Step 1: Connect with the OR Unplugged Community

Organizing works best when it’s shared. Invite a friend, neighbor, or fellow parent who shares your vision to join you in planning and communication. Don’t know anyone IRL with the same vision? We are building a thriving community across platforms. Connect with coalition leads and neighbors on Four Norms, Instagram, and Facebook! Don’t hesitate to send us an email if you’re having a hard time finding someone to connect with.

Once you feel ready, send an email our way so we can schedule a Zoom meeting with you (and your co-leaders if you have them)! In this meeting, we’ll talk through how to start a group, share ideas for growing your local effort, and answer questions about community organizing in your area.

Step 2: Find Your Goal

Choose a focus or goal like raising awareness on the impact of screentime, encouraging phone-free schools, delaying smartphones, encouraging more outdoor play, or hosting more open-ended monthly conversations.

What speaks most to you? What do you see impacting the kids around you?

Most groups in our network gather around delaying smartphones (until at least age 14) and social media (until at least age 16).

Step 3: Choose a Name for Your Group

Browse other OR Unplugged groups for inspiration; some prefer something simple like “Salem Unplugged” or other riffs on “Unplugged” while others get creative!

You can also belong to national or partner networks like Wait Until 8th, MAMA, The Balance Project, or Okay to Delay and still be a full participant in the OR Unplugged Coalition.

A clear name will make it easier for others to find you.

If you’d like help with a logo, we are happy to draft one for you!

Use your group name and logo consistently on flyers and posts and watch your network grow!

Step 4: Set Up an Email Address

Create a simple email that matches your group name for ease of correspondence! We recommend using Proton Mail as a way to “De-Google” your organization and prioritize privacy.

Step 5: Find Other Parents in Your Community

After creating your group, we will add you to our map of groups in Oregon! The map makes it easy for parents and community members to find resources in their area, and join your group!

Beyond our map, we encourage you to:

• Tell friends and neighbors what you’re working on.

• Post in local groups on Facebook, Nextdoor, or PTA/PTO pages.

• Ask your principal to include a note in the school newsletter.

• Set up a small table at school events, Back-to-School Night, or community fairs.

• Ask to share your mission at a PTA or PTO meeting.

Both in-person and virtual outreach are key to finding folks ready to engage with you and advocate for the kids in your community.

Step 6: Build Your Group’s Online Home Base

A simple online presence helps interested participants stay connected!

We really highly recommend using Four Norms as your online homebase but we also are seeing folks have a lot of success using combinations of tools like Four Norms in addition to a website, Instagram, Facebook page, or WhatsApp group.

None of these steps need to happen in this order - this is just an outline of the things that can help make building a group easy and connective.

OR Unplugged is here to be your resource and helping hand along the way so please reach out if we can help.