Planning Your National Youth Justice Awareness Month Event

October is National Youth Justice Awareness month! The purpose of National Youth Justice Awareness Month is to raise awareness about youth prosecuted in the adult criminal justice system.  Over the past three years, events have been held across the country. These events have all been successful in raising awareness and participation in important youth justice issues across the country. Below are links to information to help you plan your event:

› History of National Youth Justice Awareness Month
› Event Planning
› Budgeting and Fundraising
› Outreach Materials
› Volunteers
› Media
› Recommended Materials

Throughout the month of October 2011, we will be supporting our allies around the country in hosting and promoting a 5K Run/Walk or other event such as:

• Trivia Night
• Film Screening
• Story Telling hosted by a speaker
• Poetry Slam
• Picnic

These are intended to engage community members and raise awareness in the media about the status of children in the justice system, particularly the harmful impact of prosecuting children in the adult criminal justice system. We have found that this event is an easy and effective way to get media attention and educate our allies on this crucial social justice issue. It can conveniently be used to highlight any local issues pertaining to kids in the justice system.

Tracy McClard, a mother whose son died in an adult prison a few days after his 17th birthday, began holding this race in her hometown of Jackson, MO three years ago. Her race was created to bring awareness to the fact that we sentence children as adults and that this practice does not lead to improved public safety. She enthusiastically reports, "My event was great! I sent pictures from the race to [a local news station] and they did a story about it on the evening news."  Every year her race has grown to include more people. Last year, the race spread to four other states and was a huge success in Louisiana, Wisconsin and D.C.

This year, 15 states have already signed on to host a race or event! Tracy's dream is to see the race spread throughout all 50 states.

Planning an Event

Planning an event involves a lot of steps. CFYJ has prepared a toolkit and timeline to help you plan your event. It includes information on timelines, getting people involved, how to get media, sponsors and volunteers and how to wrap up your event. It is a critical tool to making sure your event is a hit.

Planning and Event Timeline
This is a timeline to help you determine what you need to do and when you need to do it in order to successfully plan your event.

Planning an Event Toolkit
This is a toolkit CFYJ created to help organizers plan events of all kinds. It includes information on step-by-step planning, sample timelines, outreach information, media information, fundraising and volunteer templates and a variety of other materials to help you stay organized as you plan your event.

Planning a 5k can be a daunting task, especially if it is your first one. Click here for a five-minute video to help guide you in planning your first event: Video on 5K planning

Budgeting and Fundraising for your Event

Budgeting and fundraising for you event can be a daunting task. Therefore CFYJ and its partners have provided the following materials to help you budget and fundraise for your event.

5k Fundraising Toolkit
by Bill Meade
This toolkit provides a list of places you can look for donations for your event as well as strategies for pitching these people and organizations.

Food Solicitation Letter Template
This document provides a template letter you can tailor to ask for food donations for your event.

Items for Donation
This document provides a checklist list of items you will need for your 5k race as well as a list of places where you can get them donated.

5k Budget Sheet
This document provides a template for budgeting your 5k race.

Film Screening Budget Sheet
This document provides a template for budgeting your event.

Outreach Materials

Here are some sample outreach materials that you can modify for your event. If you have created a flyer or any other outreach materials for your event, we would love to see them! Please send them to:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Sample 5k Flyer 1
Sample 5k Flyer 2
Sample 5k Flyer with registration form

5k Race Registration Form

Volunteers

Here are some materials to help you recruit and manage volunteers for your event.

Volunteer Shift Timesheet

Volunteer Management Toolkit

Media

Here are some media hits from races last year.

FFLIC WDSU TV Interview
FFLIC 5K TV Coverage

Campaigning for youth justice in Onalaska - WXOW News 19
Youth justice run/walk set for Oct. 24 - Courier-Life News

Recommended Materials

Here are some materials the Campaign recommends for your event. If you have other suggestions, please email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Film Recommendations