2014 Operation Megaphone Worldwide Lock-In Operating Manual
I. OVERVIEW
In July 2012, Air Force and Navy Teen Councils and the Army Teen Panel participated in a Joint Service Teen Council (JSTC) meeting in San Antonio, Texas. The teen councils discussed the common issues affecting youth on military installations and facilitated sessions on leadership, teen advocacy, and public speaking all culminating in a formal out-brief attended by respective military leadership. The out-brief was highlighted by the introduction of Operation Megaphone, a joint military teen initiative designed to combat the three program issues identified by the JSTC:
· The lack of participation in military youth programs,
· The need for stronger school support for transitioning military teens, and
· The need for up-to-date and dynamic marketing of military youth programs.
From the introduction of Operation Megaphone, the JSTC identified the need to “Get The Word Out” as their slogan and began a teen directed effort for all military services to implement an annual worldwide overnight lock-in during the Month of the Military Child with the intent to:
· Raise awareness of the aforementioned military youth program issues,
· Reach out to existing and new populations of military youth eligible for military youth programs,
· Connect military youth within and across all branches of service, and
· Create and promote local partnerships.
In April 2013, 3500 military youth and teens participated at 105 overnight lock-ins located at military youth program facilities. Event highlights include social media Harlem Shake contests, online scavenger hunts, and joint events including Air Force, Army, and Navy teens! The JSTC plans to widen its reach this year and are happy to announce the incorporation of the Coast Guard and Marines!
II. EVENT SPECIFICS
Who: All eligible patrons of military youth programs per local policies
What: Operation Megaphone Worldwide Lock-In
Where: Military Youth Centers
When: 25-26 April 2014
Theme: “Memories from Around the World”
Service Project: Aid to the Philippines
III. INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR SCHEDULE
All military youth programs are encouraged to register and attend one (1) of the informational webinars in late February 2014 (registration is required, links can be found below). The intended audience for the webinars is youth professionals interested in implementing the special event. The webinars will feature an overview of the 2014 Operation Megaphone Worldwide Lock-In Operating Manual, program recommendations, and a Question and Answer Session. The webinars will be recorded and available for viewing at a later date.
· Webinar #1 – Wednesday 5 March 2014; 5:00-7:00pm EST
o Register at https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/620150471
· Webinar #2 – Thursday 6 March 2014; 09:00-11:00am EST
o Register at https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/835451695
IV. EVENT RECOMMENDATIONS
· Youth Involvement – Youth should be involved in the planning and implementation of the event. The intent is for this event to be youth-directed, staff supervised.
· Registration Price – Ensure a reasonable price for all youth participants worldwide. Registration is recommended not to exceed $20.00 per person.
· Programming – Events should include the following six (6) core programming areas:
o Character and Leadership Development
o Education and Career Development
o Health and Life Skills
o The Arts
o Sports, Fitness, and Recreation
o Technology
· Fundraising – If authorized, Youth Programs should provide resale food concessions as a vehicle to fundraise for future youth events and supplies.
· Meals – Registration should fund associated program meals (dinner, snack, and breakfast) and equipment rental costs.
V. MARKETING
Below is a sample marketing plan and guidance for all military youth programs to begin communicating the Operation Megaphone Lock-In to eligible participants, respective leadership, and potential partners.
Sample Marketing Timeline
DATE / ACTION8 Weeks Prior to Event / Youth Programs gather teens to discuss local marketing plan, potential partners, timelines, and event programming.
7 Weeks Prior to Event / Youth Programs begin local marketing plan:
· Event Flyers
· Initial Emails, Text Messages, Newspapers, Marquees
6 Weeks Prior to Event / Invite VIPs (i.e. Commanding Officer, Mayor, etc.)
1 Week Prior to Event / Youth Programs complete marketing plan:
· Final Emails, Text Messages, Newspapers, Marquees
Marketing Tips
· Early Planning – Start planning your event as early as possible to allow for the local approval process, increased marketing, and thoughtful event programming.
· Youth Involvement – Youth recognize where they receive information and how they prefer to receive it. Therefore, empower youth participants to build the event marketing plan alongside staff. Ensure that marketing materials are displayed in prominent, high traffic areas.
