After organizing your Team you are now ready to bring them together for your first planning meeting. As a group, answer these questions:
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What?
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Who?
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When?
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Where?
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How?
What problem or issue will your project address?
This will become your goal statement and
project objectives.
Who are the decision makers?
Who has the
- information�
- power to influence�
- money�
- resources�
- and community respect
to help you reach your goals?
These are some of your potential resources.
Timing is everything.
- Time your project/event to maximize its effectiveness. Your goals will help to determine the best timing for your project.
- Check local, school, sport, and organization calendars to prevent any scheduling conflicts. Nothing is worse than putting months of preparation into a project only to discover that you are competing with a popular concert that will limit your participants.
- Be careful about scheduling around holidays.
Location is second only to timing in its importance.
You might have a fabulous informational booth, but if you put it in a bad location then no one may see your work. Be sure the location you choose creates an appropriate environment.
If you are organizing a meeting, be sure that there is safe parking, a good sound system, comfortable seating, tables, and audio-visual equipment.
If you are using an outdoor location, don�t forget to have a back-up plan if the weather gets bad.
Whatever location you choose, visit the sight ahead of time to make sure your plans are complete. You can even draw a map of the location to help you plan out all the details.
- Where are the power outlets?
- Do you need an extension cord?
- Where will you place the registration table?
- Where are the restrooms?
- If you are serving refreshments, how will you
clean up the area?
Now that you have a clear idea of what you want to do, it�s time to plan how you are going to accomplish your objectives.
These are the steps you will take to execute your plans.
Action plans identify
- what needs to be done
- by whom
- by what date
- and how much it will cost.
Action plans include � To Do Checklists� for each objective and area of the project. You will have action plans for creating your project team, planning meetings, working with the media, finding funding, running your project/event, and even for evaluating your project.
Speak Out & Make NOYS
- Project Focus: To educate & improve lines of communication between high school & middle school students. High school students will present a lesson on healthy and safe decisions & problem solving skills to middle school youth.
- Project Goals: To reduce the number of injuries, drug & alcohol use, and youth violence among middle school students.
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Project Objectives: Students participating in our project will be able to identify risks that can affect their safety both in school & in their community.
- Project Details:
Description: High school students will go to the junior high schools to present the importance of making healthy and safe lifestyle choices.
Date(s): 4/12, 14, 26 & 28
Time(s): 1:00-2:00
Location(s): Carver Middle School
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Potential Obstacles: Transportation
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Resources Available: Lab materials, audio-visual equipment, special speakers, printed materials and refreshments
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Workgroups Needed: 7 Training Sessions to train high school speakers, ...
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NO JUDGEMENT about any ideas. All ideas
are valued.
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Think of the unusual. Be different.
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The bigger the ideas, the better.
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Keep things moving; pinball thinking.
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Tag-on ideas are encouraged.
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The goal is to come up with large quantity of ideas.
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Keep it fun. Have a good time.
- The last few ideas are sometimes the best ones.
One by one analyze each idea individually and then in combination with other ideas.
The brain processes using pictures and associations. One thought leads to another outward from a center point. Mind mapping allows you to brainstorm in a format that matches the way your mind works. Start in the center circle. Print your focus or key word. Then draw lines out from the center and write your main topics on these lines. From here you make further associations. Use only one word per line. Draw pictures and symbols, and use color if possible.
D
There are several Action Plan sheets available in your Project Organizer.
Remember to use the goals you identified on pages 16 & 17 to keep you on track as you identify your Action Items. Use a separate Action Plan sheet for each topic. This helps you keep all the information about each topic together.
Your topic to do lists can include, Project Details, Working with the Media, Presentations, and Funding.
Once you finish your brainstorming and mind mapping steps, you are ready to begin to break down each topic into specific tasks that must get done.
The Action Plan work sheet is also the place to identify the due dates for each task.
D
Your first step is to calculate what your project will cost. This worksheet will help you think through all of the possible expenses.
- Develop a budget, considering all the possible expenses your project might include. The following event costs should be considered.
- Facility (usage fee and cleaning deposit)
- Sound system
- Decorations
- Refreshments
- Speaker�s fee or travel expenses
- Workshop materials
- Printing (handouts, flyers, coupons, press kits, etc.)
- Postage (mailers)
- Film and photo development
- Promotional expenses (Picture board supplies, banner, t-shirts)
- Booth fee
- Miscellaneous Costs
- Calculate the actual costs for your project
- Split up the list of expenses between team members to research.
- Call at least 3 vendors to get an estimate for each cost.
- Inquire about the possibility of a donation of services or products to your project/event.
- Report findings in 2 categories
Sample Project Expenses
| Item |
Cost |
Trade/Donation |
| Dunk Tank |
50.00 |
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| Band's Fee |
500.00 |
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| P.A. Equipment |
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Donation/Mike's Music |
| Face Painting |
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Donation/Clowns Etc. |
| Soft Drinks |
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Donation/McDugal's |
Paper Goods
(plates, napkins, silverware) |
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Donation/Cisco Warehouse |
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| Total |
550.00 |
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