Welcome to IPM in Schools Week!
May 5-11, 2002

IPM in Schools Week Pledge

IPM Ambassador's Guide

(A brief School IPM Week "protocol" including how and when to contact schools and how to interact with teachers and students in the classroom.  Also available in Word and PDF forms.) 

1. Time commitment! Before you decide to conduct an IPM activity at a school,, decide how much time you want to commit. Can you spend a whole day at a school, first visiting the grade school and then the high school? If so, great! If not, that's okay, too! If you can only afford to spend an hour at a school, then go for it! Go to the IPM in Schools Week web site and register now!
   
2. Sign the pledge! Go online and take the IPM Ambassador Pledge located on the IPM in Schools Week Take the Pledge web page. This pledge will help you remember your goal as an IPM Ambassador and help keep you on track for your IPM in Schools Week activity.
   
3. Choose your approach! . If you have children in school, why not go to their classes? IPM in Schools Week is a perfect opportunity to teach your own children about IPM! After you decide on your target audience, then decide what approach you want to take. Do you want to tell a science class how learning about plants and weeds relates to IPM? Do you want to help 3^rd graders make bug masks? Do you want to tell high school science students about the possible job opportunities involved with IPM and how they relate to weed science, plant pathology and entomology? The possibilities are endless!
   
4. Remember your role in IPM! Before planning what activities to do, remember to talk about your role in IPM! Most students (and teachers) will not know what IPM is, and talking about how IPM relates to your job and/or your life is a great way to familiarize people with the topic!
   
5. Activities, activities, activities! Before you approach a school or teacher, be prepared with the specifics. What activities do you want to do? What activities most fit into your role in IPM? How much time will each activity take? Check out the IPM in Schools Week Ideas for Ambassadors web page for suggestions on activities.
   
6. Contact your local school or a teacher you know well in advance! Make sure that you okay your activity with the school ahead of time! Take the time NOW to contact the school or teacher you want to work with. Because many teachers and administrators will not know what IPM is, prepare to give them a simplified definition of IPM and why it is important. Tell them that you would like to come to class during School IPM Week and do an activity with the students. Explain your target audience and approach and set up a time and date. Be specific. If possible, plan a time to briefly meet with the teacher before the set date.
   
7. Register your activity on the events calendar! After you have set up a place, date and time for your IPM in Schools Week activity, remember to add your activity to the list located on the IPM in Schools Week Activities List web page.
   
8. Resources are available! Remember the resources available to you as an ambassador for IPM in Schools Week. There are nametag templates and worksheets (soon to be posted) available for you to use and distribute on the IPM in Schools Week web site. Use them to supplement your IPM in Schools Week activity!
   
9. Don't forget the workplace, community and universities! If you don't have the opportunity to go to a school, remember that there are many people in different settings that can be taught about IPM. Your workplace is a great place to teach people about urban uses of IPM. Parents and community members need to know, too! And, if you are associated with a university, think about visiting a college class during IPM in Schools Week.
   
10. Use the media! Distribute the IPM in Schools Week press release to the local paper or anyone you think would be interested in participating. Write a letter to the editor about school IPM. Give a lecture on IPM in Schools and put up a few flyers! Be creative and get the word out!
    
11. Get others involved! If you know of someone who would be "perfect" to do an activity during IPM in Schools Week, tell them about it! Working in pairs or groups can be very beneficial. Check out the IPM in Schools Week Activities Register web page to see if anyone else in your area is planning to do an event. The more people involved the better!
    
12. Have fun! Teaching others about IPM is useful, but it can be fun, too! Remember your pledge mission, and go for it!

IPM in Schools Week is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program, the National Foundation for IPM Education and members and supporters of the IPM Institute of North America.

IPM in Schools Week is organized by the IPM Institute of North America, Inc.

Questions or comments can be addressed to:
IPM Institute of North America, Inc.
Phone: (608) 232-1528, Fax (608) 232-1530
schoolipmweek@ipminstitute.org *  www.ipminstitute.org