· Target Audience – The following audiences should be targeted for event communication: teens, parents, installation leadership, security/police, community leaders/partners, chaplains, School Liaison Officers, etc.
· Multi-Disciplinary Approach – Due to the multiple generations that are targeted for communications for this event, multiple platforms should be used to reach your intended audiences. For example, program should utilize paper flyers, electronic marquees, newspapers articles, social media/websites, and word-of-mouth.
· For event information and reminders, visit:
o Facebook - www.facebook.com/OpMegaphone
o Twitter - www.twitter.com/OpMegaphone.
o Instagram - www.instagram.com/OpMegaphone
Social Media Marketing
§ Frequency – Develop a posting strategy to provide information leading up to the event.
§ Listen & Respond – Regularly monitor the comments about your event and promptly respond to compliments and correct issues professionally.
§ Ask – Ask questions of your followers to gather feedback, display attentiveness, and support personalized responses.
§ Reward – Offer incentives and time-sensitive deals (examples below):
o Participants that offer feedback are potentially awarded a decreased admission price,
o Participants that offer feedback are potentially awarded concession coupons,
§ Share/Retweet – Share (public reply) the positive posts by your followers.
§ Voice – Ensure the use of a direct, genuine, and a likable tone when posting.
§ Hashtag – Encourage followers to use the hashtag #OMP2014 when posting to social media.
VI. PROGRAMMING
Outside of local programming, all Youth Programs are highly encouraged to participate in the Operation Megaphone Overnight Lock-In Challenges throughout the entirety of the event. Each completed challenge has an associated point value (maximum of 100 points possible) and installations that achieve exemplary results will be rewarded for their efforts by their respective HQ (if funding allows). Below are the challenges with their associated point values:
· Registration price per youth is $20.00 or less – 10 points
· Involving youth in the planning process – 10 points
· Participating in the service project, “Aid to the Philippines” – 15 points
· Hosting a Teen Leadership Meeting during the event – 10 points
· Involving the theme, “Memories from Around the World,” during the event – 15 points
· Virtually connecting with other event sites via GoTo Meeting – 10 points
· Receiving a VIP to tour/participate in the event – 10 points
· Partnering your event with at least one (1) same/sister service installation, on-base, or community partner – 20 points
Programming Clarification
· Teen Leadership Meeting – Each event site should discuss and develop solutions to the three (3) common issues identified by the JSTC:
o The lack of participation in military youth programs,
o The need for stronger school support for transitioning military teens, and
o The need for up-to-date and dynamic marketing of military youth programs.
· Virtual Connections – Due to the inconsistency of online Skype connections in April 2013, the JSTC will coordinate several online meetings via the GoTo Meeting platform. If elected, event sites will be asked to register for a virtual meeting date/time as their event schedule allows and virtually connect with other event sites that register for the same date/time. GoTo Meeting registration information will be released to event site POCs in late March 2014.
Programming Recommendations
· Partnering – Partner with key organizations for marketing and possible resourcing. Examples include: nearby military services, community partners (i.e. BGCA, 4H, Boys and Girl Scouts, PPV Housing), Spouses Club, Ombudsmen, and MWR Departments (i.e. Outdoor Rec, Bowling, etc.)
· Decreasing Registration Price – The OMP Planning Committee recommends every program to keep the price of registration as low as possible and not to exceed $20. This will ensure higher participation rates throughout the world. Some strategies of decreasing the cost of registration are:
o Providing meals that are cost effective (Pizza or Subway Party Platters vs. catering)
o Rewarding participants that recruit additional youth/guests with discounted registration prices.
· Concessions – Provide a concession stand for additional meal service. Ensure teens are delegated the duty of selecting all concession items (including healthy options), associated prices, the operation during the event, and cash handling. Staff should be available to supervise throughout the event. A sample concession menu is provided in the appendix.
· Incentives – Purchasing incentives to reward activity participation and positive behavior can support the adherence to the Behavior Expectations and increase participation rates. Example incentives include: concession coupons, gift cards, sports equipment, ITT tickets, etc.
· Guests – If approved, guests are an additional strategy to increase participation. Guest Policies must be approved by the local installation. For guidance, please contact your service contact.
