If you are a school principal or director and would like to participate—either by giving a Reach Out! gift of a national flag and Companion Flag to another school, or receiving such a gift for your school—please follow the 4 steps below.

If you are a student, teacher, or parent who would like to see your school participate in the Reach Out! project, please introduce the idea to your principal or director, and ask for her (or his) support. When you have it, you're ready to begin.

Step 1. Choose an adult facilitator.

The facilitator (usually a classroom teacher or principal) will be responsible for communicating with CFSI, as well as the other adult facilitator designated by the partner school. Each facilitator should be ready to discuss, plan, lead, organize and monitor student-to-student activities such as letter-writing, pen-pal invitations, scrapbook exchanges, etc.

Step 2. Send an e-mail or fax to CFSI.

Let us know who you are, and if your school is interested in giving or receiving the Reach Out! gift initially. (You must already be a Companion Flag school to give the Reach Out! gift.) If you have a particular school in mind to give a gift to, let us know that, as well.

Within a day or two, we will reply to your message with a list of schools interested in participating—either to give, or receive the flags.

With your input and assistance, we will match your school with a partner school from the list. If your school is giving a Reach Out! gift, we will send you a price quote on the cost of the flags, as well as shipping information and other details.

At this point, if you're ready to proceed, we introduce the two facilitators by e-mail.

Contact CFSI

Step 3. Get your students involved.

Next, you'll want to inform your students about the Reach Out! event, and plan fun activities around it. If your school will be giving the Reach Out! gift, discuss how you will obtain the gift flags, how you will pay for them and deliver them, and when and how to write letters to the students at the other school.

If your school will be receiving the Reach Out! gift, you'll want to make sure your students know about the Companion Flag, and why people they don't even know are interested in giving them one as a gift. You'll want to prepare your studetns to receive and answer letters or greetings from their counterparts at the donor school; you may want to have your students learn something about their new friends' country, region, culture or history, so that they can ask meaningful questions in their replies. Be ready to take lots of photos of your students receiving the flags, and writing their letters. You'll want to send copies back with your thank-yous!

Step 4. Give or receive your Reach Out! gift with pleasure!

As with any true gift, the Reach Out! gift is always given freely. There is no obligation on the part of the receiving school to adopt or fly the Companion Flag, or to Reach Out! to another school. Nothing is expected, other than that the students at the receiving school will know what the Companion Flag is, and have an idea why it was sent.

The letters, greetings, and photographs which usually accompany the Reach Out! gift are a wonderful introduction to new friends around the world! We know your students will love receiving them—and discovering how much they have in common with people everywhere!

Enjoy!