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Planning Guide
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Public Health Service • National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
June 1995
The
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID),
a component ofthe National Institutes ofHealth, stands at the
forefront ofbiomedical research on a broad spectrum ofimmune
system disorders, including asthma. The Institute is concerned about the
increase in asthma mortality and morbidity, which is especially high in
minority children living in urban areas. This guide was developed as part of
an effort to decrease asthma-related hospitalizations and deaths.
NIAID expresses its appreciation to Dr. FloydJ. Malveaux, Interim Dean,
College ofMedicine, Howard University College ofMedicine, Washington,
D.C., and Carolyn Yoder, Nurse Clinician, Children's Asthma Center,
Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital, Cleveland, Ohio, for their review of
this guide and their helpful comments and suggestions.
NIAID also expresses its appreciation to the following organizations for
their help in the development of this guide:
Allergy and Asthma Network-Mothers of Asthmatics, Inc.
Asthma and Allergy Foundation ofAmerica
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health
This material is not copyrighted. Readers are encouraged to reproduce all
or part of this document as needed. Acknowledgment of the source is
appreciated.
Additional copies are available from:
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND
INFECTIOUS DISEASES (31/7A50)
31 CENTER DRIVE, MSC 2520
BETHESDA, MD 20892-2520
(301) 496-5717
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
About This Kit 1
Overview of the Kit 2
What You Should Know About Asthma 3
PART ONE: HowTo Create anAsthmaAwareness Day 7
Learn About Asthma in Your Community 7
Enlist Community Support 7
How To Reach African-American and Hispanic Organizations 8
Develop Your Coalition 10
Hold a Planning Meeting 11
—
Step 1 Define Your Goals and Objectives 11
Possible Objectives for Asthma Awareness Day 12
—
Step 2 Define the Target Audience 12
—
Step 3 Plan Activities for the Event 14
Issues To Consider When Developing the Educational Program 14
—
Step 4 Develop a Preliminary Budget and Discuss Fundraising Efforts 14
—
Step 5 List Other Local Organizations 15
—
Step 6 Identify Contribution(s) To Be Made by Each Cosponsor 15
Possible Committee Assignments 16
Supplements
Potential Supporters of an Asthma Awareness Event 17
Cosponsor Solicitation Letter With a Focus on Minority Issues 18
Contribution Assessment Worksheet 19
Sample Program 20
Successful Activities in Other Cities 21
Other Asthma Awareness Activities 23
Asthma Awareness Day Sample Budget 26
PART TWO: HowTo Manage LogisticalArrangements for the Event 27
Develop a Timeline 27
Set the Date 27
Helpful Hints for Choosing a Date and Location 27
Select a Convenient Location 27
Work With the School District 28
Ask the School To Organize a Field Trip to Asthma Awareness Day 28
Work With the City 29
Enlist Volunteers 29
On the Day of the Event 30
III
Plan the Menu 30
Sample Menu 30
Stage the Opening Ceremony 30
Invite a Local Celebrity or V.I.P 30
Select Talking Points and Speakers Who Will Interest Your Audience 31
Secure Audiovisual Equipment for the Day 31
Plan Event Activities 31
Select Give-Aways and Door Prizes 32
Consider Exhibitors' Needs 32
Select Handouts 32
Supplements
Event Management Timeline 33
Volunteer Schedule 35
Memo to School Principals From the Superintendent of Schools 36
Permission Slip for Asthma Awareness Day Field Trip 38
Letter to the Fire Chief 39
Letter to Celebrity/Guest Speaker 40
Remarks for Asthma Awareness Day 41
PART THREE: HowTo Promote the Event andWorkWith the Media 43
Create and Distribute a Brochure 43
Work With the Media 44
Identify Spokespersons Who Will Work With You 44
Develop a List 44
Some General Tips on Media Contacts 44
Prepare a Press Kit 45
Public Service Announcements 45
Press Releases 46
Editorials, Op-Eds, and Letters to the Editor 46
Feature Stories 47
Tips for Television 47
Get the Interview 47
Supplements
Sample Brochure 49
Public Service Announcements 51
Letter to Public Service Directors 52
Fill-in-the-Blanks Press Release 53
Letter to the Editor 54
Feature Story Pitch Letter 55
Proclamation for Asthma Awareness Day/Week 56
Fact Sheet About Asthma: A Special Problem for Inner-City Minority Children 57
IV
PART FOUR: Followup to the Event 59
Thank Cosponsors and Participants 59
Plan Other Asthma Awareness Events and Next Year's Asthma Awareness Day 59
Supplements
Thank-You Letter to Participants 60
Thank-You Letter to Cosponsors 6l
PART VIVE: HowTo Find Resources and Materials for Program Planning 63
Resources for Program Planning 63
Asthma Resource Organizations 65
Educational Materials and Programs About Asthma 69
Written Materials for Children and Parents 69
Written Materials for Teenagers and Adults 74
Videotapes, Posters, and Displays for Adults and Children 80
Educational Programs and Teaching Aids 82
Introduction
Introduction
About This Kit to the educational sessions, the program
includes entertainment such as puppet
shows, magic acts, and clown routines. At
The information provided in this kit is based the end of the program, attendees take home
on a successful model established by the
patient education materials to reinforce what
National Institute ofAllergy and Infectious
they learned during the event.
