Playbox: Human Knot

For mine and Dustin's playbox, we had to come up with something that followed the theme of learning through movement. We didn't want to do something everyone would expect, so we had to spice it up. Our original plan was to lead a musical chair activity but with the giant pole in the middle of the classroom, we were having trouble deciding on a set up. Once looking at the weather for the week, we saw it was going to be nice out and we took advantage of this. After some thought, we decided on the human knot. However, we added one small detail. 

First, we split the class into two teams. We decided to play one round of the human knot with the teams being able to communicate and one where they had to be totally silent. This was to teach the importance of verbal versus non verbal messages as well as improving on our team building skills. 

Leading this activity was a great start to the class and set the mood for our guest speaker. 

Something that was challenging was going back and forth between where we were going to conduct the activity. We repeatedly had to check the weather and make sure we would be able to go outside. If I ever had to lead this activity again, I think I would make sure the instructions were more clear. I feel as though there was some slight confusion, specifically when one team would finish, the other team just stopped instead of trying to finish. Overall, the activity went great, everyone had fun, and we were able to get our message across to the class.

Guest Speaker Reflection

For my guest speaker reflection, I feel as though I resonated the most with Karisa Tashjian from the Providence Public Library. She instantly gained my attention with her opening discussion. Like most new comers to our classroom, I was expecting her to have us go around the room and say our names and some fact about ourselves. Instead, she asked us to share our dream jobs and I thought that was a great way to start the class and get our minds thinking about where we want to end up after graduation. As a speaker, I feel as though she presented herself well and was very engaged in what students had to say. I absolutely loved the activity she did. She gave us a minute to brainstorm a list of all the fish we could think of. We then went around the room and made a class list of all the fish we had come up with. I believe her main point here was to show us that we can all learn from each other even when given the same task. This activity really resonated with me and I can see myself using this in a future youth space. In addition, she gave a lot of insightful information about various fundraising that goes on at the library. These conversations really resonated with our themes in class about individual and in kind fundraising. It was a great experience to be able to hear about how these things work first hand from a professional standpoint.

Fundraising

What do these letters have in common?

- Each letter is asking for donations to better their organizations

- They include a variety of statistics 

- All letters included a link that took you directly to the donation page

What are the big differences?

- While looking through these I found that having pictures was really meaningful and I noticed that United We Dream did not have a photo included.

- The letter for Down City Design includes a list of all the sponsors they have or have previously had

- Youth In Action's letter includes stories about some of the program participants which can be really meaningful.

What tools do the organizations use to persuade the reader to donate?

- Three out of the four organizations listed use pictures to show meaning in the organization and the work that they do.

- Statistics were included in bold to express the previous year's accomplishments in hopes for improvements this year.

- Each letter uses bigger and bolder text to signify that you can donate by clicking on that text.

If you had $50 to donate to one of these organizations which one would you choose and why?

- If I had $50, I would choose to donate to DownCity Design. The pictures that they included in their letter show where their money is going. I also liked how they were the only letter that included all of their sponsors, many which I was familiar with. 

Snow Day Blog

The Hasbro Summer Learning Initiative Program is a program to help students stay on top of their game over summer vacation. It helps them maintain skills they previously learned prior to break and hopefully lead into the school year with some new skills. This program also helps students learn how to explore outside of their classrooms. One example they gave was children learning about the agriculture cycle and how they got to apply what they had learned with a hands on activity. Sometimes we don't always get the opportunity to do this in the classroom or our classroom space is just not set up for it. The program focuses on the academic time lost during school vacation and helps the students by creating various activities they can do outside of the classroom. I feel as though this program aligns with positive youth development and purposeful play.

I did not see specific requirements listed for being able to join the program, but I wonder how they go about selecting the children that are placed into the program for the summer. This program recieves funding from United Way, Hasbro and the General Assembly. United Way gives about $100,000 each summer while the General Assembly has been donating $250,000 every year since 2012. This program has partnership and collaboration with Live United which funds summer learning programs at three different funding levels (if I read that correctly). 

Main components that are required for a grant proposal are: 

- Data and Outcomes: be able to advanced Live United 2020 goals and results

- Collaboration: collaborate with a main partner to achieve shared goals

- Curriculum Structure: demonstrate how they will co-create and co-deliver a summer learning curriculum that builds academic, social-emotional, and essential skills, and is delivered in hands-on, experiential ways (5 days a week, 6 weeks, 7 hours a day, 35 hours per week)

- Professional Development: required to participate in PD sessions connected to the HSLI summer learning model

- Sustainability: demonstrate a sustainable funding plan for current and proposed levels of

services

- Demonstrated Success: organization must have a successful track record in projects and

demonstrate the capacity, competency, and qualifications to plan, implement, and manage this

project

- Documentation: letter of 503c status, current 990 form, recent audit

Plus/Minus/Delta:

+: I think the program can have a really positive effect on youth in helping to maintain skills while doing hands on activites

-: I don't necessarily agree with testing for a summer program. I understand everyone comes in at different levels and from different backgrounds. But at the end of the day it is their summer vacation and they should be able to have fun and learn new things throughout this program not having to worry about a test. 

