Getting the girl to even get her application completed can be a challenge! I have a girl who I interviewed (and did not approve) a while ago, who is still having a hard time moving from a collection project to a Gold Award Take Action Project. Below is an excerpt from round two of trying to get her to a Gold Award Project. Fortunately, I was able to also cc her advisor, so that she would have the opportunity to work with her girl, and get her to focus. I truly hope that this girl comes back with a focused issue and a way to make a sustainable difference.
"I suggest you look at page 2, where the Standards of Excellence are listed.
#1 - Choose an issue. What is your issue, in one sentence? You need to drill down to this. You listed many ideas:
at risk kids need self esteem building
keeping kids involved in healthy activities is good for youth (as opposed to gangs, drugs)
it's important to make good choices
volunteers lead healthier lives
kids need to learn to stay on the right path as they grow up
kids drop out of school
families are in financial crisis
cycle of poverty
need for volunteers to help those less fortunate
What's the ONE issue? That's what you need to identify first. Another way to say it is, "what problem that you see in your community are you passionate about?" What strikes a chord in your heart? For some it's domestic violence, children going to bed hungry at night, animal euthanasia, and for others it could be the importance of art or dance in a young child's life. There's all sorts of issues that reach out and touch us. What's yours?
And then, what's the root cause? WHY is there this issue? Because THAT is what you need to address. p. 10 in the Example #2 is a great example of how succinct and direct your project needs to be.
Who are you trying to help? Specifically. And how are YOU and your TEAM going to connect with those you mean to help?
What organization can you partner with to support your project? I was surprised to see that Second Harvest was the organization you listed as a partner. Their mission and specific focus is about reducing/eliminating hunger in our communities, and I did not see that anywhere on your proposal as an issue you mean to address.
Who is the team that you are going to educate and lead? Not just managing a collection project! You need to gather the team and educate them about the identified issue and root cause, enlisting their support to help you carry out your project. This project is about YOU using YOUR leadership skills! And that means more than just managing time and collection boxes.
Your project needs to "ensure sustainability." Forming a club at school is one way, and asking a homeowner's association to make a 3 or 5 year commitment to continue the work is another. Publishing results on a website is not, in and of itself, enough."
#1 - Choose an issue. What is your issue, in one sentence? You need to drill down to this. You listed many ideas:
at risk kids need self esteem building
keeping kids involved in healthy activities is good for youth (as opposed to gangs, drugs)
it's important to make good choices
volunteers lead healthier lives
kids need to learn to stay on the right path as they grow up
kids drop out of school
families are in financial crisis
cycle of poverty
need for volunteers to help those less fortunate
What's the ONE issue? That's what you need to identify first. Another way to say it is, "what problem that you see in your community are you passionate about?" What strikes a chord in your heart? For some it's domestic violence, children going to bed hungry at night, animal euthanasia, and for others it could be the importance of art or dance in a young child's life. There's all sorts of issues that reach out and touch us. What's yours?
And then, what's the root cause? WHY is there this issue? Because THAT is what you need to address. p. 10 in the Example #2 is a great example of how succinct and direct your project needs to be.
Who are you trying to help? Specifically. And how are YOU and your TEAM going to connect with those you mean to help?
What organization can you partner with to support your project? I was surprised to see that Second Harvest was the organization you listed as a partner. Their mission and specific focus is about reducing/eliminating hunger in our communities, and I did not see that anywhere on your proposal as an issue you mean to address.
Who is the team that you are going to educate and lead? Not just managing a collection project! You need to gather the team and educate them about the identified issue and root cause, enlisting their support to help you carry out your project. This project is about YOU using YOUR leadership skills! And that means more than just managing time and collection boxes.
Your project needs to "ensure sustainability." Forming a club at school is one way, and asking a homeowner's association to make a 3 or 5 year commitment to continue the work is another. Publishing results on a website is not, in and of itself, enough."
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