A Student Guide to Starting a Red Cross School Club

Transcription

1 STUDENT GUIDE G R O. S S O R C D E R. W W W A1306 July 2001 A Student Guide to Starting a Red Cross School Club

2 INTRODUCTION HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE AMERICAN RED CROSS? HOW CAN YOU SAVE A LIFE? WHAT IS A RED CROSS SCHOOL CLUB? WHY START A RED CROSS CLUB AT SCHOOL? WHAT MAKES A RED CROSS CLUB SPECIAL? GETTING A RED CROSS CLUB STARTED STANDARDS FOR MEMBERSHIP SETTING GOALS CLUB ACTIVITIES CHOOSING THE RIGHT ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR CLUB SAMPLE ACTIVITY CALENDAR MAKING PROJECTS HAPPEN TEN EASY STEPS FOR TWO SERVICE PROJECTS LEARNING LIFESAVING SKILLS TELLING THE WORLD HOW MUCH YOU CARE EVALUATING YOUR RED CROSS CLUB TABLE OF CONTENTS w w w. r e d c r o s s. o r g Save a Life: A Student Guide to Starting a Red Cross School Club 1

3 AMERICAN RED CROSS YOUTH VISION STATEMENT INTRODUCTION The American Red Cross will provide the premier environment for youth and young adults to learn, practice and exemplify humanitarian values. Some of us dream of making a difference in the lives of those around us, our communities and even in the world. It doesn t really matter what age we are. We all have something unique to offer. This guide is for all high school students who are committed to making their schools, their communities and the world a better place. It s intended for you if you re willing to help a w w w. r e d c r o s s. o r g friend or stranger in trouble. It s for you if you believe you can help improve and save lives. It s for you because the American Red Cross believes that you can help. That s why your local Red Cross field unit wants to help you set up a Red Cross club at your school. We want to offer you the opportunity to join with others in organizing activities both inside and outside of your school that help save lives. You will propose and plan the club s activities according to your ideas about how to improve your school and community. We ll provide the guidance and resources you need to put those ideas to work. 2

4 We can teach you how to organize, carry out and publicize events and programs, everything you need to turn local projects into community and maybe even national success stories. We ll help you become decision makers and articulate leaders. In our courses, taught by certified instructors, you will be able to learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), first aid and lifeguarding, or become certified to teach some of these classes yourself (some age restrictions apply). Through us, you can organize blood drives, donate blood (once you are seventeen), collect and send school supplies and other needed items to children in countries affected by disaster and war and learn how to talk to a friend about the dangers of HIV/AIDS. Starting a club will help you accomplish all of these things. So talk to a teacher, guidance counselor or principal about starting a Red Cross club in your school and call your local American Red Cross for additional direction. Save a Life: A Student Guide to Starting a Red Cross School Club 3

5 How Much Do You Know about the American Red Cross? Did you know? In the past year alone, the American Red Cross Provided almost half the nation s blood supply. Trained more than 11 million people in vital lifesaving skills. Provided direct health services to 2 million people. Assisted victims of natural and human-made disasters and victims of armed conflict around the world. Helped an estimated 615,000 military families worldwide. Supported Red Cross clubs with thousands of members in elementary, middle and high schools and on college campuses throughout the nation. Our Mission The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization led by volunteers that provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. It does this through services guided by its congressional charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. These principles are humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. Our Services Today, the American Red Cross is the largest humanitarian organization in the United States. Its more than 1.2 million volunteers and more than 32,000 paid staff provide an array of domestic and international emergency related services. The American Red Cross national headquarters is located in Washington, D.C., but the organization is prepared to join with people throughout the nation at the local and national level so that, Together, we can save a life. For more information about the American Red Cross, please contact your local unit or visit 4

