Anndrea Scroggins
When you come back from teaching overseas and other people have helped fund your trip, it is always a good idea to share your experience with them. How do you do this? One way is to put together a newsletter and mail it to your supporters. Generally, people hear the word “newsletter” and either think a lot of writing, or a lot of reading. In this post though, we are going to show you four creative ways to put together a newsletter that will be enjoyable for both you and your supporters.
- The Scrapbook Newsletter
Instead of using paragraphs of written word, stick pictures, mementos, scraps, and souvenirs onto scrapbook paper. Doodle, draw around the items, label them, and explain their importance. Make sure whatever you put on the newsletter is important, not just a random leaf you found. Unless, of course, that leaf is a great way to introduce a story from one of your excursions with students. Besides, you need to have enough of the things your sticking onto the paper to make multiple newsletters. While these would be great fun to make, depending on how many supporters you have, you may need to bring a lot of stuff back that could weigh down your bag.
2. The Video Newsletter
For those of you who like pictures and technology, this may be the newsletter for you. Take time to record short videos (only thirty second or so) during your stay overseas. When you come back, you can compile them in a larger video presentation you can send out through email or on CDs. A neat feature of this newsletter is that those watching can see where you were and some of what you did in real-time.
3. The Interactive Online Newsletter
Using a free website maker, you can design your own website with different pages for different days or events. You can add pictures and short stories from your stay overseas. All you have to do is send people the link to your website, and they can enjoy interacting with your newsletter by clicking around.
4. The Package Newsletter
This newsletter is basically like the scrapbook newsletter idea, but instead of attaching it all on a piece of paper you compile it in a small package. Make sure to have some kind structure, such as numbering the things you are sending, and including a letter which describes each numbered thing in order. Although this may seem complicated, it could be a good idea if you tend to buy people souvenirs, collect things, or if your supporters want to hold items you have brought back.
These are just a few examples of newsletters you can try that deviate from the typical written article format. Let this inspire you to come up with your own ideas too! Feel free to comment below with any other creative ideas you may have.
