We’ve got health fair how-tos for you!
You can download these helpful pointers and more in our step-by-step planning guide.
WHY HOLD A HEALTH FAIR?
Sponsoring a Health Fair will enable your PTA to share practical and valuable health information by:
- Promoting good health
- Providing screening services for your school and community (and follow-up when screenings indicate further testing is required)
- Utilizing health-care professionals to identify potential health-related problems that can be eliminated or prevented from becoming serious if properly treated
- Providing your community with a variety of health education information and resources
- Emphasizing the practice of good health habits
- Connecting with health organizations and agencies in your community.
A health fair is an invaluable service to your school and community and can be an exciting and rewarding experience for everyone!
SIX MONTHS OUT
- Discuss and obtain approval to hold a Health Fair from the PTA executive board, principal or school representative
- Obtain a vote of approval for the Health Fair at a meeting of the association. Include a motion to disburse monies to cover the estimated cost involved
- If being held off campus, obtain permission for facility use from appropriate manager
- Select a Health Fair or event chairman
- Appoint at least seven members to the planning committee; include the school nurse, if available
- Decide on a focus area, if any
- Discuss rules and expectations with facility management; put all agreements in writing
- As early as possible, check school calendar and decide on a date
- Notify parents and community to “save the date” for the Health Fair
- Notify school staff explaining Health Fair goals and requesting their support
- Schedule at least three committee meetings prior to event
- Review PTA’s Insurance and Loss Prevention Guide, received by the president. Contact the California State PTA insurance broker regarding activities and requirements
- Follow PTA financial procedures. Any contract with another organization must be read carefully, and must be signed by two elected officers of the PTA after a vote of approval by the membership.
THREE MONTHS OUT
Assign specific duties to committee members:
Coordination with participating service providers (at least two people)
- One person should be designated as the contact person on invitation letters
- One person should assist with paperwork
Publicity campaign (at least one person)
- News advisories and releases
- PTA newsletter articles, website and social media posts, e-newsletter communications
- Posters for placement at local business locations
- Radio Public Service Announcements (PSAs), cable TV
promotion, school district and city council event calendars - School district and city council meetings. Use the public-comment agenda item to promote your event.
Event handouts and fliers (at least one person)
- Fliers to parents
- Attendee sign-in sheets
- Permission slips, if necessary
- Service provider station signs.
Oversight of facility, equipment, overall operation (at least one person)
- Check all participating service provider requirements
- Coordinate with school district and school custodian
- Ensure all equipment is in working order
- Consult with appropriate facility management
- Discuss/consider weather, expansion needs for additional service providers, and other logistics issues.
Organize volunteers and coordinate hospitality (at least one person)
Clean up (at least one person).
Select service providers within your focus area you wish to invite. Visit the California State PTA website to locate the latest PTA allied agency contact information and identified resources.
Send a letter of invitation requesting the service provider’s participation, including a response deadline.
Develop a timeline utilizing check sheets.
TWO MONTHS OUT
- Send follow-up letter to confirm service provider participation, including a map of the school and parking location
- Develop fliers to inform parents and community of the Health Fair or event
- Develop news advisories
- Request equipment from school district or facility manager to meet participating service-provider needs.
ONE MONTH OUT
- Be sure you have sufficient tables and chairs as required by participating service providers. This information will be available to you upon receipt of response form
- Provide custodian/facility manager with a detailed drawing of the layout for tables and chairs
- Recruit and schedule volunteers; utilize nursing schools, dental schools, and public health agency health promoters
- Plan nutritious refreshments in the morning or a healthy light lunch for all participating service providers and volunteers
- Check to ensure all equipment requirements can be met
- Distribute Health Fair fliers to parents and community
- Prepare service provider station signs.
THE HEALTH FAIR’S TODAY!
- Have name tags for all service providers and volunteers ready
- Check to make sure hospitality area is in order and refreshments prepared
- Check setup of the Health Fair stations and audiovisual equipment
- Welcome the service providers and give them an evaluation sheet which should be collected before they leave at the end of the Health Fair
- Have volunteers sign in, including addresses
- Have at least two designated troubleshooters for the day and make sure that the
service providers and volunteers know who they are - Clean the facility and leave it in as good or better condition than you found it.
EVENT FOLLOW-UP
- Tabulate the evaluations
- Send thank-you notes to all participating service providers, volunteers and press
- Write an event report and place it in your procedure book. Be sure to include ideas for changes gleaned from the evaluations and comments from participants.