April 2022 Media Toolkit

APRIL 2022:

No Foolin'

by Meagan Waite, Assistant Director - My Discovery Destination!

The first day of April is known around the world as April Fool’s Day. While no one can pinpoint the origin with exact accuracy, it is widely accepted globally that this is the day to try to “pull one over” (within reason, of course!) on your friends, family members, and coworkers. Virtuous, clean pranks can be amusing for everyone, and we are all about having a good time!

But April also has a serious side. Did you know it’s also Family Strengthening (a.k.a. Child Abuse Prevention) Month? Strong families are an important protective factor to prevent child abuse. Spending quality time as a family plays an important role in child abuse prevention because it promotes family bonding and attachment. My Discovery Destination! is working with the Utah Department of Human Services Office of Child and Family Services to collaborate on a special Discovery Hunt to honor the month. You can find it by downloading the Goosechase App and entering code 'FAMILIES'. We invite you to party with us.

Speaking of fun, we suggest you use silly days–and there is no shortage of silly days on a calendar, believe me–to pull your family close, laugh together, and strengthen the bonds that act as a protective shield against risky behaviors and poor choices due to physiological disorders like depression and anxiety.

How?

Any way you want to, just make sure you include everybody in the planning, execution, and clean up, if your event necessitates it. It really doesn’t matter what you do to celebrate. What is significant is the fact that you are spending quality time with your family and letting your children know they belong. And if your children belong to your family unit, they won’t feel the need to fit in somewhere else.

Why?

Because building resilient kids is nothing to joke about.

March 2022

February 2022

January 2022

November 23, 2021

November 16, 2021

October 2021

September 2021

July 2021

We are SUPER excited to have been selected out of 4,000 entries to be one of 200 in the running for a $25,000 grant.

Please help us win by

1. Voting for us! (You can vote up to 10 times each day.)

2. Inviting others to vote for us. Get some ideas on how to be most effective below:

Advertising media:

Video for announcement screens. You can also find it on YouTube: Coming Soon.

Social media posts. Please share them on your social media and encourage everyone you know to share as well:

• Facebook: COMING SOON

• Instagram: COMING SOON

Texting Campaign:

We think our community needs some extra funding to make suicide prevention events and programs possible. A $25K grant should do it! You can help us make a difference! Vote for 'I See You' at Unique URL Code: https://bit.ly/assistutah

Things to remember:

• Voters must be U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and have a valid email address.

• Each person can vote up to 10 times per day.

• Since the 100 winning causes will be selected by popular vote, we need to spread the word. In addition to campaigning for this important cause via word-of-mouth, social media can be a valuable tool in generating attention for your submission and drumming up votes. Remember, any social channel is a good channel for sharing!

Posting Ideas:

Facebook

• Notify friends and family through status updates that you need support for this project. You can choose to make certain posts public or single out individual friends or groups of friends by changing the privacy settings beneath the status update box.

• Include the title of the cause (I See You! - Connect. Bond. Love.) along with the unique URL (https://bit.ly/assistutah) to link directly to our page so supporters can easily vote.

• Include key information in your posts such as the grant amount ($25,000), why people should vote for this cause (suicide prevention is a HUGE need in Utah communities!), what the grant money will go toward (suicide prevention programs) and that people can vote up to 10 times per day from April 27 through May 6.

• Please post regularly to help us stay top of mind, and interact with anyone who engages with your post and votes for the project to thank them and keep them engaged.

• Include #SFNeighborhoodAssist and tag @statefarm to make it easier for people to find your post.

• Encourage your friends and family to share this important cause information through their Facebook page and other social media platforms.

Sample Posts:

We think our community needs some extra funding to make suicide prevention events and programs possible. A $25K grant should do it! You can help us make a difference! Vote for 'I See You' at Unique URL Code: https://bit.ly/assistutah

This year, State Farm Neighborhood Assist® is giving out more grants than ever before, and you can help our neighborhood win a $25K grant. Vote for 'I See You!' here: https://bit.ly/assistutah #SFNeighborhoodAssist

The voting period just started (or is halfway over, etc.). We are so close to winning a $25K grant, but we still need those votes! Vote for 'I See You!' here: https://bit.ly/assistutah #SFNeighborhoodAssist

Instagram:

• Tag @statefarm in your photos so State Farm can engage with your Instagram account.

• Include the hashtag #SFNeighborhoodAssist to make it easier for people to find your Instagram.

• Update your bio to include the unique URL and a bit about this cause because URL links are not clickable in Instagram posts.