6 How Can You Save a Life? There are many ways to save someone s life. Administering first aid HIV/AIDS peer counseling CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) Donating blood Teaching someone to read Saving someone from drowning Providing needed supplies to victims of a disaster Collecting funds to assist the most vulnerable overseas Preventing fires Volunteers like you reach out and improve the lives of friends and neighbors every day. The better trained they are, the more they can do and the more lives will be saved. That is why the American Red Cross has committed its resources to establishing Red Cross clubs in every high school in America. You may be able to do most, if not all, of the activities above. But it would be hard to try to do them by yourself. What Is a Red Cross School Club? Today, we took a Babysitter Training course. We organized a blood drive at school. American Red Cross school clubs are school-based service groups that help the Red Cross fulfill its humanitarian mission. Working closely with the local Red Cross unit, club members participate in Red Cross service projects that impact their community and the world. Student members will discover many new opportunities for self-development and be encouraged to choose activities that will most effectively fulfill the community s greatest needs. Red Cross school clubs are a team effort, where Red Cross units, schools and students all work together to make their communities and the world a better place and where young people develop leadership skills. Save a Life: A Student Guide to Starting a Red Cross School Club 5

7 A Red Cross club is sponsored by a mentor, usually a teacher or advisor from your school. You may want to approach someone you think is the right person for the task and see if he or she will help you get started. WHY VOLUNTEER? Students told us that what they like most about volunteering is 1. Having fun. 5. Gaining experience. 2. Learning new skills. 6. Meeting people with similar interests. 3. Choosing the projects. 7. Contributing to their local community. 4. Feeling they are needed. 8. Learning to be a leader. INCENTIVES Why Start a Red Cross Club at School? I read to a child who had lost his home in a fire. We sent a box of school supplies to Africa. People are most comfortable in places where they spend a lot of time, where they can be themselves, pick up a can of soda, find a cozy corner and unwind from a long day. One of these kinds of places can be your school. It s right there, where you are. It requires no extra hassle, no need for a car to get you there. At school, you are used to being original and stretching your capabilities, learning and growing. It s where your friends are. And it s a great place from which to reach across the barriers of generations, class, illness, homelessness and catastrophe to help others and make new friends. It s a great place to set up a Red Cross club. From a practical point of view, when the club is located in your school, you can collaborate with other clubs already at your school. It s also likely you can get a teacher or guidance counselor who knows you and your school and community to be the club s sponsor. Make sure you ask the kind of person who believes that volunteerism is part of education, and someone who understands that having a good time is an integral part of a service project. 6

8 What Makes a Red Cross Club Special? It s FUN In a Red Cross school club, you ll get to help those most in need in the community while surrounded by your friends. After you ve completed a major activity, you can all celebrate together you, your friends, your sponsor and others from the local Red Cross unit. You Learn New Skills Whether it s learning to be a lifeguard, becoming a trained instructor in CPR and first aid or becoming an HIV/AIDS peer educator, there s lots of ways that the American Red Cross can teach you to save a life in your community every day. Take these courses yourself or better yet, become involved in teaching them. You Receive Peer Recognition When your classmates see the great things you re doing teaching children how to read, serving as a lifeguard, being the first to volunteer to be a blood donor when you turn 17 they ll want to be a part of it. It Is Rewarding Sometimes you will receive more than an informal thank you from your sponsor. Sometimes you ll receive certificates or plaques from the local Red Cross unit, or be given a Red Cross Service Pin. These may be given out during club meetings or at a special assembly for your grade or the school. You ll Feel Proud of What You Accomplish Through your Red Cross school club, you ll help those who need it sometimes the very old and the very young. The elderly may tell you stories about their families and you may teach them how to surf the Web. Young children may sing their favorite songs for you and you may read them stories. Whatever you do, you ll be making a difference. It Looks Good on College Applications Colleges don t just want students with high grades. They are looking for leaders, decision makers, young people with heart. Your involvement in the Red Cross club can show you are all of these. Be sure you ask your club sponsor for a recommendation letter to include in your college application. A record of your achievements should be on file. Good luck! Save a Life: A Student Guide to Starting a Red Cross School Club 7

