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Success "One
becomes many: The Kittridge School Story"
Success Three new iBooks
changes the game at Dulaney High School
Success HMUG launches
"Multimedia Mania" at Boaz Elementary School
Why User Groups and Community Services?
Community Service is one of the more important activities your user group can
undertake. Besides the warm feelings that go along with acts of unselfishness and
getting to meet a lot of great people -- community services projects are valuable
marketing tools which can grow your identity and your membership.
__ We have intentionally linked the Grants program to
the public school system for several very good reasons:
- Here's where you find the most number of potential members, the parents of kids.
(A recent survey of rural school systems is telling us that as many as 79% of the
rural school population has at least one computer at home, connected to the web.)
- Public school projects almost always get the media's attentiion. Your press release
has a very good chance of getting into the newspaper and other broadcast media.
- Public schools are the pet project of many of your larger corporate sponsors.
Showing them you're doing something worthwhile in your community has a good impact
-- possibly bringing their participation. If you take your proposal, along with the
UGAcademy Grants Instrument to the local business and corporate community you may
be surprised at how receptive they are to contributing or matching funds. (Please
note that if you do get local sponsors interested, the User Group Academy is happy
to communicate with them as an independant third party endorsement of your group.
Please inquire. Sometimes a national endorsement will seal a sizeable deal for the
club.)
- Computer companies like the education market. Aligning themselves with user groups
who conduct such campaigns helps them align with the schools as well. That means
more purchase orders with more equipment or software on each purchase order. It also
means that now you have the attention of potential vendors who should want to advertise
in your newsletter or visit meetings with demonstrations. It's a win, win, win.
- Our children's education, and its quality is an issue that is almost always on
the minds of the population. Just ask yourself: "How many school children are
there within 50 miles of here." Multiply by two, and you'll get the number of
potential pairs of eyes that will be very interested in anyone who will improve their
kid's education. Chances are, those pairs of eyes will own a computer, and be a good
candidate for a membership in your user group.
Contact:
Fred Showker, Executive Awards Coordinator
Dan Sailers, Executive Academy Chairman
The User Group Academy
c/o The User Group Network
15 Southgate
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
540-433-8402
Sponsored in part by
The Association of Apple Computer User Groups: www.AACUG.org
The User Group Network: www.user-groups.net
The Design & Publishing Center: www.graphic-design.com
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