Editor’s Note: Over the summer, this column will provide valuable tips to share with teens to help them get along better with their friends, other students at school, their parents and siblings. These columns are all about getting students and their friends talking about violence prevention as a way to make their world a better place for their future. We hope that these tips for teens will help them learn how to live happy, successful, safe lives! They are why we do what we do!!!

Have you ever thought about what you could do if the student organizations in your school turned up a few notches? You could change the world…or at least make some major changes at your school and in your community! Try implementing the tips below to increase the impact of your clubs and organizations.

Log It

If you`re likely to run an event more than once, make the time to keep a detailed log of the work you do to prepare, and note the dates of each step. Then when the event is over, go back and turn your log into an Action Plan for the future. Convert the dates to a countdown (i.e. "one month in advance" or "day before event"). Add any ideas you have for improvements. Then file it away for next time. Why re-invent the wheel? Use the time saved on planning to add another event to your calendar next year.

We Want YOU!

Don`t wait for people to find an organization. Actively recruit new members! Putting up flyers about meeting times may draw a few new people, but if you really want to increase your group`s size and get more kids involved, try sending out personal invitations to attend a meeting or event. You can email, mail, call, or even personally ask students to join your group. Be sure you explain what the group does, why people find it fun and worthwhile, and how you think the recruit could help you take the organization to the next level. The personal touch almost always results in greater participation than just waiting to see who shows up at the next meeting.

Collaborate

Is there a project your group would love to do, but you think it would be too big or complicated? Before you give up on the idea, consider collaborating with another organization to co-sponsor the event. By bringing together the combined creativity, resources, and energy of your various groups’ members, you can work together to stage events that might be impossible for any one organization to manage.

The key to successful collaboration is ensuring that the right groups are working together as co-sponsors. As a general rule, you need to find partners who share your goals on the topic area or purpose of the event. For example, many SAVE Chapters work with other groups on projects because both groups, ultimately, are concerned about promoting students` safety. Depending on the project, it might be possible to work with an organization from another school. In fact, if you want to run an event that involves the community at large, working with students from another school can actually help you draw a bigger audience.

You can prevent one of the most common problems with collaboration -- disorganization due to bad communication -- by designating one member of each group to serve as the official contact person. Funnel all communication between the groups through the official contact people on each side to streamline your planning with efficient communication.

Following these 3 simple tips can make your organizations more effective and bring you satisfaction based on increased results. Get involved with the organizations that plan activities for Back to School Safety, America’s Safe Schools Week, National SAVE Day, National Youth Violence Prevention Week, and National Youth Service Day. You will be glad that you did!

(Special thanks to Dr. Jody Roy atRippon College.)