Countdown to AmeriCorps Week:

With only six days to go before the start of AmeriCorps Week you must be thinking about all the things you still need to do to make your AmeriCorps Week plans a great success.

Below are tips to help you with final preparations for presentations, events, service projects, and media (including social media).

Create a checklist:

Whatever your plans, you need to create a checklist of all the things that need to be done to ensure success.

Each event or activity should have its own checklist and the list should include "to do's" for pre-event, event day, and post event. Your check list should include not only the what, but who will take care of the task.

If you are having a week's worth of activities for AmeriCorps Week, it is especially important to delegate tasks to the appropriate people.

If you are making a presentation...

• Review the presentation and become familiar with it, but don't memorize. Test it on a friend.
• Double check the time and location of your presentation. Make sure you know how to get there, where to park, etc.
• Check with the venue to ensure that they have the equipment that you will need.
• Use your AmeriCorps Presentation Kit. It includes a DVD with a PowerPoint and videos to enhance your presentation. It also includes giveaways like bookmarks and stickers. Click here to order; we'll express mail it to you. Additional giveaways are also available for order.

If you are hosting an event...

• Visit the event location and speak with the people who will be setting up.
• Create a diagram of the set-up including reserved seating for VIPs or people with special needs and the location of refreshments.
• Confirm the delivery of any food, equipment, or supplies that need to be delivered to the event site.
• Confirm speakers including time of arrival, length of address, key messages, and any expectations.
• Assign VIP greeters; provide photos of the VIPs so your greeters will recognize them.
• Make arrangements for the event location to be cleaned up at the close of the event.

If you are planning service projects...

• Visit project sites with volunteer team leaders.
• Ensure that all equipment and supplies needed are on-site or scheduled to be delivered.
• Review the projects to be completed.
• Divide work into smaller tasks that can be completed by volunteers during the time scheduled for the project.
• Check volunteer numbers and revise expectations for task completion based on volunteers available.
• Distribute flyers to recruit more volunteers, if needed.
• Create volunteer sign-in sheets with space for contact info and a photo release checkbox and decide how incentive items will be distributed.
• Train volunteer team leaders and volunteer greeters.
• Send volunteers a reminder with time, date, location.
• Assign a post project clean-up crew.

Don't forget to register your projects and events!

To work with the Media...

• Send out a media advisory.
• Send out a press release the morning of the event.
• Create media packets with information about your organization and your AmeriCorps Week events or service projects.
• Assign and train spokespeople.
• Have a separate sign-in table for media at events.
• Download the media toolkit for more tips and tools, and access a replay of the WebChat on Media.

To use social media for projects or events...

Consider using these popular social media tools to promote your events and projects:

• Create a Facebook page for your project or event; provide a link to it in all materials and ask volunteers and sponsors to "like" your page. Visit the AmeriCorps Week Facebook page for ideas.
• Create a Twitter account for your project or event; ask everyone involved in the event to follow the event on Twitter. Use Tweets to provide pre- and post-event updates. See how AmeriCorps Week is using Twitter.
• Create a Flickr account and post photos from your AmeriCorps Week events. View the AmeriCorps Week Flickr site.
• Create a YouTube channel for your organization. You can have different playlists for AmeriCorps Week and future events. Check out AmeriCorps Week on YouTube.
• Connect all of your social media tools by linking them to each other.

Are you tweeting, taking photos, or shooting video at an AmeriCorps Week project or event?

Sign up to be a AmeriCorps Week reporter! Complete the reporter registration form or email ross@campaignconsultation.com for more information.

Still haven’t made plans for AmeriCorps Week?

Here are a few quick ideas involving social media:

• Change the image associated with your Facebook or Twitter account to an AmeriCorps, or an AmeriCorps Week related image.
• Post a new status on Facebook each day of AmeriCorps Week. Share what AmeriCorps means to you and the impact it has made in your community.
• Educate your Twitter followers about AmeriCorps. Find fast facts about AmeriCorps here.
• If you are a blogger, blog about AmeriCorps during AmeriCorps Week.

Be sure to say thank you.

Whatever your plans for AmeriCorps Week, don’t forget to say thank you to:

• People who helped to plan events and projects.
• Volunteers who participated in service projects.
• Community partners and event sponsors.
• VIPs who attended or spoke at events.
• Organizations that welcomed you to speak.
• AmeriCorps project sponsors in the community.
• And most of all, AmeriCorps members for their service.