BUILDING A STRONGER TSA CHAPTER
A guide to help grow, promote, and run your chapter
Technology Student Association
Letter To The Membership
Greetings Members of TSA!
The 2012- 2013 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 2012- 2013 National TSA Officer Team
What’s Included
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How to use the new toolkit
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Growing and promoting your chapter
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Promotional PowerPoint
“Dream it. Create it. Live it.” flyers
Brochure
Recruiting strategies
Ways of promoting your chapter
Fundraising ideas
Running your chapters
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Leadership and personal development
Ideas for meetings
Planning your year
Section:
How To Use The New Toolkit
A guide to understanding and using the new TSA
promotional PowerPoint® presentation, flyers, and
brochures
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.
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.
Flyers
Hang TSA flyers in classrooms, hallways, cafeterias and on announcement boards; email
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.
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!
Section:
Growing And Promoting Your Chapter
Tips on effective recruiting strategies,
promotion, fundraising, and website creation
for your chapter
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.
Recruiting And Promoting Strategies
The “How To” Guide
• 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.
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-onone recruiting and individual
discussions as to why they
should join.
• Make sure to get everyone in your
chapter involved in the
recruiting process.
Fundraising Ideas
• 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!
Let’s Get Festive!
• 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.”
Pass The Ham Please
• 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!”
Just Dance
• 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.
Section:
Running Your Chapters
A model for developing leadership ability, running
meetings, and planning for the year
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.
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.
Ideas For Your Chapter Meetings
Ask chapter officers or
veteran members to bring
drinks and snacks to your
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!
Start meetings off with a
team-building activity or
icebreaker.
• 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!
Introduce competitive
events early! Have
students sign up for
events they think are
interesting.
• 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!
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.
Sometimes breaks ARE
necessary. If a meeting isn’t
productive, the purpose is
defeated.
Know what to say and when
to say it.
Allow members to prepare
for their interviews and
speeches in front of the
group for constructive
feedback.
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.
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.
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.
Contact Us!
For Additional Information Please Contact:
National TSA
1914 Association Drive
Reston, VA 20191-1540
phone 703.860.9000
fax 703.758.4852
toll-free 888.860.9010
www.tsaweb.org
References and Credits
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http://tsaweb.org/Mission-Motto-Creed
http://www.tsaweb.org/search/node/TSA%20logo
http://www.tsaweb.org/Toolkits-and-Resources
http://nrccte.org/sites/default/files/publicationfiles/looking_inside_the_black_box.pdf
http://www.schools.utah.gov/cte/facts.html
http://images.google.com/search?hl=en&site=&tbm=isch&source=hp&bi
w=1321&bih=599&q=technology+student+association&oq=Technology+S
tudent+&gs_l=img.3.0.0l2j0i5j0i24l5j0i10i24j0i24.1091.3903.0.4725.19.17
.0.2.2.0.77.633.17.17.0...0.0...1ac.1.3.img.qCshYBCmte0
http://www.rosenshinglecreek.com/
http://top7business.com/?Top-7-Steps-To-Develop-LeadershipSkills&id=2113
http://www.tntsa.org/leadership.html