1. Building a Stronger TSA Chapter
A guide to help grow, promote, and run your chapter
Dream it. Create it. Live it.
Technology Student Association

2. Letter To The Membership
Greetings Members of TSA!
The national TSA officer team has created a new TSA Promotional Toolkit to complement the useful resources on the national TSA website. This toolkit includes outreach and networking ideas meant to keep pace with modern technological innovations and styles. Its focus is to help members increase chapters’ membership numbers and also expand our organization to include new chapters. Our goal is to create a new promotional campaign that focuses on how TSA helps its members become better students, by providing them with an environment that fosters exploration in fields that interest them, no matter how varied students’ interests may be. We hope though, with the help of this new tool, this goal can be accomplished. Later in this presentation (which is meant as an instructional presentation for chapter and state leaders only) we will explain the “ins and outs” of our new toolkit, how to best utilize it, and cover all the exciting new materials included.
This was the product of our work. We hope that you find the information contained in the slideshow and in the rest of the toolkit to be both informational to you as a member of TSA and effective in growing your chapter’s membership.
As members of TSA, you are the backbone of our organization and it is only through you that we will be able to truly expand TSA. It is our job to provide you with all the resources you may need. This presentation is a resource and is just one tool you can use when doing outreach to grow your chapter. Be sure to check out the Total TSA CD and the rest of the toolkit, and contact the national TSA office with any questions or ideas you might have.
Wishing you all the best,
The National TSA Officer Team

3. What’s Included How to use the new toolkit
Promotional PowerPoint
“Dream it. Create it. Live it.” flyers
Brochure
Growing and promoting your chapter
Recruiting strategies
Ways of promoting your chapter
Fundraising ideas
Running your chapters
Leadership and personal development
Ideas for meetings
Planning your year

4. How To Use The New Toolkit1
How To Use The New Toolkit
Section:
A guide to understanding and using the new TSA promotional PowerPoint® presentation, flyers, and brochures
Dream it. Create it. Live it.

5. Introduction and Explanation
This toolkit is centered around the targeted recruiting approach
This means that all the materials in this new TSA Toolkit are designed to appeal to a certain type of individual to generate individual interest and also to highlight the aspects of TSA that would persuade the person who is being recruited to join.
This is where the name “Dream it. Create it. Live it.” comes in. The title is meant to showcase the wide range of topics covered in TSA.
We have included different volumes of promotional materials (designed with the targeted recruiting approach in mind) in order to appeal to a variety of students ranging from those interested in design, construction, leadership, and much more!
The most effective way to approach someone about joining TSA is get to know them and their interests - then focus and share the aspects and programs that TSA has to offer them.

6. Promotional PowerPoint®
Included in the toolkit is a PowerPoint® presentation explaining what TSA is, the perks of being a member, and other recruiting materials.
Use this at chapter meetings, school assemblies, or membership drives to help generate interest in joining TSA!
Also included in this presentation (in the speaker’s note section just below the slides), we have supplied you with some ideas on how to present each slide.
Feel free to customize the PP presentation as needed for your chapter. We have even included a slide for you to input information about your chapter.

7. Flyers
Hang TSA flyers in classrooms, hallways, cafeterias and on announcement boards; them; and post them on social media sites - anywhere that they can attract attention.
Be sure to add information about meetings and contact information to the flyer as well.
Dream it.
Create it.
Live it.

8. Brochure
A promotional brochure can be displayed at recruitment drives, passed out at chapter meetings, and used when meeting with teachers, administrators, parents, legislators, business people, and anyone you are trying to get interested in TSA!

9. Growing And Promoting Your Chapter2
Growing And Promoting Your Chapter
Section:
Tips on effective recruiting strategies, promotion, fundraising, and website creation for your chapter
Dream it. Create it. Live it.

10. Recruiting And Promoting Strategies
The two most important things to encourage chapter growth are to advertise throughout your school and to make meetings productive and enjoyable.
Do your best to make your TSA chapter seem like a family, not just a group of students.
Make sure people know that TSA is not just about computers. Often people will say, “I don’t know anything about computers.” Share with them that TSA is about much more than just computers; it’s about cutting-edge technology. This may pique their interest in learning more about TSA.
This is a great opportunity to reference “Dream it. Create it. Live it.”
If your school has publications such as newsletters, websites, weekly announcements, or newscasts, contact those in charge and write an article/ announcement encouraging students to come to a meeting and learn about TSA.

11. Recruiting And Promoting Strategies
Be sure to display pictures, videos, projects, awards, and souvenirs from state and national conferences. Also get veteran members of your chapter to give testimonials about their TSA experience. This can be done at informational meetings, membership drives, etc.
Before you start making your case to people as to why they should join TSA, take time to get to know them. People will be much more likely to join if they have a friend in the organization, and this will give you time to learn their interests and talk specifically about what TSA can offer them.
The “How To” Guide

12. Recruiting and Promoting Strategies
Take advantage of social media! Put announcements, pictures, videos, etc. online so your friends/followers can see them and generate an interest for TSA.
Hold a membership drive or open house at your school to generate interest.
Invite students, teachers, parents, and anyone else you can think of.
People respond best to one-on-one recruiting and individual discussions as to why they should join.
Make sure to get everyone in your chapter involved in the recruiting process.