· Sleeping Arrangements – Although, participants will attempt to stay active throughout the entire event, programs must account for those youth that require sleep. Ensure that there are separate areas for males and females to sleep. All participants should provide their own sleeping garments and material (i.e. pillow and sleeping bag). If possible, a large gymnasium can accommodate a large sleeping area with separation between the genders and maximum supervision.
· Behavior Expectations – Offering an overnight special event can increase excitement among youth, add stress to staff due to longer work schedules, and introduce new youth to authority figures. It is recommended to allow targeted youth leaders to communicate the Behavior Expectations (appendix) to all existing and new youth upon event start.
· Staffing – The minimum staff to child ratio to be maintained is 15:1. However, it is recommended to increase the amount of staff for specialty events. Ensure that several staff members are present that possess a completed and adjudicated CNACI.
· Targeted Programming – Ensure that specific spaces/times are provided for younger and older teens and males and females to interact among themselves based on differing interests and desire for separation.
· Participant Packing List – Provide all youth a suggested list of items to bring with them during the event. Items to include: sleeping material, toiletries, concession money, etc.
· Multi-Facility Events – If staffing allows, the utilization of other nearby facilities can increase the interest of youth and staff. For example, utilizing nearby fitness center, bowling alleys, swimming pools, baseball/football fields, etc. for off-site activities.
· Hours of Operation – The Lock-In is intended to be an overnight event. However, if staffing will not allow for complete coverage, it is recommended that a late night event be implemented that can be ended earlier than the next morning (i.e. 8pm-12am) if transportation can be coordinated between the program and families.
VII. EVENT THEME
For 2014, OMP's theme is "Memories from Around the World." The theme was voted upon by the OMP Planning Committee, "because military teens have all been around the world, in a sense. We should share our story with other people." Recommendations include, but are not limited to:
· Displaying/sharing photos of your program highlights with event participants and via the established OMP social media pages.
· Scheduling time for event participants to reflect and share their individual and/or collective memories in various formats (i.e. small group conversations, journaling, social media)
VIII. SERVICE PROJECT
For 2014, OMP's service project is “Aid to the Philippines.” The service project was voted upon by the OMP Planning Committee. On 8 November 2013, Super Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms recorded on the planet, brought tremendous destruction and desolation to the Philippines and the surrounding areas. In the Philippines alone, over 6200 people lost their lives, 12,000 people were injured, and tens of thousands were left homeless. Although major news outlets no longer feature top stories on the recovery efforts currently occurring in the Philippines, assistance is still needed. In response, the OMP Planning Committee strongly requests military youth program to discuss, organize, and implement service projects to support the people of the Philippines. Recommendations include, but are not limited to:
· Working with your local Red Cross Donation Center to gather necessary resources (food, clothing, etc.) at your event site.
· Providing event participants with online donation portals via reputable relief agencies:
o Red Cross Disaster/Typhoon Relief www.redcross.org/quickdonate/index.jsp
o UNICEF “There After Haiyan” www.thereforthephillipines.org
o Mercy Corps “Aid to the Philippines” www.mercycorps.org
· Providing event registration discounts to participants that make donations to the Philippines.
XI. SERVICE CONTACTS
If you are in need of further guidance, please contact your service specific point-of-contact:
Air Force Youth Programs, Chett Kline
(Office) 210-395-7519
Army Child Youth & School Services, Stacy Wendt
(Office) 210-466-1079
Coast Guard Morale, Well-Being, and Recreation, Gary Scheer
(Office) 757-842-4903
Navy Child and Youth Programs, Brent A. Edwards
(Cell) 503-453-9448
Marines Children, Youth, and Teen Programs, Ijeoma Osuji
(Office) 703-784-9553
APPENDIX – Below
X. Sample Behavior Expectations
XI. Sample Concession Menu
XII. Sample Event Schedule
XIII. Sample Executive Summary
XIV. Sample Permission Slip
XV. Sample Press Release
ATTACHMENTS – Separate
· Event Registration Form
· Save the Date & Event Flyers
· After Action Report
X. SAMPLE BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS
Implementation
· Prior to event activities, gather all participants to review the behavior expectations,
· Request and select youth leaders to deliver/discuss the behavior expectations,
· Visually post the behavior expectations.
Behavior Expectations
1. Make safety your #1 priority.