Diseases (NIAID) and the Howard University
College of Medicine in Washington, DC.
The goals ofAsthma Awareness Day are to
They have jointly sponsored Asthma Aware-
ness Day events since 1990. These events teach children and families how to:
were organized as school-day field trips for
children with asthma who were enrolled at • Identify the signs of an asthma attack and
learn how to respond.
elementary schools in the District of Colum-
bia Public School System. Five hundred
students with asthma, predominantly African • Recognize and reduce exposure to
Americans, attended each event. potential triggers.
The kit also includes information from a • Use helpful devices, such as peak-flow
weekend Asthma Awareness Day that was meters.
jointly sponsored by Case Western Reserve
University School of Medicine and the • Reduce their need for emergency room
Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital in visits and hospital admissions.
Cleveland, Ohio. More than 500 people
registered to attend this event. • Improve the ability to cope with asthma,
so that the child can participate in
The program described in this kit is designed normal activities.
as a half-day event, although it can easily be
scaled down to reflect time and financial Asthma Awareness Day is meant for all
constraints. This kit includes step-by-step children. However, because the disease has
instructions for planning either a field trip or the greatest impact on inner-city African-
a weekend event. A variety of alternatives American and Hispanic children, we made a
are provided from which you can pick and special effort to include information relevant
choose the options most appropriate for to planners interested in reaching these
your community. Use the Table of Contents populations. Although this kit was designed
to locate the sections of the kit that are with professional health education program
relevant to your plans. planners in mind, it could be used by others
who are experienced in planning community
The educational activities will probably be programs. We do recommend that a profes-
similar regardless of whether your event is sional who is familiar with asthma be in-
designed as a field trip or a weekend activ- volved in the program planning. Organi-
ity. In this model, attendees, divided into zations that can refer you to such profession-
small groups, rotate through several asthma als are described in the Asthma Resource
management education sections. In addition Organizations list (see page 65).
Also included in this guide are smaller scale By planning and participating in Asthma
educational activities that can be conducted Awareness Day, you can teach children who
before or after Asthma Awareness Day or to have asthma and their families to take (»
reach other members of the community (see control and manage the disease. Education is
page 23). a key factor in reducing the number of
asthma-related hospitalizations and fatalities.
Overview of the Kit
We have incorporated suggestions and materials that were used to plan, promote, and
execute previous Asthma Awareness Day events. We hope that these materials will make
it easy to plan a successful Asthma Awareness Day in your community. This kit is divided
into five sections:
—
Part One: HowTo Create anAsthmaAwareness Day Explains how to get
started by enlisting the support ofyour community and holding a
planning meeting. Elements of the planning meeting are described in
detail. Descriptions of successful Asthma Awareness Day activities,
ideas for fundraising, and additional tools to facilitate the planning
process are included for your use.
—
Part Two: HowTo Manage LogisticalArrangements for the Event Details
event management, from choosing the date and location to working
with the school district, the city, and volunteers to selecting speakers,
handouts, and food for the event. A sample event management
timeline is included that lists all of the major steps on the way to a
successful Asthma Awareness Day. Tools to facilitate management of
the logistical arrangements are included for your use.
—
Part Three: How To Promote the Event andWorkWith the Media Provides
basic information about working with the media and specific ideas that
can be used to attract target audience members or to inform the gen-
eral public about asthma.
—
Part Four: Followup to the Event Provides sample thank-you letters and ideas
to facilitate planning another Asthma Awareness Day event.
—
Part Five: How To Find Resources and Materials for Program Planning
Provides references to information on program planning, promotion,
and evaluation; organizations that maintain asthma-related resources;
and asthma educational materials and programs that could be used to
plan and execute an Asthma Awareness Day.
