2017
Campaign
Toolkit
sponsored locally by
A message from the CEO...
Thank you for partnering with Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee (PCAT) for the national Pinwheels for
Prevention® campaign. The pinwheel is a reminder that we all play a role in the future of our children.
At PCAT, we believe it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that children have the opportunity to
grow up in a safe, healthy environment. Children deserve to feel loved and protected, and the pinwheel
gardens planted across the state of Tennessee this April demonstrate our commitment to families in the
communities where we work and live. Your involvement in this initiative encourages every person who sees
your pinwheel garden to become actively engaged in protecting children from abuse and neglect. We thank
you for being an integral part of this campaign.
This toolkit is designed to support you in your effort to raise awareness around child abuse prevention in
your community. Enclosed you will find the following items:
Instructions for planting your pinwheel garden
Social media and community engagement guides
Guide to crafting your message
FAQ’s
We strongly encourage you to promote your garden and engage your staff, patrons, and supporters in this
cause and to share any photos of your efforts with us.
On behalf of our Board of Directors and staff, thank you again for your commitment to children and
families in your community. If you have any questions or would like more information about our services
for families in your area, do not hesitate to contact me or our Executive Assistant, Miranda Arstikaitis. We
can both be reached at 1-888-383-0994, or you can reach Miranda by email, [email protected].
Your partner in prevention,
Kristen Rector, President & CEO
Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee
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Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee www.pcat.org
Pinwheels for Prevention Toolkit 2017
What’s
inside
page
4
page
5
page
7
page
11
about Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee
frequently asked questions
crafting your message
social media guide
page
13
community engagement guide
pinwheel garden
15
sample proclamation
whitwell
elementary
school
spotlight
page
make your own
pinwheel
16
p.
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Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee www.pcat.org
pinwheel
coloring sheet
17
p.
Positive messaging and
student involvement
led to a successful
2015 Pinwheels for
Prevention campaign
for WES. Read more on
10
p.
Pinwheels for Prevention Toolkit 2017
about
our mission: To prevent the abuse and neglect of children in Tennessee.
our vision: ALL children thriving in safe, nurturing environments
Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee is a non-profit organization that works with parents,
professionals and communities to provide education, resources, and services that
strengthen families across all 95 counties in Tennessee. Our community-based programs
have been educating the public about the prevalence of child abuse and their role in
child abuse prevention for more than 30 years.
our programs:
Nurturing Parenting builds cargivers’ capacity for building children’s healthy childhoods
by giving them the tools and resources to help children thrive.
Parent Leadership Initiative involves parent leaders in program planning and gives
parents across the state essential tools to advocate for their own children.
Stewards of Children, through Darkness to Light, teaches adults how to prevent,
recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.
Healthy Families Tennessee supports first-time parents through weekly home visits and
teaches them primary care-giving and basic life skills so they can parent more effectively.
The Tennessee Domestic Violence Helpline provides immediate crisis
counseling, resources, referrals, and safety planning for survivors of domestic violence.
The Parent Helpline helps individuals explore solutions to the stresses of parenting and
links families with community support services.
Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention works with hospitals, in-home visitation
programs, and early child care centers to help parents learn to cope with the stresses of infant
crying.
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Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee www.pcat.org
Pinwheels for Prevention Toolkit 2017
Why the pinwheel?
FAQs
Why should my business or organization get involved?
The pinwheel reminds us
of childlike notions and
symbolizes the healthy,
happy, carefree childhood
that all children deserve.
We all have a responsibility to create communities where families and
children thrive. Planting a Pinwheel Garden during the month of April
demonstrates your commitment to building a healthy community and
investing in the lives of children. Your support will go a long way in
encouraging individuals to get involved in child abuse prevention in your
community and beyond.
What exactly am I committing to if my business
or organization agrees to plant a garden?
Your committment is simple. Plant your Pinwheel Garden on the
day of your choice during the month of April. PCAT will provide
the pinwheels, a sign, and support to help you along the way. We ask
that you take a picture of your planting ceremony and your completed
garden, post it on social media (tag us, of course!), and send it to us so
we can share your efforts with our supporters.
How do I plant the pinwheels?
What is required to
plant a garden?
In order to plant a garden, you
need to complete a Pinwheel
Request Form, available on
our website: pcat.org. Simply
fill out the online form,
and a representative from
PCAT will contact you. All
participants must read and
agree to the Usage Agreement
found on the form.
