We were thrilled to be chosen as Member Organizers for Canyons School District. As a relatively new district, we are still working to ensure our association runs efficiently, provides necessary support to current members, and grows our membership. One key area we identified for improvement was providing more support for our Association Building Leaders (ABLs), also known as building representatives. We believe that strengthening our ABLs will lead to stronger membership overall and serve as a great recruitment tool for new members. Supporting our ABLs also increases our visibility since they serve as the eyes and ears at the school level, especially when it's not possible for us to conduct site visits at each school.
Our first step was to increase ABL attendance at our monthly meetings. We used the app Hustle to send reminders about meetings and other important information. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and attendance increased by 20-30%. This initiative also helped us keep our records current, as ABLs informed us of any changes in their roles, such as new representatives or alternates filling in when necessary.
Our UniServ Director played a key role by identifying schools that either lacked an ABL or had an inactive ABL. She conducted site visits at these schools to increase our visibility and support members who may not know where to turn without an onsite ABL. While not all visits resulted in an ABL being established, they did contribute to membership growth.
With our $1,500 Member Organizing grant, we’ve planned an outdoor family movie night for current members and new teachers in the district in the fall. The event will be held during new teacher training week. We’ve arranged to use an outdoor facility at a local middle school and will show a movie the district has rights to. Horace Mann will sponsor the popcorn, and our UniServ Director will provide candy and drinks. We love the idea of hosting an event that honors our current members and helps answer the question, “What does the union do for me?” It will also serve as a springboard for new members to see our value. The Canyons Education Association executive board and the UniServ Director will have a table at the event to increase visibility and engage with members.
