You'll Need

• Postcards with your message and space for people to write a message and sign their name – you can use our free designs or create your own
• Pens and markers 
• Your decision-makers addresses (you can also hand deliver the postcards you collect) 
• Large mailing envelopes 
• Facts about the toll of tobacco and e-cigarettes - visit our Resources page for lots of great fact sheets

Instructions

Before the Activity:

• The details 
  Identify when and where you will be having your postcard party. Will you be making postcards at an existing event or as a separate event? Consider hosting your postcard party after school, or making postcards at an existing tobacco prevention event you’re already planning!
• Create and/or print your postcards 
  Download our free postcards or design your own and get them printed. Be sure to think strategically about what the postcard’s message is. Identify how you can use this postcard party to support any existing tobacco issues you are trying to tackle in your community. How are YOU fighting to create a tobacco-free generation, and what can decision-makers do to help?
• Identify and gather materials
  Gather additional materials you may need, like markers, stickers, additional pamphlets or fact sheets supporting your local tobacco prevention to personalize your postcards
• Spread the word 
  Once you’ve identified your time, date and location for your party, it’s time to promote your event! Consider promoting your event through school announcements, local radio and TV stations, newspapers, social media, community calendars and websites and word of mouth!

During the Activity:

• Collect postcards 
  Encourage event attendees/postcard party participants to write a message and sign postcards with their name and where they’re from. Messages can be specific to the topic you are advocating about or about why we need to create a tobacco-free generation. Be sure to have fact sheets and additional information on hand to explain to participants why we need to #BeTheFirst tobacco-free generation!
• Take pictures 
  During your event, take plenty of pictures and post to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #BeTheFirst! Encourage attendees to post to their social media channels as well.

After the Activity:

• Sign, Sealed & Delivered! 
  If you are planning on mailing the postcards to your decision-makers, be sure to have enough postage and the right mailing address on each card before dropping them in the mail. You can mail them individually or send them in one large envelope. If you are hand-delivering the post-cards, use a large mailing envelope to gather and deliver all the postcards! If you’re sending a lot of postcards together, consider writing a letter to accompany the postcards explaining what you’re advocating for and why.
• Follow-up with your local media outlets with a press release and photos from your event to make it into your local paper or on TV or radio!