Hungry Pests Service Learning Curriculum Outreach Kit

Offering free resources and lesson plans is a great way to connect with and provide value to 

local partners and stakeholders! Below are some tips and a sample outreach plan than can help 

you engage educators and young people by sharing the Hungry Pests Service Learning 

Curriculum. 

Youth in school clubs, after-school programs and youth organizations learn about invasive pests 

and take action through fun, interactive workshops that culminate in community awareness 

campaigns. Workshops are adaptable for different age groups, K-12.

Download Hungry Pests Service Learning Curriculum

The curriculum also includes supplementary informational text articles for career exploration. 

These articles expose kids to the exciting jobs and careers that take on the fight against Hungry 

Pests.

Service Learning Curriculum

Grade Level K-5

Grade Level 6-8

Grade Level 9-12 

Target Audience

Individuals leading out-of-school programs, including but not limited to:

● Cooperative agriculture extension offices, 4H programs, youth organizations, afterschool and summer programs, college preparation programs, environmental programs, 

and community centers.

Calls to Action

Using effective calls to action (CTA) lets your audience know what to do next. In addition to the 

core CTAs below, customize them by highlighting valuable features such as: service learning, 

summer learning, free materials, etc. 

● Download educator materials from the Hungry Pests page on the USDA-APHIS site.

● Learn more about how to use and promote education materials.

Outreach Strategy Tips 

● Post across channels to increase effectiveness! To increase awareness and clicks, send 

an email communication and post aligned messages to social media 

● Time your posts: Current research shows that Tuesday or Wednesday between 9am and 

1pm; as well as Saturdays are great times to share messaging

● Make it easy for audiences to take the next step: Always include a link to the proper 

web page in each communication with a CTA (see suggested CTAs)
● Plan your year round communications: Educators often plan programs during school 

breaks, their time off, so summer and holiday breaks can be good times to connect with 

them (see outreach calendar below for specific recommendations).

Outreach Calendar Recommendations

Outreach #1: Back to school 

July-August

● Email sharing educational resources

● Facebook post sharing educational resources 

● Tweet sharing educational resources 

Outreach #2: Promote the utility of the service learning curriculum

September/anytime

● Email highlighting the utility of the curriculum to youth programs

● Facebook post highlighting a fact about service learning and a call to action to 

download the kit 

● Tweet with the same information

Outreach #3: Service learning curriculum raises awareness of invasive pests and plants

October/November

● Email focusing on the importance of raising awareness of invasive pests and 

plants

● Facebook post highlighting a fact about invasive pests and plants and a call to 

action to download the kit 

● Tweet with the same information 

Outreach #4: Service learning curriculum for youth and afterschool programs

February

● Email highlighting the utility of the curriculum for youth and after-school 

programs 

● Facebook highlighting the importance of service learning 

● Tweet with the same information 

Outreach #5: Announce the start of Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month 

April

● Email announcing start of Invasive Plants Pest and Disease Awareness Month 
● Facebook post announcing start of Invasive Plants Pest and Disease Awareness 

Month 

● Tweet with the same information 

Outreach #6: Promote the utility of the Hungry Pests curriculum for summer programs

May/summer

● Email highlighting the utility of the curriculum for summer programs 

● Facebook post with a fact about the importance of summer learning 

● Tweet with the same information