We have found the most effective way is to use a drill or screwdriver
to make holes in the ground first, then insert the pinwheels. We also
recommend planting in mulch or other landscaping to avoid getting in
the way of mowing schedules.
How can I encourage my family and friends
to get involved?
Sharing on social media is a great way to spread the word about your
involvement in Pinwheels for Prevention®. Check out our Social
Media Guide on page 11.
Invite them to one of our Pinwheels for Prevention® Kickoff
events scheduled for April 2017! These events are the ideal
opportunities to bring family and friends together in support of the
campaign. Find all the details on page 6.
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Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee www.pcat.org
How long should I keep
the pinwheels planted?
Ideally, the pinwheels should be
planted for the entire month of
April, but we ask that you keep
them planted for at least one
week.
Pinwheels for Prevention Toolkit 2017
You’re Invited!
Join us at one of our Pinwheels for Prevention® Kickoff events:
8th Annual
Pinwheels for Prevention®
kickoff party
Nashville
Sevier Park
FREE admission
Saturday, April 1, 2017
9am - 12pm
Sevier Park
3021 Lealand Lane Nashville, TN
Join us to celebrate the start of Child Abuse
Prevention Month with CRAFTS, GAMES, BOUNCE HOUSES,
ENTERTAINMENT, and MORE!
more info at pcat.org
sponsored by:
sponsored locally by
Oak Ridge
Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge
Chattanooga
blue cross blue shield of tn
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Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee www.pcat.org
stay tuned for more info!
date & time TBD
Pinwheels for Prevention Toolkit 2017
Crafting
your message
You are encouraged to be creative while participating in the Pinwheels for Prevention®
campaign! However, there are three “must-have” strategic elements that will lead to
consistency and greater success with the campaign for all partners:
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name
logo
message
All local campaigns using
materials provided by Prevent
Child Abuse Tennessee
must use the Pinwheels for
Prevention® campaign name.
The official campaign logo
must be used in any graphic
depictions of Pinwheels
For Prevention®. Creative
interpretations or use of
other pinwheel depictions in
relation to the Pinwheels For
Prevention® campaign is not
permitted.
While the story of prevention
will vary from one comunity to
the next, campaign organizers
are expected to deliver
messages that are consistent
with Prevent Child Abuse
Tennessee’s message of happy,
healthy childhoods for all
children. (see page 8.)
Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee www.pcat.org
Pinwheels for Prevention Toolkit 2017
Crafting
your message
Here’s What We Know:
Research conducted by the FrameWorks Institute for Prevent Child Abuse America has taught
us that while horrific stories of child abuse and neglect may gain short-term media attention,
this approach is not successful in building lasting public will for effective prevention efforts.
To promote lasting change, our campaign messages must focus on engaging people in positive,
preventative action. Here are a few guidelines for you to consider as you develop messages for
your local Pinwheels for Prevention® campaign.
Do:
Focus on the Community.
There is a direct relationship between happy, healthy childhoods and the long-term health and strength of the
community. Talk about how the community can support children and families in need, and give people in your
community concrete ways they may get involved in creating great childhoods.
Focus on Success Stories.
Your audience realizes child abuse and neglect is a big problem and needs to know what they can do to make
a difference. By featuring stories of people who have found ways to make a difference, you empower your
audience to take action and make a difference in their own families and communities.
Talk About the Importance of Healthy Child Development.
Child development is a foundation for community and economic development, as our children are the
foundation for the future of our society. Child abuse and neglect damages the developing brain and leads to
learning and behavioral problems and increased risk for long-term physical and mental illness. Effective child
development efforts such as home visiting, treatment for maternal depression, healthy sexual development,
and bullying prevention programs lay a strong foundation for successful growth and development. Positive
environments and experiences that support children’s brain development create healthy childhoods. Good health
in childhood reduces long-term costs to society from increased crime rates, the cycle of abuse, health care, poor
education, and lost productivity.
Use data in a way people can understand.
There’s nothing wrong with statistics, but if you don’t look at the story behind the numbers, they can become a
meaningless embellishment. If someone asks for specific numbers, use “social math” to make the numbers more
meaningful to the audience. For example, say your program served one of every three kids in the community, or
the equivalent of all the students at one local elementary school, as opposed to saying your program served 800
children last year.