9 Getting a Red Cross Club Started First, find out all you can from your local unit of the American Red Cross. Explain that you are interested in establishing a Red Cross club in your school. Ask them to send you information about the roles teens can fill and the kinds of activities that young people do. You can also log on to the Red Cross public Web site at to gather information. To get your club going, you will need to obtain permission from your school. They will want to know that you have the support of the local Red Cross unit, a small group of several interested students and a teacher or guidance counselor with whom you have shared your plans who is willing to serve as club sponsor. Your Red Cross unit or potential club sponsor can set up an appointment to see the principal and present the benefits of establishing a Red Cross school club. Try to attend this presentation and lend your support. If your presentation goes well, you will be given permission to form your club. Once you get permission, you re ready to go. We suggest that you announce your first meeting on school fliers and on the school Web site. The text could read, HAVE YOU SAVED A LIFE TODAY? Join the new Red Cross club and make a real difference! Together, we can save a life. Remember to include the meeting s date, time and place and a contact person s phone number. Inform your local Red Cross unit of your kick off meeting date and they can arrange for an orientation speaker. Determine whether you or another founding student member will serve as interim president (until formal elections can be held). If possible, meet with your club sponsor and local Red Cross unit representative to map out the orientation and discuss a vision statement for the club. 8

10 The selected interim president should run the orientation meeting. The meeting s primary goals should be to inform prospective members about the American Red Cross and generate enthusiasm. The president may want to begin by explaining the many reasons why he or she personally wanted to start a Red Cross club and then introduce the club sponsor and local Red Cross representative. The representative should provide an overview of the American Red Cross and how club members can contribute. You and your sponsor can then discuss what it means to be a Red Cross school club, how to set up service projects and how to report activities. Be sure to highlight club benefits, such as the humanitarian nature of your projects, making friends while giving back to the community and the implications of your service for college applications. Make sure there s plenty of time for questions, socializing and snacks. Standards for Membership Once the club is begun, you may want to work with your club sponsor to set standards for club operation and membership. A Red Cross Volunteer Application and Code of Conduct form must be filled out before you can officially become a member of the organization. Your club sponsor can help you get those. SOME QUESTIONS YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER: Academic Requirements Must students pass all their academic subjects in order to be considered for club membership? Attendance Requirements What is the minimum number of meetings and projects club members must participate in to remain in good standing? Behavior Should club members be told that they are responsible for being positive role models who will lose their membership if they are suspended from school? Club Size What is the preferred minimum/maximum size of the club? Leadership How and when will elections be held for club leadership? What positions? Meetings Where and when should regular meetings be held? Should meetings take place during lunch or after regular school hours? Service Activities What activities will your club focus on for the current school year? Save a Life: A Student Guide to Starting a Red Cross School Club 9

11 Setting Goals It s important to work with your club sponsor early in the year to set attainable goals for the club. Once you understand the service needs of the local unit, you will probably want to write a vision statement that shows how the club will meet those needs based on its capabilities. For example, it may look something like The Red Cross club in High School is committed to: Improving the lives of fellow students and others who live in the community. Providing educational programs for our classmates that will help them develop lifesaving skills. Assisting the Red Cross in saving the lives of our neighbors during times of disaster. Respecting the elderly and helping them remain self-sufficient and independent within the community. Encouraging all interested students to become members, regardless of sex, race or national origin. Upholding the principles that educate, encourage and empower us to be role models and set us on a path to be current and future leaders. Club Activities As a student, you can easily learn about the needs of your school and community. You may already be aware of unmet needs. The activities you plan should address those needs and improve the quality of life in your school and in your community. There are all kinds of activities the members of your Red Cross school club can participate in and have a good time while doing so. You can choose from some of the ideas listed below, or create your own projects. It is a good idea to involve your sponsor and local Red Cross unit in program selection and direction. Service to School and Students Providing peer education Establishing a reading club for elementary students Developing a newsletter Creating an anti-drug initiative 10

