You’re probably wondering what types of activities your team can do to get started. Well, we’ve got just the thing!

First, make sure that whatever you do is fun. Activities may range from statewide activities such as Lobbypalooza,to local awareness activities and other ideas that your team creates.

Each Frontline Team is required to conduct at least one activity per month. Please submit an Activity Report after your team has conducted an activity.

Allies members can be included in all activities except the statewide events, contests and the Frontline Incentive Program.

What counts as an activity?
An activity involves your team advocating, educating, passing out information and/or promoting Frontline. Participation in Partnership events such as Lobbypalooza and regional conferences count! An activity is an opportunity for you to share your passion for healthy lifestyles with other people.

Activity Themes for Each Month

AUGUST

• Back-to-school Recruitment Activity
This monthly activity should serve as a recruitment tool to get more high school students to join your Frontline Team. Ask the youth of your organization what they would like to do to get other youth involved in Frontline. Ideas that are successful include: a social, including food, games and brief introduction about the program. This will help students who go back to school the next day and talk about the Frontline program. Be sure to mention the Frontline incentive program and community service activities in your introduction.

• Student Survey
Survey students at your school or in your community to find out their attitudes, concerns and opinions about teen issues. Use the information to find out what areas your Frontline Team should focus on throughout the year. You can also use the information from the surveys in a presentation, at workshops or during assemblies. If you would like to see the difference your Frontline Team will make throughout the year by doing awareness activities, distribute your survey at the beginning and end of the school year. For validity purposes, make sure you use the same survey both times and disseminate to the same students. Compare the results and see how students’ views have changed on health issues. For assistance in making a survey, please call the Frontline Coordinator.

SEPTEMBER

• Team Orientation
Frontline Team orientation is extremely important to being a successful team. This handbook serves as the training manual also. Please explain the following:

1. Purpose of Frontline
2. Frontline Organizational Breakdown
3. Definition of Advocacy
4. How to be an Advocate
5. Frontline Team officers and their responsibilities
6. Frontline Incentive Program
7. Frontline activities they will participate in monthly
8. Be sure to set rules for the team (i.e. behavior during meetings, dedication to team, requirements to participate in activities, statewide event opportunities, etc…) With adult guidance, let the team set these rules. It has been proven that when youth set their own rules, they tend to follow them and reinforce the rules themselves with other youth.

Before you jump right in, there are a few things you need to complete:

1. State your goal for the year.
2. Identify your target audience for each activity and those individuals who should be involved.
3. Know your material! This cannot be stressed enough!
4. Develop a plan of action. Refer to the “How to Make Your School Tobacco-Free” section of the manual for an example.
5. Advocate, Advocate, Advocate!
6. Celebrate your accomplishments after each activity.

The Frontline Coordinator is also available to train students if needed.

OCTOBER

• Tobacco 101 Activity
Tobacco 101 usually pertains to basic tobacco information such as effects of tobacco on the body, effects of secondhand smoke, explanation of spit tobacco and its effects.

• Red Ribbon Week
The third week in October is nationally known as “Red Ribbon Week.” Tobacco, alcohol, and other drug awareness activities should be conducted every day throughout this week.

NOVEMBER

• Great American Smokeout
Great American Smokeout is sponsored by the American Cancer Society. This national event takes place each year on the third Thursday of November. On this day, millions of Americans will stub out their cigarettes. This activity should be done prior to this particular Thursday. Make sure you have permission to display this table in your school or church for a couple of weeks. Make sure a youth and adult are present andn prepared to answer questions about quitting smoking or dipping, basic tobacco questions, and secondhand smoke. Cessation materials are available to use for this event. Contact the Tobacco Education Resource Center (TERC) for free materials at (877) 303-TERC.

DECEMBER

• Send holiday cards to local officials
The purpose of this activity is for your Frontline Team members to communicate their holiday wishes and appreciation to your local officials (Mayor, City Council or Board of Alderman, Police, Firemen and women, teachers and administrators at your school, etc.). You could even send Holiday Cards to patients in nursing homes.

