Pinwheels for Prevention

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Checklist for Organizing a Pinwheel Garden in Your Community

Two Months Out
  • Organize a group of people that will help pland and implement the campaign
  • Contact PCA Colorado for ideas on how the pinwheels have been used across the state and the country
  • Determine where you would like to have the pinwheels
  • Decide if it will be a stand alone event or if you will add it on to an existing family event in your community
  • Decide if you want the pinwheels to be on display for a period of time or if you would like to have children in the community pick the pinwheels and take them away after the event
  • One location or multiple locations. here are some ideas: local businesses, schools, community park, children’s gardens, city/town hall, town square, recreation centers, churches, hospitals, etc.
  • Determine who will plant the pinwheels? Here are some ideas: families, children, elected officials, community and business leaders, nonprofit leaders
  • Determine the layout of your Pinwheel garden (Straight rows or Shape)
  • Determine what signage will be needed.  Downlaod a sign.  The message must stay positive on healthy child development and the benefits to your community.  You may highlight prevention services that are already working for your community
  • Determine how many pinwheels are needed: Here are some ideas – plant a pinwheel for every child born that year to show support for their healthy, safe development, plant a pinwheel for every child in your child care facility or school; plant a pinwheel for every child you serve in your prevention program or organization; or don't tie the number of pinwheels to anything specific
  • Confirm necessary paperwork/permits submitted by logistics committee
  • Order pinwheels, pinwheel stickers, and other materials from PCA Colorado
  • Invite participants
  • Contact your public officials and ask them to participate.

One Month Out

  • Order pinwheels, pinwheel stickers and other materials  from PCA Colorado if you haven’t already
  • Continue to invite participants
  • Decide if you want to make additional materials available on the protective factors, child abuse and neglect prevention strategies, parenting skills, and local organizations serving families.  Contact PCA Colorado for samples of materials you can distribute or check out Prevent Child Abuse Florida.
  • Order outreach materials, if you will be having them
  • Order signage
  • Confirm date and time with participants
  • Write media alert or press release to notify media about the event. PCA Colorado has a template
  • Write talking points for speakers – PCA Colorado can provide suggested messages
  • Call media contacts to make sure they got the Media Alert and to answer any questions
  • Post information about the event on your website and social media sites.  Submit information on the event to the local newspaper
  • Designate a team member as photographer

Day of the Event

  • Host the event
  • Plant the garden.  Contact PCA Colorado for the tips and tricks that other communities have used in their planting.
  • Welcome guests and media
  • Assign one team member to each VIP guest to assist them with talking points, microphone, etc.
  • Send press release immediately after the event
  • Submit photos to local newspaper
  • Post photos on your website and Facebook page
  • Submit your best photo to PCA Colorado via our Facebook page
This checklist was created by Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina.
 

We've created a one page flyer that you can use to explain what the Pinwheels for Prevention campaign is all about. 



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Public Awareness Campaign

April is National Child Abuse Prevention month.  In celebration, Prevent Child Abuse Colorado is organizing the first Pinwheels for Prevention awareness campaign in Colorado during April 2010.  It is our hope that this campaign can positively impact the way the general public views children, families, and child abuse and neglect prevention efforts.  The Pinwheels for Prevention campaign focuses on community activities and public policies that prioritize prevention right from the start to ensure that child abuse and neglect never occur in the first place.  It represents our collective efforts to prioritize the healthy development of children in recognition that healthy child development is an essential building block for community development and economic development. 
 
Prevent Child Abuse America developed the Pinwheels for Prevention public awareness campaign.  In 2009, forty states ran Pinwheels for Prevention campaigns and more 1.3 million pinwheels were distributed to raise awareness about this issue.  The pinwheel was chosen because it represents the hope and promise of a happy childhood.  When people display the pinwheel, they make a statement about their belief that every child deserves to be raised in a healthy, stable, and nurturing environment and to have a bright future. 
      
We invite you to take part.  
                                        
In April 2011, we'll partner with organizations in communities across the state to plant pinwheel gardens, raise awareness, and distribute positive parenting and family resource information.  See the calendar for events happening near you.  Some other ways you can get involved include:

As an Individual You Can:

  • Write to your elected offical about the importance of preventing the abuse and neglect of Colorado's children.
  • Purchase pinwheels and plant your own pinwheel garden.
  • Talk about prevention in your community.
  • Organize a small fundraiser to raise awareness in your community.
  • Serve on a committee or board.
As a Local Organization You Can:
  • Organize your own Pinwheels for Prevention campaign by purchasing pinwheels and planting a garden.
  • Join Child Abuse Prevention Month activities in April or organize activities in your community
  • Consider how you can incorporate child abuse prevention into your work.
  • Discuss child abuse prevention at your conferences and meetings
  • Collaborate locally.
As a Corporation You Can:
  • Sell paper pinwheels at checkout or other special pinwheel-themed items in your stores.
  • Sponsor pinwheel activies in Colorado.
  • Print messages on your bags or insert bill-stuffers to bring attention to the issue of child abuse prevention.
  • Invite your employees to show their support by purchasing and displaying pinwheels.
  • Create a pinwheel garden on your company's presmises in April to show your support during Child Abuse Prevention Month.
  • Contribute your company's professional expertise to help us advance this campaign and our organization's mission.
  • Donate or support the purchase of advertising space to help continue getting the word out.

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Ideas for implementing a Pinwheels for Prevention campaign include:

  • Choose a highly visible location and “plant” a pinwheel “garden.” Equate pinwheels with the number of children served by your agency or the number of births in your community. Use your pinwheels to promote the good you are doing in your community. Pinwheels, however, do not stand for deaths from child abuse or reported cases of child abuse. Pinwheels for Prevention is a positive campaign focused on solutions.
  • Offer people in your community the chance to make a personal statement in support of your work by purchasing pinwheels.
  • Let the media know about your pinwheel garden and its significance.
  • Ask your local radio stations to run public service announcements in support of your campaign.
If you or your organization is interested in taking part in the Pinwheels for Prevention Campaign please contact Kendra Dunn at 303-339-0780 or kdunn@preventchildabusecolorado.org.

If you need documents in a different format please email the same email address. 

If your organization is not located in Colorado, please contact the Prevent Child Abuse Chapter in your state. To find contact information for your state go here.



 

 

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