12 Service to Community Organizing blood drives Providing entertainment for nursing homes Writing letters for the elderly Cleaning up a local park Packing food boxes for the homebound Service through Pre-Established Red Cross Programs Assembling comfort kits and cleanup kits for those affected by disaster Staffing Red Cross information booths at community events Staffing first aid stations Reading to a child in a disaster shelter Creating an educational display about Red Cross services for a hospital or library bulletin board Teaching safety courses, such as First Aid for Children Today (FACT), to younger students Establishing a pen pal relationship with another Red Cross unit overseas Service to the World Raising funds for those affected by local disaster Collecting and distributing toys to disaster victims during the holidays Sending greeting cards to people in the armed forces stationed overseas Holding a banquet to raise awareness of world hunger and raise funds to support Red Cross initiatives that address it Prevention Projects Leading Fire Prevention Week activities Sponsoring Learn-to-Swim Month Prevent Drowning in your school Facilitating a HIV/AIDS education program Save a Life: A Student Guide to Starting a Red Cross School Club 11

13 Choosing the Right Activities for Your Club The best way to select your club s activities is to get together and brainstorm, discuss, listen and select. Together, you will find the perfect programs to plan and carry out for the benefit of your classmates and your community. Your Red Cross club will be what you make it as a team. To help you decide on what kind of service projects you want to focus on, you might want to do a quick self-evaluation. Do you want to help your local Red Cross prepare for and respond to local disasters? Yes Do you to want to lead fundraising projects? Yes Do you want to educate your peers about HIV/AIDS? Yes Do you want to help the elderly in your community? Yes Do you want to mentor younger children? Yes Do you want to teach first aid skills to your peers or younger children? Yes Do you want to collect and distribute school materials for children living overseas in areas affected by war or disaster? Yes Do you want to educate people about International Humanitarian Law? Yes Do you want to organize a Red Cross Babysitter s Training course for pre-teens? Yes Do you want to teach water safety skills to children? Yes Do you want to be a lifeguard? Yes Do you want to teach community disaster classes? Yes Do you want to reach out to persons with disabilities? Yes Do you want to organize and lead a blood drive? Yes Do you want to give blood when you are 17 or 12

14 older? Yes Do you want to create a Web site for your club? Yes Do you want to write stories about club activities for your Web site or newsletter? Yes Save a Life: A Student Guide to Starting a Red Cross School Club 13

15 Sample Activity Calendar Here is a sample calendar of activities for your school year. Keep in mind that the activities you select for your club should address needs and improve the quality of life in your school and in your community. JANUARY DECEMBER NOVEMBER OCTOBER SEPTEMBER FEBRUARY MARCH Member recruitment Orientation to the Red Cross club Club leadership election Plan goals for the school year and identify service projects for the semester Participate in Disaster Services training Make a Difference Day (fourth Saturday of October) collect school materials from students, teachers, school staff and the community to fill School Chests for children and teens in countries affected by disaster or war Fire Prevention Month project create disaster education doorknob hangers for community distribution Participate in First Aid/CPR and Babysitter s Training courses Hold a banquet to raise awareness of and funds to support the international hunger relief work of the Red Cross Create and fill holiday stockings for nursing home residents Sponsor a holiday blood drive World AIDS Day (December 1st) project Report on first semester activities to your principal and local American Red Cross unit Participate in Red Cross Leadership Development Training Sign On, Live On campaign for increasing tissue donation awareness among 10th graders Identify service projects for the semester Comfort Kit project Teach First Aid for Children Today (F.A.C.T.) at a local elementary school March is Red Cross Month participate in a Red Cross visibility campaign Staff Red Cross booth at mall Fundraising project to benefit Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund Select club members to attend American Red Cross convention APRIL National Youth Service Day (kicks off National Volunteer Week) project Club officer nominations and elections for next year MAY World Red Cross Day (May 8th) event Report on second semester activities to your principal and local American Red Cross unit Hold an end-of-year recognition bash 14

16 Do you want to take an American Red Cross training course in... CPR/First Aid? Yes Disaster Services Courses? Yes International Services Courses? Yes Babysitter s Training? Yes GuardStart or Lifeguard Training? Yes HIV/AIDS Training Courses? Yes Other? Yes Once you and your peers assess your answers, you can begin to determine the kind of activities you d like to include in a calendar of club events for the semester. The following page contains a sample calendar. Ideally, calendars should remain flexible and open to changes should emergency situations occur. It is also important to prioritize your project s feedback based on community needs, and the club s abilities to complete a project. Save a Life: A Student Guide to Starting a Red Cross School Club 15

