Ads.
We raise most of our money through advertisements to hold events such as FSPA, EOY Luncheon, CHAT Jackets, and more. Just this year, I appointed a Business Manager who is assigned to complete an advertisement goal for every month. I love the idea of acquiring ads because it teaches our staff to perfect their marketing, persuasion, and of course, public speaking skills. This year, my staff was mostly underclassmen who weren't in the newspaper before. I made sure they understood the ads by creating an Advertisement Manual. This document had step-by-step instructions and even a script for when they approach a store manager.
At the CHAT, we recognize the difficulty of acquiring ads; although it is beneficial for us and leads to better public speaking. We provide a script and other helpful tools to ensure that the communication between the student and the business runs smoothly. And if it doesn't work out, we recognize failed attempts because the student still deserves the credit.
Our newly appointed Business Manager always has a slide at the end of the budget review. She motivates, encourages, and ensures that the class is meeting the ad deadlines. We had a plan to create a visual for our class because of all the expenses we had to cover. Our end goal is to be able to afford to take the entire class to FSPA in the spring so we had to think outside of the box.
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At Pines Charter, it can be a hassle to get financial assistance from our city, since the city of Pembroke Pines runs our school. With the help of our school bookkeeper, we were able to successfully purchase video equipment and save enough money for FSPA.
"Everyone Has a Story"
During my junior year, I had an idea. I noticed many friends had mind-blowing backgrounds and stories but never received recognition. Then, the next year, as EIC, I implemented the Columns Section. We always wrote features on students, but it wasn't enough. Many students sign up to write for our Columns Section even if they earn nothing from it, but they like to feel heard. This increases our audience engagement because people look forward to viewing their stories and their friends' stories.
