The who, what, when, where and how of Act! Speak! Build! Week
Youth ages 5 to 25, Habitat affiliates and Habitat volunteers around the world.
Act! Speak! Build! Week is Habitat’s international, student-initiated advocacy campaign. Act! Speak! Build! Week empowers young people to educate themselves and their communities, in order to move people to social action.
March 30–April 5, 2009.
School campuses and communities around the world
Step 1: Familiarize yourself and your group with the week and the four campaign events. Campaign events are events selected by Habitat for Humanity International staff to be highlighted during Act! Speak! Build! Week. Student groups around the world are encouraged to implement the campaign events to give the week a more unified perspective. You can find these events through by going to Act! Speak! Build! Week’s Campaign Events. Step 2: Register for Act! Speak! Build! Week in November 2009. Step 3: Contact your local affiliate and let them know you would like to collaborate on events. Step 4: Plan out your week and events leading up to Act! Speak! Build! Week. Key points - Publicize your event in advance, and use Habitat for Humanity’s online resources to assist you on advocacy events prior to Act! Speak! Build! Week. Inform the faculty and staff on campus about the event so that they can support you. - Remember that your advocacy campaign is based on advocating for affordable housing. - Co-sponsor events with other organizations at your school and delegate responsibilities. - Reserve space on campus early. - Download the Act! Speak! Build! Week Advocacy Toolkit to obtain more detailed and further information.
Week Prior: Advertise Act! Speak! Build! Week on your campus with posters provided by Habitat for Humanity International. The posters have the week dates on them, and you can also write in your location of events. You can request posters when you register for Act! Speak! Build! Week. Monday: Cover your campus and/or community with statistics about the state of poverty in your community and throughout the world. You can tie ribbons on trees, pass out flyers and hand out stickers that Habitat for Humanity International provides. Have members of your group wear Act! Speak! Build! Week T-shirts around campus. Promo materials for Act! Speak! Build! Week 2009 will be available in early 2009. Tuesday: Organize a panel discussion with members of your community. Use the successful panel guide for help. Wednesday: Host a shantytown on your campus. Whether you call it a sleep-out, shantytown or shack-a-thon, this type of activity is one of the most popular campus chapter or group activities. Have student groups each commit to building one or more boxed houses. That night, have a sleep out among your community. You can find more information about this event in the advocacy toolkit. Thursday: Sponsor a letter-writing campaign advocating for more affordable housing in your community. Also, you can host a photo exhibit provided by Habitat for Humanity. You can find more information about this campaign in the Advocacy Toolkit. Friday: Collaborate with your affiliate to host a mini-build on your campus. You can build mailboxes, sheds, doors, and benches. Invite local officers or politicians to visit the build site. Saturday/Sunday: RELAX! You and your group did a great job inspiring your community. One week after: Send out thank you notes to everyone who participated and helped you along the way. One month after: Complete the Act! Speak! Build! Week survey on the Youth Programs Web site to help us improve the event and provide valuable resources to groups that will participate in the next year’s Act! Speak! Build! Week.