17 Making Projects Happen So how much can I really contribute to my Red Cross club? You can do almost anything for anybody. That s why the American Red Cross wants you on its team. Here s a hypothetical scenario about how you can help when it matters most Monday, 7 A.M. NEWS FLASH. LEVEES ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI DON T HOLD. FLOODING REACHES INTO MAIN STREET IN ZANESVILLE. THE MAYOR DECLARES AN EMERGENCY. One of the officers of your club sees this on television Monday morning. She knows that everyone is needed during and in the aftermath of a flood. Families whose houses are flooded will need shelter. Zanesville itself will have to be cleaned up. At school, she talks to the Red Cross club sponsor and gets approval to put a call on the telephone tree that automatically forwards calls to all the members of the club leaving the following message Trouble in Zanesville. Flooding washes out homes and businesses. Red Cross club meeting called for Monday, 7:30 A.M., at the school, room 306. All students who want to help are welcome. The same message is put on the school Web site. By the next morning, there are 38 students in school at 7:30 A.M. The sponsor is there, too. Within a half-hour, committees are organized and responsibilities assigned for: Contacting the Red Cross unit to determine how they can help. This committee will continue to monitor the flooding. Coordinating a fundraising effort. Seeing if chapters need help staffing shelters and providing mass care. (To participate, members must have received Disaster Services Training.) Seeing if chapters need help distributing cleanup kits. (To participate, members must have received Disaster Services Training.) The committees jump into action. The principal arrives to thank the club members and pledge school support for the club s efforts. Many children who live in Zanesville attend this school and are impacted by the flooding. Within a few days, posters will go up all over the school asking for help coordinating relief activities and for financial donations. Sound right for your club? 16

18 Ten Easy Steps for Two Service Projects SPONSOR A COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE Objective: Collect 100 units of blood in your school. 1. Pick a preferred date and two alternatives. (te: You will need at least a month to gather materials and advertise your drive to recruit donors.) 2. Contact your local Red Cross unit for permission. (te: The Red Cross does not collect blood in all areas of the country.) If permission is granted, you will be set up with your state s Blood Services office or a designated hospital that can come to the school and collect the blood. 3. Start generating publicity. Your local Red Cross can supply you with all the advertising materials you need, including posters, fliers and appointment cards. 4. One month before the drive, start setting up blood donor appointments at 15-minute intervals. A drive lasts about five hours. Donors must be at least 17 years old and must have permission from a parent or legal guardian if they are not Get local food merchants to donate snacks and drinks for the blood donors. 6. One week before the drive, call potential donors to confirm appointments. 7. The day of the drive, club members who cannot give blood can help by registering donors. 8. After each blood donation, serve snacks and drinks and provide escorts back to class for donors. 9. After the drive, post an Honor Roll listing the names of students, teachers and school staff who donated blood. 10. Send thank you notes to all blood donors, even those who were rejected, as well as to all other volunteers for the drive. SPONSOR A FOOD AND HUNGER PROJECT Objective: To solicit donated items, assemble and decorate Thanksgiving baskets and distribute them to families in need 1. With your sponsor, contact your local Red Cross unit to discuss and organize project idea. 2. With guidance of your sponsor, formulate directions for soliciting items and decorating baskets. 3. Pick a preferred delivery date and two alternatives. Save a Life: A Student Guide to Starting a Red Cross School Club 17

