Each Summer of Solutions program looks different and Grand Aspirations will support you in developing the exact model that works for your situation. Based on the accumulated experience that comes with running 37 programs over the last four years, the organization has a set of guidelines that programs must meet in order to be considered a Summer of Solutions program and access the resources and expertise that Grand Aspirations provides. These guidelines are intended to support programs in creating positive, effective, and long-term solutions and avoid past mistakes rather than to confine creativity or create bureaucracy.
By creating these guidelines and providing team support for planning your program, we seek to help you maintain accountability to:
- A just, sustainable, prosperous, and community-based approach
- The needs and visions of the communities with which you work
- The visions and plans that you create for your program in your community
- The goals of Grand Aspirations and the national network of solutionaries
We recognize that many of these guidelines are oriented towards communication and accountability with our national community (point 4). Because our national support people are most likely not located in your area, we want to establish up-front how you will stay in communication and receive support from the national organization so that we can help you accomplish your goals in the other three ways (points 1-3). The specific deadlines can be adjusted based on local needs.To keep track of all the amazing things you will plan and implement for your program, we will guide you in the creation of a program vision document. This document will allow you to articulate how you will build connections with the community, resource your program, recruit participants, tell your story, and much more. It will provide a convenient format that you can update and revise as you go through the process of program planning.
To keep track of all the amazing things you will plan and implement for your program, we will guide you in the creation of a program vision document. This document will allow you to articulate how you will build connections with the community, resource your program, recruit participants, tell your story, and much more. It will provide a convenient format that you can update and revise as you go through the process of program planning.Most of the national functions of Grand Aspirations are managed by volunteer teams of young people, many of whom came into the organization as participants or program leaders of past Summer of Solutions programs. These teams provide support, information, and expertise to the Summer of Solutions programs, as well as developing new initiatives. The team that will be most important to you as a program leader is the Program Support Team.
Guidelines for 2012 Summer of Solutions programs
The guidelines are organized by the following structure:
GENERAL GOAL: Explanation of why that goal matters
By this deadline, you will accomplish the first milestone towards that goal
We will support you by doing something
By this deadline, you will accomplish the second milestone towards that goal
We will support you by doing something else
In addition to the text below, you can also view the guidelines in this spreadsheet.
Guidelines for Running a Summer of Solutions Program in 2012
RUN A SOLUTIONARY PROGRAM: Create a program that harnesses and builds off of the Summer of Solutions Values, Principles, and Strategies.
By December 2011, describe how your program fits the Values, Principles, and Strategies in the Program Vision document.
We will help you engage and learn more about these ideas through dialogue with national support teams and at the national gatherings. You can find the Values, Principles and Strategies of the organization listed here:
http://www.grandaspirations.org/values.htmlThrough Spring 2012, work with your PST point person to develop projects that build community, advance social justice, create economic opportunity, and take meaningful steps towards a sustainable future
Program Support Team will help your program workshop project ideas to better meet those goals with the support of a community of peers and mentors.
By May 2012, create a description of each project your program will pursue that defines how it fulfills these values and how its impact will be measured to share with PST, the national community, and participants. You must have at least one project.
Program Support Team will provide a template for describing projects and setting deliverables.
By September 2012, describe how your program was successful in fulfilling the values, principles, and strategies or had shortfalls towards them in your final report
The Program Support Team will provide a template for the report and share reports from previous years with you.
WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY: During planning and implementation, actively collaborate with local community partners.
By December 2012, identify potential partners and a plan to establish or deepen a relationship with them in your vision document.
The Program Support Team will help you generate possible connections and walk you through processes for collaborative work.
Through Spring and Summer 2012, continue to update your vision document with your emerging community relationships through the planning process.
The Program Support Team will talk with you!
MAKE IT LAST: Launch new or expand existing community initiatives and projects that continue beyond the summer.
By January 2012, include a general idea of how projects will be sustained after the summer in your project descriptions provided online and to participants
The Program Support team will help you identify strategies to sustain your work over the long term by planning efforts to be self-sustaining and developing strong community partnerships.
In September 2012, include plans on how project work will continue beyond the summer in the Final Report due at program completion.
The Program Support Team will provide a template for the report and share reports from previous years with you.
PREPARE SOLUTIONARY LEADERS: Attract participants to your program through effective advertising and clear communication. Facilitate the development among participants and leaders of participatory leadership skills, personal reflection, and long-term planning skills.
By March 2012, adapt the national learning objectives for program participants to be relevant to your program
The Leadership Development Team and Program Support Team will provide templates, ideas, and support for your efforts.
By April 2012, create an orientation week agenda with clear learning objectives that provide a baseline of context-setting, goal-setting, skills training, team building, and planning for the rest of the summer into the first week of your program.
The Leadership Development Team will provide templates for a kick-off week, a library of skill-building resources, and training in the ability to train others.
During May/June 2012, have all full-time participants and as many part-time participants as possible submit an entry survey on their leadership capacity after the program
The Program Support Team will provide this survey in online and paper forms
During August 2012, have all full-time participants and as many part-time participants as possible submit an exit survey on their leadership capacity after the program
The Program Support Team will provide this survey in online and paper forms
During March-May 2012, follow the guidelines for applicant selection provided by PST for the priority application process and the final application process.
