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Getting Started Sometimes getting started can seem like the hardest part of implementing a safe ride program when you don't know exactly what to do or how to go about starting. Hopefully the following information will ease your tension since everything you need to do to get your project underway is right here! Developing a Project Timeline A timeline helps set deadlines to guide you through the planning process. You can implement a safe ride program in anywhere from several weeks to several months, depending on your campus, your available resources, the number of people helping in your efforts, etc. However, with whatever amount of time you have, it is helpful to create a tentative schedule with deadlines to guide you along. Make sure to check out our section that gives a chronological list of necessary steps that you can use to map out your own timeline. Creating a Student Committee The next thing you must do is ask for help. Planning, developing, and implementing a safe ride program requires too much time and effort for one person to handle alone. A group of hardworking, dedicated students is needed to plan, gather support for, raise funding for, implement and run a safe ride program. This group should have the solid backing of at least one sponsoring organization. Begin by going to the meetings of student organizations (such as student government, the graduate student council, residence hall association, fraternities and sororities). Explain your idea, and invite them to be involved in your efforts. Usually student government organizations strongly support school-wide safe ride projects because they increase student safety, which is almost always a student governmental goal. When enlisting their help, approach the existing officers rather than candidates, and be careful not to wrap your plans up in political agendas that could hurt your ideas. Aligning your efforts with the student government, though, is a good idea. They may even have a committee that can help develop, fund, and promote a safe ride program. Organizing an Advisory Committee Next, you'll need to get faculty members, administrators and community members involved with your endeavor. These people can offer you valuable advice, establish connections for you and offer your program more credibility because of their participation. Talk to administrators and faculty members you think would be interested. Most program planners first approach the dean of student services, the coordinator of drug and alcohol prevention programs, the chairperson of the school's safety committee, members of the residence hall association, and faculty members who have shown a particular interest in other programs that benefited the students and community. Administration and faculty meetings sometimes allow students to voice concerns and propose ideas. Find out who organizes these meetings, where and when they are held, and if you can get on their agendas. Other local community members that might be of help are as follows:
Once you have your advisory committee line up, create a phone list and choose a time for the committee to meet regularly. Unlike your student committee, which should meet at least weekly, your advisory committee can meet bi-weekly or monthly. Researching Previous School-initiated Efforts As you form your student and advisory committees, inquire about any previous safe ride and designated driver program initiatives on your campus. This history, whether the ideas were successful or not, can provide valuable information about may or may not work at your school this time. Researching Other Efforts Before proceeding with your plans, call your local Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) chapter, beverage distributor, and city police department. Ask about other drinking and driving prevention programs in your area. If any exist, you may be able to save yourself time by working with their program, and, if none exist, they may be interested to help you with your plans. Determining the Target Audience Decide upon a target audience for your planned program. All schools have students of various ages, sexes, ethnic backgrounds, and/or special needs. Whether your school has a very diverse student body or a traditional student body, programs should be based on needs assessment research. Focusing on a target audience helps determine the purpose, area of service, and program set-up option that will best address the drinking and driving problem in your community and/or service a greater number of students. For information about assessment tools, go to evaluation. |
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