The gist: Members of the Idaho Education Association’s Growing Engaged Members (GEM) program gathered throughout the state this summer for specialized training for the year ahead. This season’s participants included the Lakeland, Blaine County, Pocatello, Idaho Falls, West Ada, Vallivue, Middleton and Lewiston education associations.  

Why it works: When it comes to recruiting new members, nothing is more effective than one-on-one conversations with trusted colleagues. The GEM program is a statewide effort to train local union members to communicate more effectively — and achieve their membership and engagement goals, one chat at a time.  

What a training is like: Comfy, cozy and full of conversation. Most of the trainings this summer were held in rented homes full of snacks so members could feel at ease from the start — and get down to work. The trainings are facilitated by IEA region directors and selected graduates of the program.  

• Day 1 focuses on union values, a big-picture view of what the GEMs could accomplish, evaluating their own strengths and thinking outside of the box.  

• “The part that really helped me was the question, ‘What would the school district look like if the union was in charge?’” said Tracey Boucher, an educator at Purple Sage Elementary and member of the Middleton Education Association GEM team. “It was things like: the kids would have the supplies that they need. We would have the curriculum that we need. We would pay teachers a living wage and have insurance that wouldn’t break the bank, relevant training.” 

• Day 2 is about building relationships — identifying potential members, initiating conversations, and practicing the art of listening, and setting role expectations.  

• Ron Hurrle, another GEM who is an education support professional (ESP) and works as a speech language pathology assistant for the Middleton School District, said the conversation coaching was key. “It gave me an idea of how to approach it more targeted specifically to the individual,” he said. “Instead of me going to a group of people and saying, ‘Hey, you guys don’t like your wages. Join the union, because if we get enough people to join, we can change it.’ Instead, it’s more about ‘help me help you.’” 

• Day 3 is focused on writing a plan the GEMSTONEs can use to reach their goals, which vary from local to local.  

• For example, Middleton’s GEMSTONEs set ambitious membership recruiting targets, but they’re also focused on IEA’s May Matters campaign, with plans to turn out the vote district-wide for the May 2026 Republican primary.  

• Middleton also plans on using the IEA Children’s Fund as a recruiting tool — both because it speaks to why educators choose the profession in the first place, and because it’s a way to show the community the union cares. Boucher said learning more about the fund, which allows union members to apply for grants to supply kids with items like shoes and glasses, has been an unexpected selling point. “I’m really excited to push that this year and let teachers know they can access it,” she said.  

Where they go from here: The GEMSTONEs will meet once or twice a month to check in, share leads, and work their plan. Although  the GEM program hasn’t been in place for long, many local unions that participated in last year’s program boosted their membership and engagement.  

• Boucher said the program pays dividends professionally and personally. “It was a really long day, but I think it was worth it,” Boucher said. “One thing I struggle with is talking to people I don’t really talk to and the art of listening — which is kind of what this training is. For me, as a person, I’m hoping it will help me grow.”  

How to shine like GEM: One local union per region is admitted into the program every year — and participating members are paid a stipend for their time and efforts growing the union. For more information, talk to your local president.  

• “Do it,” Hurrle advises. “And don’t think of it as a recruiting training, because it’s not. Our goal is to drive membership and engagement, and while it does include recruiting new members, it means engaging with the established ones, as well.”