(v. 2, July 2, 2024)
Talking Points Toolbox is an advocacy toolbox designed to offer multimodal and vibrant communication materials that are free, easy, and simple to use and adapt. The Toolbox will work with research assistants and partner associations and organizations to amplify and consolidate the advocacy tools already in use. It will also actively seek and create new material. These resources will be meticulously organized by audience, discipline, and other relevant tags, making it easy to find exactly what you need.
The purpose of the Talking Points Toolbox is to make public an organized archive of superior content that is particularly relevant and relatable and that communicates the humanities with clarity, joy, vibrancy, and awe. We present quality material that refreshes communication about the humanities through the RITE content:
Currently we envision the Toolbox to include five distinct sections that will be populated with high quality materials, including podcasts, short videos, blogs, TED talks, Infographics, images, Memes, contextualized data, portraits of young professionals, instagram posts, and fact sheets. The five sections are:
- Definitions: Official and Unofficial Definitions and Descriptions
- Disciplines: A closer look at specific Majors.
- HumPop: Awe-inspiring examples of humanities in popular culture
- Myths: Debunking Persistent Stigmas
- Tips & Resources: How to Re-Frame Your Messaging
Definitions
- Official and Easy-to-digest definitions and descriptions of the Humanities and Humanities+ Programs
- Word Clouds and Infographics
- YouTube videos, Instagram posts, Memes etc.
- Resources, Guides, Publications
- Acronym Competition [Make your Card]
- What’s your definition? [Make Your Card]
- News and Blog
Disciplines
In partnership with disciplinary associations (i.e MLA/AHA/APA, etc) as well as new interdisciplinary Humanities+ departments and programs, we will gather a host of different materials. Each discipline will include ready-made, easy to share, fun and vibrant looking “fact sheets.”
What do you learn in [discipline+]?
- Introduction & Overview
- Infographics/Visualizations
- What do students and young professionals say about their education in
- [discipline]?
- Portraits of Young Professionals (TEDTalks, short interviews, etc.)
- Unexpected Paths Into [Discipline] (focus on young, exciting, and unusual)
- Videos (i.e. A day in the life)
- Apps
- Podcasts (i.e NHA’s podcast “What are you going to do with that?”)
- HumPop
- Social Media
- Advice Column
- Data Contextualized
- Resources, Guides, Publications
- Share your professional path. [Make Your Card]
- News and Blog
What can you do with [discipline+]?
- Introduction & Overview
- Infographics/Visualizations
- What do students and young professionals say about their education in
- [discipline]?
- Portraits of Young Professionals (TEDTalks, short interviews)
- Unexpected Paths Into [Discipline] (focus on young, exciting, and unusual)
- Videos (i.e. A day in the life)
- Apps
- Podcasts (i.e NHA’s podcast “What are you going to do with that?”)
- HumPop
- Social Media
- Advice Column
- Data Contextualized
- Resources, Guides, Publications
- Share your professional path. [Make Your Card]
- News and Blog
- Jobs, Internships and Other Professional Opportunities (live feed, if possible)
Debunking Persistent Stigmas
In this section we will create Talking Points that are based on a systematic assessment of how the humanities are being communicated by and to high school and college students across social media platforms, including Youtube, Instagram, Quora and Reddit.
Each Myth will include real world quotes and opinions that helps communicators understand how young people (and those they converse with) are talking about and discussing the value of the humanities in their everyday lives. Talking Points will then provide reframed communication materials that can easily be used to redirect these messages.
- Myth #1 – A Degree in [Discipline] is Useless
- Myth #2 – The [Discipline] is a nice hobby but doesn’t make a good career
- Myth #3 – The cost of taking [Discipline] class is not worth it.
- Myth#4 – There is no value in taking classes or getting a major in [Discipline]
- Myth#5 – The [Discipline] is too disconnected from real life.
- Myth #6 – [Discipline] is soft, a joke, easy. worthless.
- Myth#7 – STEM is more important than [Discipline]
HumPop — Humanities in Popular Culture
- Movies
- Documentaries
- Fanfiction
- Video Games
- Graphic Novels
- Toys, and more
- Resources, Guides, Publications
- Do you have HumPop to share? [Make Your Card]
- News and Blog
Messaging Tips & Resources
- CHC Training Institute Workshops and Short Courses
- Social Media hashtags
- Resources, Guides, Publications
- Share your TIPs. [Make Your Card]