2006 Public Awareness Campaign ONE VOICE ONE MESSAGE

NOW IS THE TIME! There are just 6 months left until the 80th Legislative Session begins in January 2007. Therefore, we must work together to create ONE VOICE ONE MESSAGE related to early childhood education and development. Our goal is to educate as many policymakers, candidates, media outlets, and new leaders as possible about the critical role that early childhood education plays in the success of children, families, and communities. Over the past several months, TECEC has been working with experts within the communications and messaging fields at the state and national levels in order to develop three cutting edge tools for your use during the TECEC Public Awareness Campaign leading up to the 80th Legislative Session. The tools include:

· 2006 Monthly Themes
· TECEC Message Box
· TECEC Message Box Fact Sheet

2006 MONTHLY THEMES 
Each month, TECEC will highlight a new theme for the early childhood education field in Texas to focus on in order to ensure that these issues never leave the minds of candidates, policymakers, community leaders, and the media. TECEC will send out a statewide monthly press release addressing the importance of early childhood education and development and how it relates to the theme for the month. In addition, we will provide you with the tools you need to build ONE VOICE, ONE MESSAGE in your local communities, leading to a strong voice across the state.

JANUARY
Theme: Election Season is Upon Us!
Activity: Know who represents you and who is running for election in your district. Check out "Who Represents You" and the comprehensive candidate list available on the TECEC website under the "2006 Elections" section.

FEBRUARY
Theme: Get Organized!
Activity: Partner with colleagues and set up meetings with ALL candidates running for office.  

MARCH
Theme: Investing in Children is a Recipe for Economic Success!
Activity: Partner with local businesses and corporations in order to raise awareness about the economic benefits of investing in early childhood education. 

APRIL
Theme: Pre-k and School Finance!
Activity: As Texas prepares for another special session on school finance, use this opportunity to raise awareness about the connection between high quality early education experiences and later school success.

MAY
Theme: School’s Out for Summer!
Activity: Partner with parents to raise awareness about the challenges working parents face during the summer months.

JUNE
Theme: Diverse State, Diverse Communities!
Activity: The changing face of Texas is important to all of us, so be sure to partner with a variety of groups to raise awareness about the unique and diverse needs of all Texas children.

JULY
Theme: Children are Born Learning!
Activity: Partner with pediatricians and other health professionals to raise awareness about the importance that the first five years of a child’s life plays in brain development.

AUGUST
Theme: Celebrating the Early Childhood Workforce!
Activity:    Partner with early childhood education professionals in order to raise awareness about the critical role that professional development can play in high quality early education experiences.

SEPTEMBER
Theme: Grandparents Day!
Activity:    In honor of all the grandparents providing care during the day and for grandparents raising grandchildren, partner with grandparents and organizations in order to raise awareness of the critical role that kinship care has in early childhood education and development.

OCTOBER
Theme: Crime Prevention Month!
Activity: Partner with law enforcement officials in your community in order to raise awareness of the role that high quality early childhood education plays in reducing crime.

NOVEMBER
Theme: Kids Can’t Vote, But YOU Can!
Activity: VOTE ON NOVEMBER 7TH

DECEMBER
Theme: Seeing is Believing!
Activity: Host your elected officials for a tour of a local Child Care, Head Start, or Pre-k classroom.

MONTHLY THEMES (PDF version)

We recognize that there are a number of awareness days and months already in place covering a wide array of issues promoting healthy children and families. TECEC does not want to replace these critical events, but are asking our partners and members to incorporate the additional themes TECEC has laid out when possible in order to build ONE VOICE, ONE MESSAGE across the state.


TECEC MESSAGE BOX
The TECEC Message Box is a critical tool to the 2006 Public Awareness Campaign. It includes the four key messages that everyone across the state can be speaking to when talking about early childhood education. That way, as we work together to create ONE VOICE, ONE MESSAGE we are ensuring that candidates, policymakers, community leaders, and the media are hearing the same messages from every part of the state.

Example: The theme for March is “Investing in Children is a Recipe for Economic Success.” As each of us educate candidates, meet with our legislators, speak with the media, and/or identify new leaders to bring to the table, we will continually bring the message back to the four key messages on the message box.

TECEC MESSAGE BOX FACT SHEET
The Message Box Fact Sheet provides key statistics and information for you to speak to when using the four key messages from the TECEC Message Box.

Last Updated: 8/17/2006