• Include the title of our cause so supporters can easily search for it: 'I See You!'.

• Use Stories to create variety and more engaging content. Include key information in your posts such as the grant total amount ($25,000), why you think people should vote for this project, what the grant money will go toward (suicide prevention) and that people can vote up to 10 times per day from April 27 through May 6.

• Encourage your friends and family to share this cause information through their Instagram accounts.

• Share State Farm Neighborhood Assist® posts from the State Farm Instagram page (@statefarm) to your account.

Sample Post:

Vote for us, and [Insert cause title] could win one of 100 $25K grants from State Farm Neighborhood Assist® . Vote here for our cause: https://bit.ly/assistutah #SFNeighborhoodAssist Think of all the great work we could do if we won a $25K grant from State Farm Neighborhood Assist® . Vote for 'I See You!' at the link in my bio! #SFNeighborhoodAssist

Twitter:

• Include @StateFarm and #SFNeighborhoodAssist so State Farm can engage with your Twitter account and make it easier for people to find your tweet.

• Include the title of our cause 'I See You!' and the unique URL to link directly to our cause so supporters can easily vote.

• Include the title 'I See You!' and a photo of our cause when you are inviting people to vote. Include key information in your tweets such as the grant total amount ($25,000), why you think people should care about suicide prevention, what the grant money will go toward (suicide prevention programs) and that people can vote up to 10 times per day from April 27 through May 6.

• Change up what you tweet about because every detail won’t fit in a single tweet.

• Tweet regularly to stay top of mind

• Interact with anyone who votes for our cause to thank them and keep them engaged.

• Tweet information about this important cause to local media outlets to help garner additional awareness. Tell them why you think it is important that we work together to get the grant. Twitter handles @ksl, @kutv2, @abc4, etc.

• Encourage your friends and family to share this important cause information through their Twitter accounts.

• Retweet State Farm Neighborhood Assist® posts

• Retweet State Farm Neighborhood Assist® posts from the State Farm Twitter page (@statefarm) to your account.

Sample Tweet:

Let’s make an impact in our neighborhood. Help us make it happen with a $25K grant from #SFNeighborhoodAssist. Vote for 'I See You' here: https://bit.ly/assistutah

We are trying to earn one of 100 $25K #SFNeighborhoodAssist grants for our area! Help us by voting for 'I See You!' at https://bit.ly/assistutah

Email/e-newsletter:

The following can be used as an email or copied and pasted into an e-newsletter to inform friends, family, employees, volunteers, organizations and community members about this important cause.

Tip: Bold key dates and times to make sure they stand out.

Template:

TO: Target Internal and External Audiences

FROM: First, Last Name, [Organization/Affiliation if applicable]

SUBJECT: Please Help the Discovery Family Coalition bring $25K to Our Community! 'I See You' is one of the top 200 finalists in the State Farm Neighborhood Assist® grant program. This year, 100 winning causes will be chosen, giving us a GREAT chance to win a $25K grant. We need you to rally behind our cause and cast your votes to help us!

Here's how:

• Click https://bit.ly/assistutah and vote for 'I See You'.

• Voting is open from 12:00:00 A.M. ET on April 27 until May 6 at 11:59:59 P.M. ET and you can vote up to 10 times per day, every day for our cause.

• Winners will be announced June 7.

Please forward this to your colleagues, friends and family to vote and help spread the word.

Thanks in advance for your support,

[Personal Signature]

Unique URL Code: https://www.neighborhoodassist.com/entry/2043747 or https://bit.ly/assistutah

Please help us spread the word!

We are SUPER excited about the upcoming Celebrate Life scavenger hunt and dance.

This event is sponsored by The Discovery Family Coalition, My Discovery Destination!, Cache Valley Light and Sound and the Cache Suicide Prevention Coalition. We appreciate your willingness to help us get the word out to your students and their parents. This program is made possible because of a grant from the Bear River Health Department along with donations from Cache Valley Light and Sound, My Discovery Destination! and Cache County.

Here is a media toolkit with a variety of resources. Please use it to help us spread the word!

Advertising media:

Video for announcement screens. You can also find it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Qitm_-b-agk.

