Back-to-School Campaign Action Kit

No matter what your overall outreach strategy is, the Covering Kids & Families Back-to-School Action Kit contains everything you need to plan a successful media or outreach event. From available resource listings to how to pitch the media, and from brokering partnerships to evaluating your efforts, the Back-to-School Action Kit provides an overview of campaign strategy that will help you start informing parents that Medicaid and SCHIP are available for their eligible, uninsured children.

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Community Outreach

Going to the Community for Outreach Activities
Describes a variety of ways to use existing Back-to-School and other community events and channels to promote the availability of Medicaid and SCHIP.

Business Outreach

Engaging the Business Community
The business community can be a powerful partner in spreading your message.

Planning Health and Enrollment Fairs

Planning a Health and Enrollment Fair
Health fairs galvanize educators, health care providers and advocates, as well as engage the community at large.

Sports Outreach

Involving Sports in Your Outreach Efforts
Included here are tips on how to approach local sports teams and athletes about participating in events and guidelines on athlete participation in Covering Kids & Familiesevents.

Media Outreach

Developing Media Lists and Newsroom Contacts
Explains how to identify the media contacts you want to reach.

Do’s and Don’ts of Media Pitching
Media pitching can be daunting, but it can also be rewarding. Learn how to avoid the pitfalls and make the most of your time with reporters.

How to Set Up Editorial Board Meetings
Explains why and how to set up meetings with local newspaper editorial boards.

How to Write an Opinion-Editorial
Easy-to-follow instructions on how to work with leaders in your community to write and place opinion pieces in your local papers.

How to Write a Letter to the Editor
How to work with prominent leaders in your community to write and place letters to the editor in your local newspapers.

Pitching TV and Radio Public Service Announcements
Learn how to effectively pitch public service announcements (PSAs).

Communicating to Parents about Income Eligibility
Finely tuned messages about income eligibility will help parents learn if their kids may qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP.

Getting Your Back-to-School Event on the Daybook
Reporters turn to the Associated Press (AP) Daybook to learn about upcoming events. Getting on the daybook can make or break your event. This section provides insight into getting listed.

Pitching B-roll to Local Television Stations
B-roll, a package of prepared new clips, helps TV stations create better stories, and it also helps you control the images and words of the TV broadcast.

Creating an Audio Bite Line for Local Radio Stations
Setting up an audio bite line on a designated phone line is a simple way to give radio reporters access to your story. Audio bite lines can be very helpful in rural areas.

Timeline for Media Outreach
Explains when to reach out to different types of media outlets and how to contact them.

Media Events

Helpful Hints for Spokespersons
Advice that can enhance the images of even the most articulate and informed spokespersons.

Working with and Selecting Families to Speak with the Media
The right families can be powerful spokespersons in your Back-to-School effort.

Staging a Successful Back-to-School Media Event
Outlines what you should consider when planning a media event, what the event should look like and how to communicate your event's messages.

Evaluating Your Efforts

Evaluation: What Should be Measured?
From hotline calls to media coverage, learn what you should measure in evaluating your efforts.

Evaluation: How to Start the Evaluation Process
Determine what type of data you want to examine, organize a planning team and other tips on how to properly evaluate.

Evaluation: Analyzing and Using Your Results
Organize your results so they can be useful to you in the future.