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Minds on

MINDS ON

I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.

~ Mother Teresa

Throughout this course, we have looked at different social change events. The time has arrived for you to bring the plan for your own Campaign for Social Change into focus.

In Unit 1 of this course, you identified an issue of concern that you wished to improve and completed a needs assessment to ensure that the issue was of concern to others, as well. In Unit 2, you researched the local landscape surrounding that issue to be better informed and prepared to move forward. In addition, you developed your elevator pitch. The next step is to consolidate all previous work and to formulate a specific plan that you will put into action at the end of Unit 4.

Action.

ACTION

While working on your plan, keep in mind that a Campaign for Social Change has to be more than simply a good idea. A number of factors need to come together to ensure success. They are described in the following video:

 

In order to execute a successful campaign, you need to be able to:

  • capitalize on political opportunity, organizational infrastructure, and engaged individuals, as mentioned in the video above;
  • use research methods to gather information (e.g., focus groups, surveys, questionnaires, participant observations);
  • analyse and interpret the results gathered from your research;
  • identify the best way to present your issue to the public in order to gain traction;
  • identify and avoid potential bias; and
  • identify and prevent roadblocks that will make your plan difficult to execute.

Be sure to consider any other factors of a successful campaign. Then, when all of these factors come together, lasting change becomes possible.

Determining Your Voice

A large part of your plan of action is to determine what vehicle you will use to disseminate(definition:Spread.) information. While it might seem obvious that social media and technology would be ideal, there are other factors to keep in mind, as well. Consider the information shared in the following videos:

 
 

Regardless of the medium you select to convey your message, it is important that it successfully matches the target audience you wish to reach.

This is the dropbox icon. Action Plan

Complete your Action Plan using the template below. 

Campaign for Social Change Action Plan Template

Note: Points in italics are prompts and should be replaced by your own information

Title:

Prepared by:

Date:

Summary/Overview of Issue to be Addressed

  • In this section, include key points of your research and your needs analysis that justify the selection of this topic as a relevant issue.

My Vision for Change

  • In this section, describe your ideal outcome. What would change as a result of your campaign?

Events

  • What events will be part of your campaign? Describe them in detail including:
    • location,
    • time and date,
    • number of times that this event takes place
    • resources/materials needed,
    • pre-planning to be completed,
    • are any other people helping to organize and execute this event
    • physical and technical limitations (permit for a space, use of property, needing an outdoor outlet…)
    • who needs to be informed of the initiative? (teachers, community leaders, schools…)
    • potential legal concerns and how you will prevent them
    • potential safety concerns and how you will prevent them etc.

Target Audience

  • Who will be involved in this event? Why have you picked this group?
  • How are you obtaining permission for participation and data collection?

Communication

  • Vehicle for Sharing Information

    • What platform will be used? (ex. posters, brochures, social media, video, etc.)
    • Why was this method selected?

Measures of Success

  • Information Collected

    • What information (data) will be collected that will allow you to evaluate the success of your campaign?
    • What research method will you be using to collect this data and why did you select it?
    • How will you interpret or analyze this information? (What will the data indicate?)
    • What will be an indication of LASTING change as a result of my campaign?

Additional Considerations

  • Back-up dates or locations if needed
  • Can the event itself be altered if problems arise?
  • Potential bias
  • Ethical considerations
 
 
Consolidation

CONSOLIDATION

The action portion of your Campaign for Social Change will be carried out during Unit 4, Activity 6. As you work towards this activity, continue to contemplate your plan by comparing it to other campaigns and looking at their successes and shortcomings. You might also gain ideas by having conversations with people in your school and work life to see if they have any considerations that you may not have considered.

Remember, as the quotation at the start of this lesson suggests, your goal is not to change the world alone, rather simply to make a small difference. Continue to reflect on how you might best evoke change.

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