• Public Service Announcements
• Programming Ideas
• Using Your Volunteer Section and Employer Newsletters

Public Service Announcements

Public Service Announcements (PSAs) are messages run for nonprofit organizations about programs and services that will benefit a community. PSAs are run in print and broadcast media.

Competition for space and air time is fierce. Media are not required to donate time but many do so out of a sense of obligation.

PSAs for broadcast are generally 60-, 30- or 15-second spots. The time is donated by the station and they determine when it will air. Some PSAs are presented as a joint effort of the sponsoring agency and the station itself.

You should approach stations about six weeks before the PSA would run. Find the name of the public affairs director and send your PSA script or text with a cover letter, explaining engineering's importance to the community and the significance of National Engineers Week.

Follow this link for some radio PSA script suggestions. Simply add your information. Or try writing your own.

Programming Ideas

In addition to PSAs and news events, there are a variety of ways to work with local broadcast media. For instance:

Panel Discussion-Organize a panel discussion on an engineering topic on a local cable station. Possible topics: minorities and women in engineering; the power of technology to change values, systems and lifestyles; a local issue affected by technology and engineering; or a look into the 21st or 22nd century.

Educational Videos-Offer videotapes, available on the National Engineers Week order form and online Product Catalog, to local cable stations.

Series-Sponsor a series or special program, produced by public television, having to do with science and technology on the local public broadcasting station. Stations can rerun series such as "NOVA" with local support.

Interview-Place a local spokesperson on a radio or tv public affairs talk program. They might discuss a local issue or one more national in scope, such as those outlined in the panel discussion section above.

Promotion-Work with a local radio station to sponsor an engineering quiz. Have the station ask one question each day during Engineers Week such as: What is the oldest bridge in the town? Award prizes like National Engineers Week t-shirts for the first caller with the correct answers. (Shirts are available on the order form in the National Engineers Week kit and in the online Product Catalog.)

Whatever you are able to arrange, promote the program(s) to local sponsors and participants so they can tune in.

Using your Volunteer Section and Employer Newsletters

It is important to publicize your Engineers Week programs through your society and company publications. Through society newsletters you can recruit volunteers, invite members to participate in activities and advertise special events. You might invite prominent engineers to prepare special messages.

Through employer publications you can help promote professional pride among engineers by featuring them and their work in the workplace and community. Given enough advance time, newsletters could carry announcements of special activities. Consider inviting the head of the company to prepare a special message saluting engineers. Try to provide photos and graphics, such as the National Engineers Week logo, to newsletter editors to help make the story visually attractive.

In addition to working with employer publications, don't overlook in-house video programs. If your company has one, talk with the producer about the possibilities for National Engineers Week programming such as interviews with senior engineers and coverage of engineers' visits to classrooms and other special events.

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National Engineers Week Foundation
1420 King Street   Alexandria, VA 22314
tel. 703.684.2852   email: eweek@nspe.org