Quick introduction to creating a Study Abroad Outreach program.
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Global Student Outreach Plan
The Goal: To get out the vote among the 340,000 Americans who study abroad each year as well as full-degree and advanced degree students. Click here for updated international data from IIE to support!
Phase 1: Research and identify Study Abroad and local programs: MARCH--APRIL
American students study abroad through a variety of methods:
Programs organized directly through their US university, like NYU Abroad (https://www.nyu.edu/academics/studying-abroad.html).
Third party organizations like CEA Study Abroad (https://www.ceastudyabroad.com/) or API Study Abroad (https://www.apistudyabroad.com/), which create study abroad academic programs and coordinate with/offer their programs to hundreds of US Universities.
International Universities recruiting American students directly or American students organizing their own Study Abroad experience; these are often longer, degree-granting programs, this is also where full-degree and advanced degree students will be found.
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Step 3: Document programs and contacts in the Study Abroad Program Map
Step 4: Set up a non-Democrats Abroad email address such as : votefromabroad(country)@gmail.com and use for all communications.
Research Tools:
- https://www.studyabroad.com/ - lists of programs by country/city
- www.linkedin.com - search “study abroad” and narrow search by country/city to find local professionals
Phase 2: Outreach to Study Abroad Programs APRIL--MAY
Reach out to Study Abroad program contacts and local universities to explain that American student citizens can vote in the 2020 elections while Studying Abroad; introduce them to students.votefromabroad.org and the resources available through DA volunteers, such as communications materials and voter registration drive assistance.
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Step 2: Email or call contacts. Introduce yourself, students.votefromabroad.org and the resources available to help students register to vote. If you are reaching out to programs that have previously expressed concern about VfA being paid for by DA, use the phrase: VfA is a PUBLIC SERVICE provided to all US citizens living abroad by the DPCA. Also note that the new version for 2020 (students.votefromabroad.org) no longer asks the question about joining DA. Example texts and scripts are available on the DA Wiki https://wiki.democratsabroad.org/display/StudyAbroad
Strategies that work:
Send a short introduction email with a request to schedule a phone call. A scheduled call will allow the staff member to give you their full attention.
Phone calls! Emails are easy to ignore. If you don’t receive a response to your email, pick up the phone and call!
Stop by their office. This is particularly useful with University employees. Recruit fellow DA members who are students or staff to help.
- NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK: Ask all your DA contacts as well as personal contacts if they know anyone that works with this population. Locate local alumni clubs for US universities. Sometimes it takes a few connections to get to someone who can help. When you do find someone, ask if they know symathetic colleagues at other institutions.
- Have Vote From Abroad business cards printed, with no mention of Democrats Abroad. Order form to follow.
- DON'T give up! Staff change over the years and it only takes one sympathetic staffer to help you set up a drive.
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Special Note: for local universities who host US students as a part of their general student population, the International Student office is often not interested as the population of US students may be quite small in comparison to other countries or the size of the school. Find a student organisation and reach out to their leaders: American societies, Democrats Overseas organisations. If none exist you can assist an interested student to start a society, please see here for information on starting a student society. This way the society holds the drive and your volunteers come in to assist and support them.
Tools:https://wiki.democratsabroad.org/display/StudyAbroad - sample scripts, emails and letters to help with outreach
Phase 3: Recruit and Train Volunteers to staff the onsite drives MARCH--AUGUST
You will need people to help train, staff and manage on-site drives. While you can register the longer-term students at any time of the year, the Study Abroad crowd will be high volume over a very short window of time, especially in the Autumn term. Many programs will allow you to attend their Introduction, Orientation or Student Activity Fairs. These are usually held in late August/early September and will run up against some state registration deadlines almost immediately.
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Tools: 2020 GOTV Voter Information Resources Home, 2020 Video: Voter Registration (New Volunteers Training), 2020 VFA - How to Photograph Your Signature, https://www.fvap.gov/training/get-started.html
Phase 4: Schedule On-Site Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Request Drives APRIL--JULY
Follow up with all your contacts about scheduling on-site drives to help students register and request absentee ballots. Capitalise on the fact that student voting was up 40% in the 2018 mid-terms and emphasise to the contacts that you will conduct a non-partisan drive highlighting civic engagement (mention your VAOs, and if pressed you can also substitute www.fvap.gov if you have to instead of VFA in case of partisan concerns). Discuss VFAs new photo-signature option, which is the only platform featuring a completely paperless experience for 36 states. Experience shows that students are much more comfortable registering on their phones. ALSO no more carting the Voting Assistance Guide around! It's all available online.
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Step 2: Maintain a master schedule and assign volunteers to shifts. Make sure each drive has the necessary supplies (see below). Consider signing up for a free account at Sign Up Genius to manage volunteers–it allows volunteers to sign up independently and sends them reminders, freeing you to schedule more drives.
Phase 5: Register Students to Vote! AUGUST/SEPTEMBER/EARLY OCTOBER
Create a communication plan with each coordinator and schedule when you will follow-up with resources and materials. Each program will want to communication differently with their students. Offer all our Vote from Abroad resources and let the coordinator identify which they’d like to use. Follow-up regularly with new information, materials, etc. Push hard to hold an on-site drive.
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Step 2: Prepare for your on-site drives. Use our checklist to make sure you have everything you need!
2020 Study Abroad Communication Schedule:
March/April/May:
•Home univeristy staff targeted to include Vote from Abroad as a "best practices' for communication and promoting civic engagement for students
July/August:
Vote from Abroad materials in student orientation packets and communications (emails, newsletters, social media, etc.)
Vote from Abroad posters and flyers in staff offices and student common areas
September:
Email, newsletter, social media reminders to register to vote
On-campus Voter Registration Event
October:
Email, newsletter, social media reminders to complete and submit ballot
Information about the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot
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Questions? Contact Study Abroad Outreach Team Lead Linda Adeson at studyabroad@votefromabroad.org