Delta: My delta is just more of a question. I would like to know how they decide who is able to participate in this program and how many children are they able to accept a year? Another question I have is do children stay in the program for the full 6 weeks or do some end up dropping out?

Hasbro

Hasbro is a global play and entertainment company dedicated to creating the best possible play experiences. Hasbro offers a variety of toys for both boys and girls in addition to movies, games, and other various consumer products. The mission at Hasbro is to "stand up for children, passionately working together to create a universe where every child experiences hope, kindness and joy." Hasbro ranked number one on the 2017 100 Best Corporate Citizens list by CR Magazine, and has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute for the past seven years. 
Where does Hasbro get all of their money from? Hasbro has many organizations that they strategically partner with in order to support children on a global and nationally scale. Some company's/organizations they partner with include Toys for Tots, Give Kids the World Village, and Be Fearless Be Kind. BFBK helped Hasbro to achieve their mission  and continue to expand their work. Hasbro has a long and proud tradition of making the world a better place for children and their families through a variety of philanthropic programs. The company leverages all assets, including financial support through the Hasbro Children’s Fund, donations of toys & games, and the time and talent of the employees to make the greatest impact possible.
The Hasbro Children's Fund is responsible for most of the company's grant making. Grants made from this fund focus on the mission of creating a universe where children experience joy, hope, and kindness. In the locations where Hasbro has operating facilities, they annually provide local community grants which support programs that deliver the following: stability for children in crisis, pediatric physical and mental health services, hunger security, educational programs, quality out of school time programming, programs that empower youth through service and programs that develop social-emotional learning in children.

Two questions I have: 
1. Has an organization ever approved of a grant one year but not the next?
2. I wish more detail was provided about all the different sources that Hasbro gets their money from. WHERE THE MONEY AT?!

PASA

PASA stands for Providence After School Alliance and works with middle school and high school aged students through two different models, AfterZone and the Hub. Their team consists of about sixteen people ranging from the executive director down to the site coordinators. Each team member has their own unique job description and responsibilities. After looking through the positions offered at PASA, one that really stood out to me was the Development and Communications Consultant. The person in this position supports PASA’s fundraising and communications activities. Doing the "behind the scenes" kind of things for programs always stood out to me and getting into fundraising and activity planning are just some of the behind the scenes action that happens at these types of programs. To be qualified for this position, I feel as though it could be helpful to have some background in non profits and how to plan and facilitate activities, being able to adjust them to various age groups. However, I was shocked when I read that the current person in this position has a degree in Kinesiology. Something exciting about being in this position is you are the person doing most of the fundraising. It must feel great to raise money for your organization and see the improvements and enhancements that money brings. However, fundraising is not always easy. It can be challenging but also so rewarding in the end. I think the hardest part is coming up with fundraisers that will cost little for the organization to host but will bring in a decent amount of money. One question I have for Brittney is if she is aware of the fundraisers and the amount they bring in, what is the organization's most successful fundraiser and how much on average does it usually bring in? 
                       

New Urban Arts

New Urban Arts is a nationally-recognized community arts studio for high school students and emerging artists in Providence, Rhode Island. Their mission is to build a vital community that empowers young people as artists and leaders to develop a creative practice they can sustain throughout their lives. The program is free and students are free to come as much or as little as they wish. There are various different art programs for them to chose from and they are not required to do the same ones every time they go. New Urban Arts also shares some demographic information on their website which was great to look at and analyze. According to the NUA website, "61% of participants are female, 37% are Hispanic/Latino, and 82% of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch based on income guidelines. These were just some of the highest percentages that stood out to me." Additionally, "94% of our students are from five ZIP Codes; 02904, 09205, 02907, 02908, and 02909 where collectively the poverty rate for families with kids is 34%, almost twice the national average." 94%. That is a huge chunk of the programs participants from all different areas. I chose to look at zip code area 02904. According to the American Fact Finder website, this area has a median household income of $37,287. About 22% of individuals living in this area are living below the poverty level. As I looked further into the information on housing, race, and income, I could depict that people living in this area are not struggling as much as opposed to some of the other zip codes listed on the NUA website. The graduation rate in this area is about 85%. This could mean that there are not many high school drop outs and students have access to enough resources to be able to graduate from high school. This area is also close to three colleges: RIC, PC. and Brown University. One might infer that people living in this are going to these schools. NUA as a whole serves a wide population and participants of the programs come from all different backgrounds. However, NUA does a great job at making sure everyone feels welcome and provides a safe space to all who join.