The Program Support Team will set up a system for applications, review, and responses.
By the start of your program, have at least 5 full-time participants in the program.
The Program Support Team will advise you on how to work with full-time participants.
Through May 2012, communicate adequately with your participants before the summer to make sure they understand what they will be doing and answer any questions they have
The Program Support Team will generate discussion and provide templates or guiding examples for what materials programs should consider sending to their participants.
ADVANCE JUSTICE AND COLLECTIVE LIBERATION: Confront oppression and empower diverse people and communities to grow and lead together.
By January 2012, create a plan for how to advance justice in program planning process, the structure/format, the program projects/outcomes, and the impact on program participants. Incorporate in Vision Document.
The Program Support Team will provide templates, ideas and support for developing this plan based on past experience and materials and your ideas.
By January 2012, set goals on how your outreach process will ensure diverse participation in the program
The Program Support Team and Media Team will provide tools and advice for employing diverse outreach strategies to foster diverse participation.
During September 2012, reflect on how your program did or did not achieve its goals around this in the final report.
The Program Support Team will provide a template for the report and share reports from previous years with you.
TELL YOUR STORY: Get the word out about your program to engage participants, build relationships in the community, and gain broader media attention
By February 2012, incorporate a Media and Outreach Plan into your Vision Document that defines your story, audiences, and delivery efforts
The Media Team will help you tell your story to engage applicants and the Partnerships Team will help facilitate building relationships with organizations that can enhance outreach efforts.
During Summer 2012, make at least 1 blog contribution per month during the planning phase of the program and 1 per week during the summer on www.solutionaries.net
The Media Team will make sure you know how to use the blog.
SUSTAINABLY RESOURCE AND BUILD CAPACITY FOR YOUR PROGRAM: Obtain necessary resources (housing, food, program materials, financial support, etc.) to support the summer program and lay the foundations to sustain continued efforts after the summer program ends. Have enough people and time (which may require resources) to be able to accomplish all the goals you’ve laid out without burnout or compromised quality.
Returning programs will, by late November 2011; new programs will, by January 2012 write the Resource Generation section of the Vision Document, including a budget identifying your needs, plus a strategy for meeting your budget
The Resources Team will provide you with a template, some ideas, and support to help you craft a successful plan, and will lead a workshop for using your guide at the January Gathering.
Ongoing: Check in with your PST point person about progress towards Resource Generation and help needed on calls
Ongoing: Fulfill, in a timely and professional manner, any commitments made to funders or partners from whom you receive support.
The Program Support Team and/or Resources Team will check in with you to help you meet commitments.
During the application process and your program, support full-time program participants to participate in your program based on their expressed needs (i.e., housing, food, foregone income).
The Program Support Team will help you negotiate how to assess need and provide support based on your resources.
From October 2011-January 2012, bring on at least 2 dedicated program leaders/planners when the group signs up and at least 3 program leaders by mid-winter.
The Program Support Team will help you build your program leadership team to capacity.
Ongoing: Demonstrate the amount of volunteer and paid work that is contributed to the creation and implementation of your program by tracking hours worked through the Grand Aspirations tracking system and support program participants in doing so.
The Program Support Team will provide you with easy-to-use tools for tracking hours.
PARTICIPATE AND INVEST IN THE GRAND ASPIRATIONS NATIONAL COMMUNITY: Communicate regularly with the Grand Aspirations’ National Teams and local hubs (where relevant) in preparation for and throughout the summer.
Ongoing: Have at least one person in bi-weekly confluence calls
Program Support Team will plan informative and fun “confluence” calls to bring together program leaders from all programs. Agendas and call information will be provided ahead of time.
Ongoing: Participate in bi-weekly check-ins with your Program Support Team person and talk to other national teams as needed
You will have a designated Program Support Team member who will support you in planning all aspects of your program. You will attend a check-in call with your Program Support Team member and your other program leaders every other week.
During January 2012, gain necessary in-person training to set up a Summer of Solutions program by sending at least two program leaders to the national Winter Gatherings for program leadership training. Each program will raise $150 to support the costs associated with these events.
The National Gatherings Team will plan multiple Winter Gatherings at different times in December and January to help program leaders gain the skills they need and work through specific issues in their program planning processes. Program Support Team and Leadership Development Team will plan useful activities to help you advance your planning and learn from other teams.
During August/ September 2012, share what your program accomplishes and what you learn as program leaders by completing post-program reports (one public and one for organizational use) that capture what you learn and do in your program.
Program Support Team will provide templates and examples for these reports.
During August 2012, send at least one participant and one program leader to the National August Gathering and help with the fundraising effort.
The National Gatherings Team will plan one August Gathering to bring programs together to share successes, build national community, and get involved in the national organization.
During Summer 2012, introduce participants to Grand Aspirations during the beginning of your Summer of Solutions program and invite all participants to engage in the national community (teams, future GA opportunities) before the program ends
Grand Aspirations will provide information about upcoming opportunities during the summer.
Sound good? Apply to run a program in 2012!
