Post on 14-Jul-2015
Technology may be key
• 93% of youth (12-17) are online every day (Pew, 2007)
• Connecting with and relating to youth in ways they prefer may be key to keeping them involved and interested.
• Web 2.0 tools can also increase efficiency and reduce costs.
Blogs: How you can use them
• Keep the community informed on what’s going on in your program.
• Share expertise related to your field.• Build community among staff, volunteers,
interns, etc.
Blogs: What you can do
• Ask your audience if they read any blogs, and if so, which ones and what do they like about them.
• Read and participate in blogs by colleagues
Wikis: How you can use them
• Wikis are good for almost any collaborative tasks.
• Create a Best Practices site for organizing youth field days
• Create an orientation manual for new staff or volunteers
Wiki: What you can do
• Use a wiki next time you are starting a collaborative, online document.
• Be part of the solution when you find something that could be corrected on any wiki
RSS (Feeds): How you can use them
• Feeds are primarily meant as a way to easily stay up-to-date
• Things that often have feeds:– News sites– Blogs– Wikis– Search results
RSS (Feeds): What you can do
• Subscribe to feeds to stay on top of news, blogs, grants opportunities
• Be aware of any sites you contribute to (blogs, wikis) that have RSS so you can encourage your audience/stakeholders to subscribe.
Podcasts: How you can use them
• Program marketing: record a spot that includes participant testimonials
• Increase engagement by podcasting a presentation. This allows absent participants, parents, and stakeholders to all be part of the conversation
Podcasts: What you can do
• Subscribe to relevant podcasts in your field
• Encourage your audience to subscribe to a podcast of interest to them (or play it for them) to enrich discussions on a topic
Image and Video Sharing: What you can do
• Upload photos to a site that is shareable to team members (Smug mug, Flickr)
• If you have a video camera, start recording some of your best events to increase interest by stakeholders and potential participants
Messaging: How you can use
• Communication with youth: many are more responsive to texting
• Communication with team: an instant message can be less intrusive than a phone call
Messaging: Examples
• Used in recruiting for U of M with high schoolers
• HealthPartners says it is the #1 way patients request appointment reminders and test results
Messaging: What you can do
• Have a youth show you how to do it on your phone
• On sign-up forms, add a question about whether participants would like to receive texts and if yes, what is cell #
Social Networking: How you can use
• Establish a simple programmatic presence for communications and marketing
• Stay in touch with current and past program participants
Social Networking: What you can do
• Become familiar with the terms of social networking: MySpace, Facebook, friending, status, etc.
• Create an account for yourself, just to see for yourself
Youth Online
• Be aware of which tools are better suited when participant privacy is an issue
• Become familiar with each tool’s access restrictions for creating private communities
• Be aware of the “new” digital divide—some youth have access to the web only at school and some sites may be blocked