Ideas for Community Events To Celebrate National Freedom of Speech Week In Your Community

• Ask your mayor or town council to issue a proclamation recognizing Oct. 20-26, 2008 as National Freedom of Speech Week in your town.
• Work with community service clubs (Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, etc.) to schedule speakers at their meetings on free-speech themes.
• Approach the principal of your local high school to sponsor an essay contest on freedom of speech and press. The winning essays could be published in the school newspaper.
• Work with leaders of youth groups (Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc.) to develop a "letter-to-the-editor" project. Leaders would help young people write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper expressing an opinion, offering constructive criticism, or suggesting changes on a subject of their choice.
• Ask your local library to set up a display of books on free speech and press themes, with a sign or banner recognizing National Freedom of Speech Week.
• Ask your town council to schedule an "open forum" at a council meeting, where residents could express their opinions on issues of public importance.
• Work with local television and radio stations and newspapers to schedule tours of their outlets for school groups and journalism classes.
• Click here to see how National Freedom of Speech Week was celebrated in 2009.