19 4. Coordinate with your local church or outreach group to identify families within your community who may appreciate a basket donation. 5. Solicit donations to fill baskets canned goods, packaged foods that do not require refrigeration and sturdy boxes to serve as baskets and art supplies for decoration. 6. Determine club meeting date when baskets will be put together, and give members plenty of advance notice. 7. Assemble and decorate Thanksgiving baskets. Make sure there are plenty of snacks and music. Make this a fun event for club members. 8. Coordinate with local unit to deliver baskets to members of the community. 9. Send thank you notes to individuals who donated items for the baskets. 10. Discuss the experience of putting together and distributing the baskets with your fellow club members. How did it work out? How did it make you feel? Did you learn anything? What was the best thing that you learned from this project? Learning Lifesaving Skills The American Red Cross offers many kinds of skills in its training courses that are intended to help save lives. Work with your sponsor to have these courses taught in school or at your local Red Cross. Or, become a trained instructor yourself. t all classes may be offered in all areas, and some have age requirements or fees, so contact your local Red Cross with your sponsor to find out more. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Courses Adult CPR Learn how to deal with heart attacks, choking and respiratory emergencies in adults. Infant and Child Care CPR Learn to overcome fear and act in emergency situations, and to recognize and care for life-threatening respiratory or cardiac emergencies in infants and children. Community CPR Learn rescue breathing, choking rescue techniques and CPR for helping infants, children and adults. First Aid Learn to properly respond to accidental injury or sudden illness. Water Safety Courses Swimming and Aquatics Safety Provides instruction in swimming techniques and water safety skills for all levels of swimmers. Learn these skills yourself, or become an instructor to teach others. Lifeguard Training (age 15 or older) Learn how to handle water emergencies, water search-and-rescue and the equipment used in maintaining a safer swimming and lifesaving environment. HIV/AIDS Education 18

20 Learn how to educate your peers regarding the dangers of HIV/AIDS and the benefits of prevention. Similar programs are being developed for violence prevention and drug education. Babysitting Learn how to get a babysitting job and feed and care for a baby when he or she frets, gets ill or an emergency develops. Preparation for Parenthood Prepare for every aspect of parenthood, from what to expect before, during and after delivery to new family roles and how to take care of a baby. The Name of the Game Is Caring A course in party planning and storytelling both are important skills in planning successful activities for small children, the elderly and everyone in between. Disaster Services Courses Learn how to help when disasters such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes occur. Telling the World How Much You Care We both work as lifeguards after school. I volunteer as an interpreter at a shelter for disaster victims. It s OK to brag a little. Every time you save a life, tell someone about it. When the kids you tutor take a reading test and score on grade level, shout it out so their parents and your principal know that you helped raise their scores. In doing so, you ll be encouraging others to help. Use the power of public relations. Tell your club sponsor and local Red Cross unit that you want to write a press release and send it to your school newspaper, local newspapers and local radio station(s). Your local unit will usually have a broad base of contacts. Also ask your English teacher to give a lesson on how to write an effective press release that will catch an editor s attention. A press release doesn t have to be the great American novel. All it really needs are the Five Ws who, what, when, where and why. If you have photographs, include one or two of the best ones with a caption. Who knows, perhaps you ll see club member names and faces in print or on television. And don t forget to create a Web site for your club, or ask to share in the school s Web site. Create links to other American Red Cross club sites and other volunteer groups. Promote your club in on-line chat rooms to get exposure and recruit new members. Evaluating Save a Life: A Student Guide to Starting a Red Cross School Club 19

21 Your Red Cross Club You have spent a few months in the club and keep coming back for more. Are you glad you joined? Have you saved a life, improved a life, made someone smile? Are you proud of your achievements? Have you made some new friends, had a good time, learned how to be a leader and part of a team? Do you want to stay in the club next semester, or be part of a Red Cross club in college? It s good to test your satisfaction with the club by doing a reflective activity like the one below after a club service activity has been completed. Fold a sheet of paper into quarters. In each quarter, complete one of the following sentences: The best thing about this project was The most challenging thing about this project was I discovered that other people If I could improve this project, I would Share your completed sentences at a follow-up Red Cross club meeting. The more effectively you serve your school or community, the greater your personal and group sense of achievement will be. 20

22 STUDENT GUIDE G R O. S S O R C D E R. W W W A1306 July 2001 A Student Guide to Starting a Red Cross School Club