SIECUS Community Action Kit - Working with Key Players

TIPS FOR ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

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One thing is certain—you can’t go it alone. In order to effectively advocate for comprehensive sexuality education, you will need to build a broad network of community support. A diverse group of dedicated people working together can move mountains! The following suggestions can help you in this process.
Do Your Homework
Research sexuality education. Delve into questions, such as: What does the research say? Who are the major voices in the debate? What resources are available? What organizations support comprehensive sexuality education? What organizations oppose comprehensive sexuality education and why? What are these opponent’s strategies? Knowing this information will help you develop a strategy for moving and establishing yourself as a source of credible information on sexuality education. (If you are reading this Kit, chances are you are already doing a great job on your homework. Congratulations!)

In order to successfully implement comprehensive sexuality education in your community, you must first know what you’re dealing with— find out what the state of sexuality education is in your schools and communities. Is there a state mandate? Is there a district mandate or policy in place? Does the school provide a course in sexuality education? If so, what is covered? If not, why not?

FINDING SOME ANSWERS
SIECUS’ State Profiles (http://www.siecus.org/policy/states/index.html) is a great place to start finding the answers to some of these questions such as whether there is a sexuality education mandate in your state. To find local answers, you may want to start by contacting school administrators in your community such as the superintendent or the health curriculum coordinator. Your phone book or community’s website will likely have contact information for the school district offices.

Connect with the teachers in your schools, especially those who are teaching health and human sexuality courses. Find out exactly what is taught in the schools and encourage teachers who are supportive of comprehensive sexuality education to get involved. They often know a great deal about what students need and want from a sexuality education course.
Involve a Diverse Group of Community Members
Parents are particularly effective in working with the school board but many adults who do not have children in the schools are also concerned with the health and wellbeing of their community’s young people. Try to involve parents of school-age children, concerned adults, and senior citizens.
Contact elected officials. Locate those who are supportive of comprehensive sexuality education and involve them in your organizing efforts. Encourage them to speak out about the issues to their constituents as well as other officials.
Seek out school nurses and community health care providers who are actively involved in providing health education and services. Those who are on the front lines of adolescent sexual health have the best understanding of what young people need.
Include students and local youth in your advocacy efforts. Young people can uniquely speak to the reality and needs of their peers. They can also organize support for comprehensive sexuality education in the student government or general student body.

Once you have involved interested individuals, you might want to consider creating a formal group or coalition. Giving your coalition a name and creating a logo can provide legitimacy and help increase recognition in your community.

CONTACTING ELECTED OFFICIALS
To find your state-level elected officials visit Project Vote Smart’s Web site at http://www.vote-smart.org/

Involve Local Organizations
Find out which local organizations are working with youth or have a strong interest in this issue. Contact them to determine what services they can offer your group and if anyone on staff is willing to join in your efforts. Some ideas for groups to solicit are:

• Parent Teacher Association/Organization
• Teacher’s Union
• Youth serving organizations such as
the YWCA and recreation centers
• Student groups • Civic organizations such as the Junior League
• Family planning clinics
• HIV/AIDS organizations
• Health care providers
• Faith-based organizations

Involve Faith Organizations
Reaching out to local faith organizations is very important. Although groups that oppose comprehensive sexuality education often claim to represent all religious parents and organizations, the truth is that many faith organizations are very supportive of comprehensive sexuality education. Including representatives of various faith organizations in your advocacy group can strengthen your efforts. Religious communities are already organized and may offer access to a variety of resources, such as meeting space, volunteer networks, funding, and public relations connections.
Start with the interfaith alliance in your community (if one exists) or the statewide “conference of churches” rather than approaching congregations individually. This will allow you access to many more clergy and congregations in a shorter amount of time.

Involve National Organizations

National organizations can provide assistance with strategy, literature, and referrals. They may also put you in touch with other local allies. You might want to start by looking at the National Coalition to Support Sexuality Education (NCSSE), a group of more than 140 mainstream national organizations who are devoted to this issue.

FINDING ORGANIZATIONS
You can find a list of these organizations on the NCSSE web site at http://www.ncsse.org. Some NCSSE members have local chapters and affiliates as well.

Get the Press on Your Side
Reach out to local media first. They will be more likely to show interest in a local issue than will statewide or national publications.
Designate a media spokesperson to represent your group and direct all inquiries to that person. Choose someone who is articulate and respected in the community. This can help ensure that your key points are communicated.
Find the reporter at the local newspaper who covers health and/or education issues and “pitch” your story to him or her. Try to appeal to the reporter’s head as well as his/her heart. Putting a personal spin on your story can often make reporters more interested.

Keep your press contacts informed of your progress and the challenges you encounter. Don’t forget to provide them with relevant literature and press statements. Include both local and national statistics so that they can understand how your community compares to your state and the country. (See “Tips for Working with the Media” for more information.)

Be Persistent

A PLACE TO START
Starting to organize your community can seem very overwhelming. A good way to start is by organizing an educational forum. This will give you an easy opening to the topic when you first contact individuals and an opportunity to meet people face-to-face. Invite community experts in public health, education, family planning, and HIV prevention. Invite parents, young people, and community members. Consider inviting reporters to cover the event. At the forum, present local teen pregnancy and STD statistics, explain the status of sexuality education in your community, and introduce attendants to your advocacy goals. Bring information on your group and how individuals can get involved.

The old saying “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” could not be more true than when it comes to advocacy efforts. It may take more than one phone call to convince someone to join your effort, speak at your event, or write a story about your coalition for the local paper. Community organizing is about building ongoing relationships. Be patient and be persistent.