Marketing Ideas

• Reach out to existing youth organizations, such as 4H, athletic teams, and other groups.
• Form alliances and partnerships with schools and church/religious groups in your community.
• Ask schools to host a fire prevention and safety event with your department and include promotion of your youth program.
• If your schools have a community service program that requires students to complete a set number of hours with an organization in the community, be sure your program is listed. This is often a very easy way to drive participants.
• Provide handouts/brochures for youth members of those groups and their parents. 
• Ask to attend school kick-off or other special events; or church functions; and be afforded the opportunity to have a table or other presentation of your program to attendees. Bring current participants of your program in uniform if possible to create a positive impression of your youth program.

Tap Into Local Media

• Submit press releases and program news to your local media. Sample press releases are included on the Resources for Departments page.
• Find out if your local newspaper will feature a youth member each month or quarter, offering another means to promote your program and its successful participants.
• Include your youth program in all outbound fundraising, news, and fire prevention materials.
• Create a specific name and mission statement for your program that can be used for these purposes. Use something that is catchy and quickly relays what the program is about. Don�t underestimate the �excitement� about the fire, rescue, and EMS service that already exists in your community.

Marketing From Within

• Your members are your best recruiting tool.
• Your existing adult members are likely parents themselves and may be interested in getting their children involved in the organization in a more formal manner. Their kids, in turn, become excellent �word of mouth� marketing tools. The same applies to existing members of your youth program. Consider creating internal rewards and recognition for those youth recruiting new members for your program.