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Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee www.pcat.org
Pinwheels for Prevention Toolkit 2017
Crafting
your message
Do :
(cont’d)
Give Specific Examples of Actions Others Can Take.
Ask businesses, schools, religious and civic organizations, early learning providers, parents, media outlets, and
others to participate in specific ways. Making donations, organizing volunteer activities, and distributing materials
to parents are all great ways to get involved.
Equate Pinwheels with Positive Messages.
Pinwheels can be used to represent the number of healthy births in your community during a period of time,
the number of children entering kindergarten at a local school, etc. The pinwheels can also be associated with a
more general message of support for great childhoods for ALL children.
Don’t:
Equate Pinwheels with Negative Messages.
Pinwheels should NEVER be used to illustrate the number of children injured or killed from child abuse or
neglect. Likewise, the pinwheels should not represent the number of reported cases of abuse and/or neglect.
one =
one child
abused
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Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee www.pcat.org
one =
one healthy
child
Pinwheels for Prevention Toolkit 2017
pinwheel garden
spotlight
Whitwell Elementary School
In April 2015, students at Whitwell Elementary
School in Whitwell, TN, planted pinwheels around
the school’s flagpole. Every student planted a
pinwheel in honor of him/herself to represent the
great childhood that they each deserve.
Nicole Condra, Family/Community Engagement Coordinator at WES,
sent a letter to parents with the following message:
“
Whitwell Elementary School’s vision is to create a positive and safe learning
environment that allows all students to grasp and apply the skills being
taught to enable them to become lifelong learners, good decision makers, and
productive citizens. In order for us to achieve this, our children must come
to school in the best mental and physical shape possible. Therefore, we are
proud to participate in raising awareness of child abuse prevention.
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Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee www.pcat.org
“
Pinwheels for Prevention Toolkit 2017
Social
Media
guide
Social media is a great way to spread your message to a wide audience.
When used effectively, social media can help you engage your community,
garner new support, and increase interest in your mission. Here’s a guide
to crafting your social media posts to create the greatest amount of impact.
General Tips:
use pictures
Posts with pictures (like the one at right) are more
eye-catching and are more likely to be read by your
followers.
Children’s Advocacy Center (Chattanooga)
18 hrs
Pinwheels for Prevention® #PCATp4p #CAPMonth
Make sure you have written
permission from parents
before posting pictures
of children.
include a call to action
Invite your followers to share your post, change their profile picture, comment on your picture, or
share a story from their own childhood. The opportunities are endless! Giving people a specific call
to action will make them more likely to respond, which serves to amplify your message.
make sure to tag (and use #hashtags!)
We want to see what you’re doing throughout Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the best way for us to see it
is for you to tag us in your posts. Like us, follow us, tag us, retweet us (and we’ll return the favor).
@PCATennessee
@PCATennessee
Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee
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Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee www.pcat.org
be part of the
conversation throughout
april. use these
#hashtags:
#greatchildhoods
#CAPMonth
#PCATp4p
Pinwheels for Prevention Toolkit 2017
Social
Media
guide
Sample Facebook Posts (don’t forget to include a picture!):
Did you know April is Child
Abuse Prevention Month? We are
celebrating #greatchildhoods by
planting a Pinwheel Garden. We
believe that every child deserves
a great childhood. Share a great
childhood memory of your own in
the comments below! #PCATp4p
#CAPMonth
We want every child to have the
very best opportunity to become
healthy, contributing members of
the community one day! We’ve
planted a Pinwheel Garden in
celebration of #greatchildhoods.
Share this post to show your
support of Child Abuse Prevention
Month! #CAPMonth #PCATp4p
What made you happy when you
were a child? We’ve partnered with
Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee
to celebrate the happy, healthy
childhoods that all children
deserve. How are you creating great
childhoods for the children in your
life? #greatchildhoods #PCATp4p
#CAPMonth
Sample Twitter Posts (formatted to 140 characters or less, with room for pictures):
We’re celebrating #greatchildhoods this month with @PCATennessee!
Here’s our Pinwheel Garden #CAPMonth #PCATp4p
Check out our Pinwheel Garden to celebrate #PCATp4p! Find out how
you can get involved at www.pcat.org
How are you creating #greatchildhoods for your children? Tell us!
#PCATp4p #CAPMonth @PCATennessee
We all play a role in child abuse prevention. Make a difference! Find out
how at www.pcat.org #PCATP4P #greatchildhoods #CAPMonth
Use any of
the sample
Facebook
or Twitter
posts on Instagram.