Theory of Change

                         

For my blog post this week, I took the chart from the Theory of Change reading and made it into a google doc. Please see the link below to access my chart/post for this week. Thanks!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DzU7IuPwQDdKSTgvdxDspcopwL9jfypoQkiwFlvqUeQ/edit

   

#BlackLivesMatter

The Black Lives Matter movement is an organization led by people of color hoping to promote equality and justice. The movement began after a number of black men were either injured or killed due to police brutality. In the documentary "Stay Woke", they focused on the homicides of Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin. Also discussed was the first video evidence for the movement, showing Eric Garner being wrestled to the ground by police. With George Zimmerman being found not guilty and Officer Darren Wilson not being indicted, the movement expanded more and more. Police started pulling out weapons on women and children, including the use of tanks and tear gas. This pushed the movement further and further. People were filled with anger and hate, which caused many riots and looting of local businesses. These riots were started by young people. The space was created by young people. The young activists were the ones in the streets; the ones getting tear gased. They didn't want the older civil rights activists taking over what they had created.

While writing this, I feel like I found it challenging to find the right words to use when talking to a young person about this movement. This is a very touchy subject in society and I don't know how I would discuss this with a young person. So one important question that I have is how do others feel they would address this issue with young people if it arose? Would you discuss it differently if a young person of color approached you rather than a white young person? I think trying to find the right language and simplifying it was the hardest part for me.

Mentor Rhode Island

MENTOR Rhode Island is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the expansion of quality mentoring services for Rhode Island youth.

VISION

We envision a Rhode Island where all youth are connected to relationships with adults who inspire and support them.  All youth will have role models who provide a road map for lifelong success and achievement.

MISSION

Our mission is to ensure youth have access to the motivational and supportive relationships they need to grow into confident, successful adults

This was my first time actually reading my internship's mission and vision statements, which I know is horrible. My first initial reaction was the length. Looking at other non-profits mission and visions, I found ours to be quite shorter than some previous ones I have seen. Although they are short, they do cover the basics on what the organization does and its goals. If I were to rephrase the vision statement, I would say something along the lines of "Adults will act as role models to youth who need motivation and support. This support will come from a mentor program based on interests and what works best for them." Rephrasing the mission statement might sound something like "Our mission is to ensure that adults will provide support and motivation to youth through the act of mentoring in hopes that the youth will learn from the caring adult." After looking at the mission-vision worksheet, I realize that these statements need to get straight to the point, so having shorter mission and vision statements would be a plus. I think my organization did a great job in that aspect. I would just add in a little detail such as letting the mentor know that the mentoring program would be based on what is best for them and their interests. Overall, I am proud to intern at Mentor Rhode Island and plan to live by these mission and vision statements as a future mentor!

Blog post #1: Intro to Non-Profit/Idealist Guide

I know I can't be the only person who has heard negative things regarding non-profit organizations. My personal favorite is when I tell people that non-profit courses are part of my major and that I may get a job in one someday. It's always the same response. "You aren't going to make any money, you know that right?" This is exactly how the article starts off. The first word they use to describe a non profit is "charity." Non profits can offer so much more than just being nongovernmental organizations.

"Nonprofits can be defined by tax status, what they do with surplus revenue, the existence of a volunteer board of directors, or the fact that their work is directed by a mission statement."Non profits consist of various organizations trying to help shape a better community and there can be many advantages and disadvantages to working for a non profit. Some advantages include hands-on opportunities, flexible schedule, and the ability to do meaningful work. Disadvantages include lower wages, turnovers, and different structures than other sectors. Below I have listed some characteristics of non profit organizations:

- Most non profits will have a mission and/or vision statement for their organization. This will include why the organization exists and the goals they aim to achieve.
- All nonprofits will have a board, specifically a volunteer board. This consists of community leaders who overlook the organization, donors who support the organization financially, and staff members who commit to fulfilling the mission statement.
- Non profits are focused on providing benefits to the community as a whole. This is by law and by custom.
- Nonprofits have much more independence than public businesses. Businesses must answer to their owners while nonprofits answer to themselves and to their support system. This support system can include funders and volunteers. This allows for creativity and expanding on new approaches to meet goals.

After reading this article, I wish to learn more about the funding of non profits and how they raise money for things they need. I also wish to go more in depth on the section on tax exemption.