• Community Service Activity
Many Frontline Teams will participate in a number of community projects, such as the Angel Tree project, or adopting a less fortunate family. Also, many teams will volunteer their time at a community kitchen or shelter for the homeless serving meals. These projects serve a great educational purpose for youth and count as Frontline activities.

JANUARY

• Thank-you cards to State Legislators
The purpose of this activity is for your Frontline Team members to communicate their best wishes and appreciation to your state Representatives and Senators. These men and women serve in session for many months making laws that protect our well-being. We need to thank them for what they do. Also, please take the opportunity to educate them on what Frontline is and how you work in your community to make it healthier.

• New Year’s Activity
Many people make New Year’s Resolutions. Take advantage of this opportunity to again offer help to those wanting to quit using tobacco products. Call the Tobacco Education Resource Center (TERC) at (877) 303-TERC to request Tobacco Quitline posters and office detail kits. Distribute these materials to hospitals and physician offices in your area.

FEBRUARY

• I.D. Team
The I.D. Team is a program of The Partnership where Frontline students can take the lead! This training is for retailers and merchants in your local community. They will learn about the laws governing the sell of

• Lobbypalooza (tentative)
Lobbypalooza is an annual Frontline event where your local team takes its campaign to the next level. It is a great opportunity for your team to join hands with other teams from across the state for the same dynamic purpose. This event is tentative depending other Partnership events and initiatives.

MARCH

• Prepare for Spring Break
The week before your school’s Spring Break, educate the students on the importance of making healthy decisions. This is a great time to do the Informer activity: create posters with messages about the dangers of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use. Post them around your school in the halls, classrooms, and bathrooms.

• Spring Break Festival
Many youth go on trips for Spring Break during the month of March. If your Frontline members are not taking a trip, host a Spring Break event! Depending on the funds available, this can be as big or small as you like. You can develop this event just for your Frontline Team or open it up to the community. Have fun games, food, arts and crafts, music and entertainment and educational booths set up. Make sure to promote it as a tobacco- and alcohol-free event. Be sure to include information about your Frontline organization. This can serve as a great recruiting tool

APRIL

• Community Clean Up Day
Volunteer as a team to clean up your school campus, a highway or neighborhood in your community. If you choose to go out in your community, target the areas where cigarette butts are thrown on the ground.

• Kick Butts Day
This is the day America’s teens stand up to tobacco companies. Every year, young people fight youth tobacco use in their communities. Kick Butts Day rallies and events take place in every state, and several nations, showing that kids are powerful voices in the fight against tobacco.

MAY

• End-of-school Activity
Have your Frontline Team members vote on what they want to end the year doing. This should serve as a reward for all their hard work they have done throughout the year.

• “World No Tobacco Day”
Observed annually on May 31, World No Tobacco Day is the only global event established to call worldwide attention to the impact of tobacco use on public health and reduce individual tobaccodependence. For more information about how your team can get involved, check out www.wntd.com.

• Faith-Based
Did you know that Frontline can become part of your church or other faith-based organization? Each spring, The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi provides grants to faith-based groups that agree to implement our programs in their summer camps, Vacation Bible School or other summertime setting. As a Frontline member, you can lead sessions with younger children. Even if your church does not qualify for a grant, you can still receive all of the program materials free of charge. Be sure to contact The Partnership at (800) PHM-5437 or visit www.healthy-miss.org for details about this annual initiative.

JUNE & JULY (Summer months optional)

• SWAT Camp
One of the four youth programs at The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi is SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco). During the summer months, local community organizations will hold a five-day SWAT Camp for 4th-6th grade students. Frontline members can be session leaders during the five-day camp teaching the students about self-esteem, conflict resolution, communication skills, decision making, and healthy choices. For more information about the SWAT program, contact the SWAT Coordinator at (601) 362-0740 or visit www.getswat.com.

• RAT and SWAT Summer Events
The Partnership may host regional summer events in your area for students in grades K-6. Please contact the Youth Programs Director at The Partnership if you are interested in assisting during the events in your area.

• Camp Frontline
A five-day camp is available for Frontline Teams to use in youth groups or other community settings. This camp consists of five one-hour sessions that touch on a variety of life skills and advocacy work. Please contact the Frontline Coordinator if you are interested in the five-day camp.