13. Fundraising Ideas Let’s Get Festive! Pass The Ham Please Just Dance
Here are some ideas you can use in your chapters to help bring in money to pay for supplies, fees, conferences, and whatever else you need!
Fundraising Ideas
Organize a festival to have different events within it to help bring in revenue. For example, food, games, face painting, etc. are great things to do. Charge a reasonable fee for general admission and have tickets sold to purchase food and other things within the event. See “Pass the Ham Please.”
Let’s Get Festive!
Help families by providing them a way to purchase their holiday ham/turkey without having to rush! And if ham is not your thing then try something different! You can never go wrong with cookie dough, candy, donuts, even jewelry! Just remember, make sure you are selling enough to make a profit. See “Just Dance!”
Pass The Ham Please
Help someone have their first dance. Host a disco, banquet or just a plain old dance! Students would pay to come and hang out with their friends on a Friday night to dance. This is always a classic event that does well. Make sure to provide good music and a great theme. For example, during the fall, a Halloween dance would fit just right. Have a costume contest to encourage students to dress up. You could even sell small snacks to help put a little extra change in your chapter’s funds.
Just Dance

14. Dream it. Create it. Live it.3
Running Your Chapters
Section:
A model for developing leadership ability, running meetings, and planning for the year
Dream it. Create it. Live it.

15. Leadership And Personal Development
Here are seven ways (continued on next slide) to help you develop your leadership skills, inspire others, and build a stronger chapter:
1. Test the waters.
Get to know what your members need and what style of leadership they respond to best and do your best to meet their needs.
2. Listen hard.
An effective leader is one who listens to their members, values their opinions, and gives them their undivided attention.
3. Connect.
Really get to know your members on a personal level; people are more likely to respond to a leader they know and trust.
4. Be a “people person.”
As a leader you need to be the most outgoing and upbeat person in the room and try to engage as many people as you can, no matter who they are.

16. Leadership and Personal Development
More Leadership Practices
(continued from previous slide)
5. Lead by example.
Don’t just simply tell others what to do. Be the embodiment of what you want your members to do and show them the way through example, not just words.
6. Share leadership.
Inspire a shared vision among your members and empower others to act and take control of the organization as the situation may demand.
7. Evaluate and share success.
Effective leaders know that when the group succeeds, it’s not the work of an individual, but the collective efforts of the group. They showcase the success of the group and its members over their personal successes.

17. Ideas For Your Chapter Meetings
If potential members know that there are going to be snacks, they will come. Once you have interested people at your meetings, you can use that opportunity to introduce them to TSA!
Ask chapter officers or veteran members to bring drinks and snacks to your meetings.
The activity serves to get everyone awake and energized. If you do not know any icebreakers or leadership games, the Total TSA CD has lots of great ideas for you to use!
Start meetings off with a team-building activity or icebreaker.
Make sure you keep event projects from the previous year so that members can have a visual example of what they are competing in.
This will hopefully motivate them to be active in your chapter right off the bat!
Introduce competitive events early! Have students sign up for events they think are interesting.

18. Ideas For Your Chapter Meetings
Get to know the whole group and learn what makes each member unique. Encourage members to get to know each other.
Allow for consideration of all ideas.
Know what to say and when to say it.
Sometimes breaks ARE necessary. If a meeting isn’t productive, the purpose is defeated.
Allow members to prepare for their interviews and speeches in front of the group for constructive feedback.

19. Ideas For Your Chapter Meetings
10 WAYS TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL MEETING
1) DISCUSS the main point and stay on task.
2) LISTEN to everyone’s ideas.
3) ANALYZE the ideas; discuss the pros and the cons.
4) SET an agenda so that you know what you want to accomplish, and then follow it.
5) MAKE all members feel included, especially new members.
6) CONFRONT problems or issues within the group; don’t bottle them up.
7) DON’T let one or two people dominate the discussion.
8) SET goals for your group/chapter.
9) SCHEDULE at least one fun or exciting activity per meeting to get people to come.
10)PLAN chapter meetings outside of school for a change of pace.

20. Planning For The Year August September October
Create a plan of work, brainstorm fundraisers and service projects, and train new officers.
Organize management system, conduct first chapter meeting and establish committees.
Attend fall leadership conferences, promote and recruit for your chapter, and celebrate National TSA Week.
November
December
January
Plan a community service project and fundraiser with your chapter.
Execute your service project and fundraiser.
Take a chapter trip and invite speakers to come in and help with projects.

21. Planning For The Year February March April
Prepare for and attend regional and state conferences.
Continue to prepare for conferences and arrange a meeting with local legislators to promote TSA.
Sponsor an open house and invite the community to come and see all that your chapter has accomplished.
May
June
July
Write an editorial for the local newspaper with an announcement about your chapter’s accomplishments for the year.
Attend national TSA conference and hold an end-of-year chapter party.
Set up chapter officer elections for the coming year.

22. For Additional Information Please Contact:
Contact Us!
For Additional Information Please Contact:
National TSA
1914 Association Drive
Reston, VA
phone
fax
toll-free

23. References and Credits
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