tabling tricks
Dynamic interactive tabling engages students, recruits DM members, and broadcasts your messages across your campus. Tabling educates students and encourages action.
Frequency is key. Table with a DM banner at regular intervals, preferably twice a week, with bright. big colorful posters, games and quizzes.
Always have a DM sign up sheet and a handout available with information about DM meetings, events and contacts.
Always have candy ready to give out.
Always set up DM tables with the same overall “look” (e.g. a DM tri-fold?) so they are recognizable as DM tables.
Always, each week, change up the table’s issues, posters, and the interactive games, petitions, quizzes etc.
Always be friendly, turn off your phone, and get out from behind the table to ask questions of students passing by.
Tips for Success:
Role play at your DM meetings so members feel comfortable tabling.
Create a list of provocative questions to get students to stop at your table.
Table in pairs.
Have an action students can do (e.g. register to vote, sign a petition or a letter to be sent to elected officials, write their opinion on a DM white board or big brown paper etc.
Send students signatures on an important isue to elected officials.
Offer a quizz or guessing game with candy as a prize, e.g. political quizzes (how much money will the next election cost? give an example of voter suppression? etc.) or fun quizzes (how many pennies are in a jar? guess where a spinning wheel will point to?etc.).
Ask them to vote, choosing between two alternatives from politics or popular culture or sports etc. (e.g. Is our biggest political problem climate change or poverty? Who is your favoite singer, movie star or professional athlete -give them the choice of two people). They can write their answer on a small piece of paper and put it in a box or bowl on your table.
Ask students’ opinions for a student survey on a political issue. Write down their responses and send out a summary via DM social media.
CREATE YOUR OWN FUN INTERACTIVE GAMES AND QUIZZES!
