Step 1: Create an action team or committee

Call a meeting of your PTA board or form a special committee to discuss organizing a town meeting or community forum. Your committee may include PTA officers and members, educators and school officials, business and community leaders, and others who have a stake in safeguarding children against violence in your community.

Step 2: Identify priority issues or the focus of the forum

Your committee should identify the priority issues and needs of families and schools in your community to help you choose the focus of the forum. Could the main purpose or focus of the forum be to: Identify problems and possible solutions? Evaluate current programs and services and make changes or improvements? Identify needed programs and who could implement them? Find funding sources or continued support for violence prevention initiatives? Realize that any one of these things—or a combination of a few—would work as a focus for your forum.

Step 3: Develop a plan or set of goals

Set goals for the forum—those things you hope will result from this meeting. Make goals realistic and achievable (e.g., identify specific major problems in the community; identify which of those problems the forum body might be able to address). The forum body should be asked to make a commitment to pursue those goals. Identify what each organization can do and by when; plan for a follow-up meeting. This part of the step will become clearer as stakeholders and organizations are identified.

Step 4: Identify the stakeholders

Identify the stakeholders within your community who would have an interest in participating in a forum. Identify the groups of citizens within the community who have the ability to influence public action, opinion, policy decisions, or who have a stake in the outcome. Within each group of citizens are organizations that serve the interests of the members of the groups they support. Determine what organizations or community leaders should be represented in your forum.

Step 5: Determine the format and logistics of the event you're planning

Step 6: Secure support and commitments

For optimal success, have all forum participants identify what resources their groups will provide to lend support. Identify and secure all financial and material resources needed (rental fees, licenses, equipment, materials for mailings, advertising fees, postage), and determine the number of volunteers required to manage the event. When organizations commit to action steps or support, make sure there is someone identified to keep a record of those commitments.

Step 7: Invite speakers and participants

With the organizations that have shown interest and agreed to lend support, determine who will address the major issues of concern. Once you’ve identified your potential speakers, invite them to present at the forum. Include in the invitation an explanation of the focus of the forum, what the speaker should address, length of speech, and other details such as time, date, and place. For those speakers who agree to present, let them know who will be in the audience, what time to arrive, and ask if they have any special audiovisual needs. Also ask them if they’ll have handouts.

Make sure speakers receive any fliers or other promotional materials you’re sending to your invited audience. Let them know the media have been invited, so they can be prepared for photographers, reporters, television lights, or one-on-one interviews following the forum.

Step 8: Plan publicity - media coverage

Develop a promotional plan to publicize and gain awareness of the forum. Identify the most effective means to invite people to participate and attend. You can use community organizations’ newsletters or mailing lists, newspaper articles and ads, radio PSAs or announcements, direct mail, posters, or a combination of methods. Be sure to begin publicizing the event as soon as the date, place, time, and speakers are finalized.

Develop a media plan and identify who will be responsible for media activities prior to, during, and following the event. Identify who in the media will be invited and how (phone call, fax, press release). Begin media contacts two weeks in advance of the event. 

When you’re ready to send out a press release about the forum, cover the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the forum; make sure to include the name and phone number of a main contact or spokesperson for the event. Work with those responsible for the setup and logistics of the event to ensure there is adequate space and electrical hookup for media personnel and equipment.

Step 9: Hold the event

Finalize plans for what should be achieved as a result of the forum. Be sure to develop and adhere to an agenda for the event. Include questions the entire group is to address, such as identifying problems and solutions, developing a plan, making commitments to put the plan into action, and defining how the results will be measured. Invite speakers to attend a brief pre-event meeting or dry-run session the day of the forum.

Event coordinators should arrive well in advance of the event to check staging and audiovisual setup. Have your public relations (PR) team there early to meet the press and to welcome speakers and guests. Set up a place for press to conduct interviews or ask questions of speakers/panelists following the event.

Visit this page for a list of possible topics to present at a community-wide forum.

Step 10: Evaluate the outcome and discuss a follow-up event

Following the forum, be sure to send thank-you notes to speakers and send follow-up information to the organizations that attended, summarizing what happened and outlining the commitments or action plans each group made. Make sure your own group is implementing the actions it agreed to. Begin work on setting up an evaluation meeting. Notify the media of what the group did and what will come next.