May 9, 2016 by Andrea
Photo: Gratisography
According to a recent Microsoft study of Canadian media consumption and digital lifestyles, the average person's attention span has dropped from 12 seconds in the year 2000 to 8 seconds in 2013 -- apparently one second less than that of a goldfish.
If you're a sickle cell educator of some sort, this information is crucial to understanding your audiences and how best to keep them interested. Rather than sticking to a basic lecture and running the risk of people zoning out -- napping, playing on their cell phones, staring into space -- infuse a little TED Talk inspiration into your next presentation. These tips will help keep your group engaged and ready to spread awareness.
1) Be Captivating. TED Talk speakers are known for maintaining the intrigue level with their audiences, be they in person or online. To do this, they focus on relatable storytelling to get their messages across.
2) Keep it Short. While an 8-second speech is clearly impossible, you can definitely pare things down to a total of 20-30 minutes. People are more likely to stay tuned in to presentations that don't drag on; plus, if you've been given an hour of time with your group, you can use the second half for Q&A.
3) Skip the Slides. Don't you just love it when a speaker puts up PowerPoint slides of literally every word her or she is saying? Didn't think so. So, don't do that to your audiences, either. If you must use slides, be sure they only contain bullet points of what you'll be touching on or images/infographics that help illustrate your points.
4) Embrace Technlogy. Your goal is to inform people about SCD and how they can help, so consider recording your talks and uploading them to YouTube. This way, you can promote your videos via social media and share your message and calls to action with the world.
Do you have any other tips to add to this list? Drop them in the comments below!
Category: Sickle Cell Disease, Sickle Cell Education Tags: sickle cell, sickle cell education, TED Talks | Comments Off on How to Keep People Engaged and Excited at Your Next Sickle Cell Awareness Talk
March 30, 2016 by Andrea
Photo: CreateHer Stock
Last year, we published a popular round-up of the Twitter accounts every sickle cell warrior should follow, and now, we're bringing you a similar list of Instagram accounts dedicated to sickle cell awareness and education.
Inspired by a recent tweet to us asking how people can turn what the McCourty Twins do into national awareness and fundraising, this list is the perfect start for gathering much of the inspiration you'll need to launch your campaigns. Of course, most events do not start nationally right out the gate, but begin on the local or regional level and grow from there. But who knows, maybe you'll end up pitching your newfound ideas to a national association that can help take your concepts to the next level a little bit sooner.
@sicklecell101
"Certified sickle cell educators | education + awareness"
@sicklecellmatters
"Connecting families, healthcare professionals, private and public entities worldwide to promote awareness and online funding campaigns for SCD."
@ssscfoundation
Samira Sanusi Sickle Cell Foundation based in Lagos, Nigeria
@shawnstestimony
"You will get awareness all day with us! A pinch of luv and a lil treasure on the side. U wanna learn how 2 advocate like no otha ... come join us!"
@sicklecell.life
"Sickle-cell anemia - facts Tips to live your life ... Motivation, Quotes, Treatment, Healthy food/drinks tips"
@nazhitheebaker
"12yrs Old Chef. Creator of Nazhi Thee Baker Angel Foundation Non-Profit Organization"
@scdaa
"Official Page of the National Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Inc."
@sicklecellstories
"A place you can share your sickle cell experiences."
@paincrisis
"Sickle Cell Advocate. Breaking the silence one post at a time."
@sicklecellfoundationng
"Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria. Bringing hope to the African Child."
Did we miss any of your favorite sickle cell warriors? Add their Twitter handles in the comments below!
Category: Fundraising, Resources for Parents, Sickle Cell Disease, Sickle Cell Education Tags: sickle cell disease, sickle cell education, sickle cell fundraising | Comments Off on 10 Instas You Should Follow for SCD Awareness and Fundraising Inspo
