USE ON UTUBE ETC.
- 3. CLEARLY WEARING THE HATS AND T-SHIRTS WILL STIMULATE THE QUESTION, “ASK WHAT?” BY OTHER STUDENTS AND FACULTY MEMBERS. THE ANSWER IS TO ASK ABOUT THE RAINFOREST AND THE ALLIANCE. TO MAKE IT COMPETITIVE, STUDENT GROUPS WOULD WIN ALLIANCE PRODUCT PRIZES FOR THEIR EFFORT. FOR EXAMPLE, SIGNATURES WOULD BE COLLECTED ON PETITIONS REQUESTING THE SALE OF ALLIANCE PRODUCTS AT THE CAMPUS BOOKSTORE AS WELL AS AT LOCAL SHOPS. GROUPS COLLECTING THE MOST SIGNATURES WOULD WIN PRIZES. A PRIZE WOULD BE OFFERED FOR THE MOST UNIQUE PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITY. THE ENTIRE COLLECTION OF SIGNED PETITIONS WOULD EVENTUALLY BE PRESENTED TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND BOOKSTORE MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS OWNER/MANAGERS OF LOCAL SHOPS. THE PETITIONS WOULD DEMONSTRATE THE EXISTENCE OF A MARKET FOR ALLIANCE PRODUCTS WHILE THE OVERALL “JUST ASK” CAMPAIGN INCREASES STUDENT AWARENESS, AND INVOLVEMENT. STUDENTS ARE OFTEN VIEWED AS APATHETIC, BUT IF THEY GET BEHIND AN ISSUE, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT IS WORTHWHILE AND FUN, THE OBJECTIVE OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE FULFILLED. GIVE THE STUDENTS THE CHALLENGE AND SOME INFORMATION TOOLS, AND THEY WILL TAKE IT FROM THERE. JUST ASK ONE OF THEM!