Coming up with back to school bulletin board ideas is a challenge each year for resident advisors, teachers, and anyone else who is responsible for creating interesting displays for incoming students. Bulletin boards are an ideal way to get the year started right, show off a little school spirit, and give students useful information, but you need to create a fun, interesting display to catch the eye of anyone walking by. The following are a few ideas that you can use to make back to school bulletin boards part of the fun and excitement of the new year.
Creating bulletin boards for college students is about more than just cutting out a few articles or printing out some information and tacking it up. You want to create something innovative, and you will need to update it regularly in order to ensure that people keep coming back. The first step in creating a bulletin board is to create a theme. You can change the theme if you want to, or you can keep it up all year. Start thinking about the information you want the bulletin board to hold. For example, if you are a sorority or fraternity, you may want to create a theme that includes your colors, symbols, and anything that represents your group. If you are advertising a specific event, such as a back-to-school party, a theater production, or a sporting event, the theme should be based around that activity. And if you are creating a bulletin board for your dorm or housing system, you may want to stick with a theme that represents the season or includes school spirit items. Ideas include a “current events” theme, a “spirit of togetherness” theme, or anything else that represents the idea you want to display.
The next step is to decide what information you want to display. One of the simplest ways to design your back to school bulletin board is to start with a piece of graph paper that represents the bulletin board. Draw the board to scale, and then add a to-scale outline of the things you want to put on the bulletin board to see how they will fit. Some people choose to cut out to scale pieces that can be moved around on the page to allow them to move things around until they find a pleasing layout. Creating your bulletin board design this way will save you from having to reposition items when you assemble the final project.
Once you have your basic layout, it’s time for the fun part of creating you bulletin board. Assemble items that can be attached to the bulletin board, and remember that you should think about things that are three dimensional. Garland that can be purchased at a craft store is available in seasonal themes, or you can purchase garland that has flowers and leaves to go with your theme. For Greek groups, consider using ivy. Back to school themes can include fall color leaves, Halloween items, or anything else that reminds you of fall.
Enjoy being creative with your bulletin board, and remember to include personal items that will make people want to stop and look. Pictures are a great idea, because people will want to check and see if they are able to find themselves or their friends. Or, allow people to contribute art, short written works, or anything else that will show off the talent of your group. Browse online for theme ideas, or stop by a craft store and see what inspires you. There are lots of back to school bulletin board ideas waiting for you if you spend a little time being creative!