The Foreign Service Journal, December 2020

74 DECEMBER 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS AFSA’s outreach team hosted webinars on Sept. 10 and Oct. 15 for retired members to discuss the official launch of our public outreach campaign: “The U.S. Foreign Service: Our First Line of Defense” and how people can become involved. The hourlong webinars included information about the campaign strategy and objectives, as well as the resources available to members who want to serve as speakers or share our campaign through social media. They also included an overview of how to use virtual platforms such as Zoom and discussion of best practices for virtual presentations. The goal of the campaign is to broaden the domestic constituency for the Foreign Service. The campaign high- lights the various and critical ways in which members of the Foreign Service protect and advance our national security and keep Americans safe, at home and abroad. AFSAmembers can get involved by joining our grow- ing roster of messengers; by sharing stories and videos on social media using our social media toolkit; and by reaching out to your local community colleges and other local orga- nizations to see if they’d be interested in hosting a virtual presentation. The webinars were recorded and are available on our campaign page: afsa.org/ first-line-defense. Retirees Join AFSA for Outreach Efforts There you will also find: • General talking points. • An explainer video. It’s a useful tool to include in presentations or remarks. • Our social media toolkit. Our newest resource, this toolkit includes messages, videos and hashtags.  • The campaign’s social media calendar, including social media dates relevant to the campaign and the Foreign Service in general. • Community college finder, to help find schools in your area that you can reach out to. We hope the AFSA resources are useful, either for incorporation into your existing presentations or for new ones. If you need additional materials or have further questions, please let us know. We also appreciate hearing about your outreach efforts and events. Please let us know where you’ve been speaking by completing this form: afsa. org/telling-foreign-service- story. To join our campaign, please visit afsa.org/ first-line-defense or e mail AFSA Strategic Messaging Coordinator Nadja Ruzica at ruzica@afsa.org . AFSA stands ready to support members as needed, whether with presentations, additional resources or virtual platform inquiries.We look for- ward to hearing from you! n