Don’t forget to tag us!
POSITIVE!
Keep your message
Focus
on successes, ways to get involved, and how great
childhoods impact the good of the community.
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Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee www.pcat.org
Pinwheels for Prevention Toolkit 2017
Community
engagement guide
Get creative and engage your entire community in the Pinwheels for
Prevention® campaign! Use the following ideas to help generate on-going
support from a variety of community partners.
pinwheel activities
• Plant a Pinwheel Garden at your business location.
• Plant pinwheels indoors in a planter or set a
bouquet of pinwheels in a visible place.
• Have children (or adults!) color a Pinwheel
Coloring Sheet - found on page 17 - and “plant”
the pinwheels on a prominent wall.
• Make your own pinwheels to display on walls or
windows (instructions on page 16).
communication opportunities
• Seek local media partnerships (print, broadcast, online) to help disseminate the
Pinwheels for Prevention® messaging, or seek donated advertising.
• Distribute public relations materials (media advisory, press release, etc.) for Child Abuse
Prevention Month.
• Utilize local community leaders to deliver messages in editorials, local radio, or
television shows.
• Utilize existing communication mediums, such as email, newsletters, websites, social
media, and mail to promote Pinwheels for Prevention® to supporters.
volunteer opportunities
• Host a diaper drive within your organization. Collect diapers of all sizes and/or wipes
and Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee will coordinate a pickup time.
• Encourage your customers or supporters to engage in youth-serving organizations
• Organize a fundraising event, perhaps with local civic, school, or youth groups. The
events could be small and held in volunteer homes, restaurants, or public locations.
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Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee www.pcat.org
Pinwheels for Prevention Toolkit 2017
Community
engagement guide
public policy opportunities
• Encourage supporters to participate in a letter-writing campaign to policy makers in
support of proposed legislation or policy changes at the local, state, or national level.
• Engage elected officials and business leaders to educate them on the issue and become
ambassadors of Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee’s message.
• Invite policymakers to do site visits at your program office or visit programs you
support.
• Distribute pinwheels to local policymakers or state legislators as an effective method for
generating awareness of your work and possibly gaining an audience with them.
• Conduct a press conference at your program or host a reception to inform the media,
community members, and policymakers about the Pinwheels for Prevention® campaign
and child abuse prevention efforts in the community or state.
• Ask local politicians (mayor, city council, county commission, school board, etc.)
to issue a declaration or proclamation recognizing Child Abuse Prevention Month
or expressing their support for the Pinwheels for Prevention® campaign. A sample
proclamation is provided on the next page.
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Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee www.pcat.org
Pinwheels for Prevention Toolkit 2017
Sample
proclamation
Child Abuse Prevention Month 2017
WHEREAS, Tennessee’s future prosperity depends on nurturing the healthy development of over
4 million children currently living, growing, and learning within our many diverse communities; and
WHEREAS, research shows that safe and nurturing relationships and stimulating and stable
environments improve brain development and child wellbeing, while neglectful or abusive
experiences and unstable or stressful environments damage children’s growing brains and increase
the odds of poor childhood health and developmental outcomes; and
WHEREAS, the abuse and neglect of children can cause severe, costly, and lifelong problems
affecting all of society, including physical and mental health problems, school failure, and criminal
behavior; and
WHEREAS, research also shows that parents and caregivers who have social networks and
know how to seek help in times of trouble are more resilient and better able to provide safe
environments and nurturing experiences for their children; and
WHEREAS, individuals, businesses, schools, and faith-based and community organizations
must make children a top priority and take action to support the physical, social, emotional, and
educational development and competency of all children; and
WHEREAS, during the month of April, Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee will be engaging
communities throughout Tennessee to collectively apply our knowledge about how children grow
to building healthier childhoods and a more prosperous future and to prevent child abuse and
neglect by promoting awareness of healthy child development, positive parenting practices, and the
types of concrete support families need within their communities,
NOW, THEREFORE, I [NAME AND TITLE] do hereby proclaim April 2017 as Child Abuse
Prevention Month and urge all residents to engage in activities whose purpose is to strengthen
families and communities and to provide the optimal environment for healthy child development.
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Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee www.pcat.org
Pinwheels for Prevention Toolkit 2017
www.pcat.org
sponsored locally by