.
Suggested Group Activity
FreeKidsCrafts.com has a printable to make reading-list bookmarks. Give them to a library, a school, a shelter or a hospital. You can also give them as a thank you gift to people who donate books you your cause.
Suggested Prerequisite
Completing the Community Enrichment Volunteer Patch Program® is a suggested prerequisite for earning your Community Enrichment Advocate Patch. Your volunteer experience will help provide you with the knowledge needed to advocate for improved enrichment for the people in your community. You can also opt to complete the Community Enrichment Volunteer requirements during the time you earn this patch.
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Requirement 1: Research It!
Things to find out:
Go to usa.com or the U.S. Census Bureau and type your town in the search bar. Review the statistics.
- What and who make up the population?
- What is the education level of most of the residents?
- How long is the average commute?
- What is the employment rate?
- Is it safe?
- What is there to do in your town?
Now search a town near you that you think might be considered a “better” place to live. Compare the statistics of that town to yours. Does anything stand out?
Go to Niche.com and AreaVibes.com to find out your community’s grade.
- What is the grading process?
- What are the areas that could use improvement?
Find reviews of your town by people that live there by searching for: “resident reviews of [insert town here]”
- What are some of the negative comments?
- What are some of the positive comments?
- Do people’s views match your research?
- Does anything surprise you?
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Requirement 2: Do It!
Choose a community enrichment issue to advocate for. Some ideas:
- Set up a Facebook page where local businesses and residents can promote community events such as live music.
- Create a display of photos of your area for the library.
- Recruit volunteers for a neighborhood clean up.
- Advocate for safer traffic control.
- Invite police to talk at your school.
- Submit positive reviews about your community online
- Write a column about your community for the school newspaper.
- Make healthy snacks for residents to sample and provide recipes.
- Create a campaign to encourage biking and walking.
- Recruit a local artist to give a painting class. Make it a landscape of your community.
Who do you want to reach? Some ideas:
- Your Family
- Neighbors
- Politicians — Helpful link: How to Contact Your Elected Officials
- Classmates
- Your Fellow Worshipers
- Other Groups or Organizations
How will you reach them? Helpful link: How to Advocate for Your Cause
Some Ideas:
- Talk to them. Consider wearing a button as a conversation starter.
- Hand out flyers. Consider setting up a booth to collect donations if allowed.
- Hang tags on doors and mail boxes.
- Make posters.
- Reach out with social media such as Facebook.
- Send a press release to your local newspaper or school newspaper. Helpful link: How to write a press release.
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Requirement 3: Review It!
Always remember to thank those who helped with your advocacy program.
Ways to say Thank You:
- Personally thank individuals and businesses who helped. A hand written letter is always nice. Helpful Link: How to write a thank you letter.
- Thank the community as a whole with posters.
- Create a follow up press release and include the names of individuals and businesses who participated.
- Thank the community as a whole on social media.
- Give certificates of appreciation.
Discuss Your Advocacy Project
- Do you think your advocacy project helped to enrich your community?
- Will you continue?
- What else can you do to further enrich your community?
Congratulations! You have earned the Community Enrichment Advocate patch. It can be purchased at our partner site MakingFriends®.com.
You can become a Community Advocate by earning all 5 community advocate level patches.
Did completing this Patch Program® give you some ideas for becoming a Community Enrichment Delegate?
See all our current Advocate level Patch Program®s:
Related Fun Patch Ideas:
Note: Many of the links provided to assist with completing our Patch Program®s are external and do not imply an endorsement or recommendation. At the time of publication, external content was vetted to the best of our ability. Your views and ideas may vary and we do not intend for you to substitute our opinions for yours. Research the topic thoroughly before beginning a project. As always, make sure children access the internet only under safe-surfing conditions.
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