Social media posts. Please share them on your social media and encourage everyone you know to share as well:

• Facebook: https://bit.ly/3tDWQHa

• Instagram: https://bit.ly/3Nm2RA6

Blurb for Newsletters:

Join us on April 15 for a valley-wide high school virtual scavenger hunt and dance. This event is sponsored by The Discovery Family Coalition, My Discovery Destination!, CV Light and Sound, and the Cache Suicide Prevention Coalition. Joining the Hunt ahead of time is the admission to the dance! Just download the Goosechase App, search for game code "LIVEON" and complete the first three missions to gain entry. The main event will be held at the Cache County Event Center at 490 S 500 W, Logan. Festivities start at 7pm with a trampoline exhibition. There will be country swing and line dance instruction from 8-9pm and the dance from 9-11pm. Invite your friends and come ready to have a TON of FUN!

Notice for parents:

Dear ______ Parent,

The Discovery Family Coalition, My Discovery Destination!, CV Light and Sound, and the Cache Suicide Prevention Coalition have collaborated to bring all valley high school students a fun virtual scavenger hunt and dance to Celebrate Life.

The event will be held on April 15 with festivities starting at 7pm and going until 11. Activities include a trampoline exhibition (the same one NBA teams pay $20,000 for!), dance instruction, a virtual scavenger hunt that begins now and goes until after the dance, and a dance. It will be held at the Cache County Event Center at 490 S 500 W, Logan.

The only admission to the dance will be to get connected to the scavenger hunt ahead of time and complete at the first three missions. Students can get connected to the Hunt by downloading the Goosechase App and searching for game code "LIVEON". Please note that none of your student's personal information will be captured by participating in this Hunt. They can choose any team name they want and we will not have access to emails, phone numbers or even their actual name.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Meagan@MyDiscoveryDestination.com.

We look forward to seeing your student there!

Texting Campaign:

You won't want to miss this! April 15 from 7-11 pm virtual scavenger hunt and dance! Download the Goosechase App and connect with the game code "LIVEON". Complete the first 3 missions to get you into the dance for FREE. See you there!

The Discovery Family Coalition is pleased to be collaborating with the Utah Division of Family Services to promote family strengthening efforts during #FamilyStrengthening month (also known as #ChildAbusePrevention month). Of course, this is a cause, and a collaboration, that we focus on all year round!

To raise awareness and create positive change during Child Abuse Prevention Month, please use the following images and text to post on your social media accounts.

Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1383649342079262/

Digital Advocacy Day: https://preventchildabuse.org/2022-digital-advocacy-day/

Why Family Strengthening Month?

When we talk about preventing child abuse and neglect, it is important that we do so from a public health lens. Focusing solely on the belief of an individual family’s failure ignores any societal or economic influence, and the potential for communities to take action to strengthen families to safely care for their own children. Data during fiscal year 2021 showed 9,062 children in Utah were found to be victims of child abuse and neglect. Of the confirmed allegations involving a parent, 55% were related to a form of neglect.

High stress, substance abuse, social isolation, and lack of support in parents are among the most common risk factors associated with child abuse and neglect. A study by the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center surveyed families across the country, with more than 2,000 from Utah responding between 2017 and 2020. Utah ranked worst in the nation for the number of parents who reported not coping very well with the day-to-day demands of parenting, and mothers who reported fair/poor mental health.

When we truly care about the safety and well being of children, then we must equally care about the safety and well being of the adults in those children’s lives. This is why I love the focus on family strengthening in the month of April. When parents thrive in our communities and have what they need to live healthy, productive, economically stable lives — child safety is almost always concurrently achieved.

We want to do more in Utah than just prevent abuse and neglect. We want to back away from that line of crisis by leaning in as communities and neighbors in order to ensure that every family has the resources and support they need to be truly successful. This is the Utah way. Every child and individual matters.

Sincerely, Diane Moore Director, Division of Child and Family Services

Understanding the Protective Factors:

Research has shown that families who demonstrate the following protective factors are better able to navigate difficult situations.

RESILIENCE: The ability to bounce back in difficult times. It means having good coping skills and self care strategies.

SOCIAL CONNECTION: Parents who have more support are more responsive to their children, have better overall moods, and experience less depression, anxiety and anger.

KNOWLEDGE OF PARENTING & CHILD DEVELOPMENT: No parent knows it all. Help is available to assist with parenting strategies that support physical, cognitive, language, social and emotional development.

SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE OF CHILDREN: Children's social skills and emotional skills are just as important as academic skills.

CONCRETE SUPPORTS: Services that can assist with things like housing, child care, and medical care help families manage stress. It’s important to know where to find help, and be supported to take the step to ask for it.

Read more on each of the protective factors from the Center for the Study of Social Policy at https://cssp.org/our-work/projects/protective-factors-framework/