Transmission Project

Amy was the photographer and photo design editor for the Bowl-A-Roma fundraising event, the Bob Bullock Video project, and the Luling documentary workshop

Amy did the graphic layout and design for all business materials, workshops and events, including flyers, postcards, promo packets, program materials, business cards, manuals, proposals, signs, newsletters, and brochures.

Amy also did website design and development; she created page layouts and templates, icons, titles, drop down menus, picture galleries, and content.

Mary has made many valuable contributions over the first half of her VISTA term. A few of her more major accomplishments during this period include: a) Developing a Marketing Plan: Mary surveyed our existing (and admittedly disorganized) market research, marketing materials, web content, etc. and performed research and analysis (including interviewing key staff and partners) to produce a comprehensive Marketing Plan, This plan includes market research, competitive analysis, positioning/branding, internet marketing strategies, offline/traditional advertising strategies, marketing goals, and evaluation mechanisms. The Marketing Plan is key piece of our strategic planning work, and has guided the development of our marketing efforts. b) Overhauling the MicroMentor Website: Mary gave the MicroMentor website a badly needed makeover, re-arranging the navigation and content to make key sections easier to find, changing the layout of our homepage to increase the conversation rate of first time visitors, and adding keywords to improve our search engine optimization (SEO), and adding content to improve our SEO and better support our participants. She has continued to improve the website throughout her tenure, and we will be migrating many of these changes to our new website when it launches in late March. c) Implementing Key Systems and Processes: Mary has set up key systems for the MicroMentor team, including Google AdWords, Google Analytics, Salesforce.com, and several Salesforce applications, such as Vertical Response, and DreamTeam (a project management application). She has also established a marketing campaign planning process and a website and marketing material change control process for us. These key systems and processes have greatly increased our program capacity and will remain in use long after the end of Mary’s VISTA term. d) Leading Usability Testing and Analysis for MicroMentor 2.0: Mary helped us significantly enhance the usability of our new mentoring platform–MicroMentor 2.0–by leading a user testing and analysis project. She provided usability training to our staff, planned our user testing process, oversaw the tests, reviewed the results, and made recommendations for modifications to our application design. This project was particularly challenging as we had to perform the tests and deliver the results in a very short timeframe, and Mary worked long hours and significant overtime to help us meet our goals.

The impact of Mary’s contributions is readily apparent in our quantitative and qualitative program feedback. First off, her marketing efforts have spurred tremendous growth in our program. Our participant enrollment during the first half of her VISTA period (7/1/08 - 12/31/08) jumped from 236 to 684, a 190% increase, compared to the same period a year ago. Additionally, when comparing the first half of Mary’s VISTA period to the same period a year ago, visits to the MicroMentor website have increased 180%, the average time spent on the site has increased 39%, and our bounce rate (the number of people visiting the site and immediately leaving) has decreased by 11%. All of this indicates that more people are learning about the MicroMentor program and that our website is more compelling and useful to visitors.

In the past six months, OLLIE has provided digital media training to over 150 youth through 17 projects at 11 community locations. In addition, OLLIE has scheduled projects to serve an additional 180 youth over the next six months. Each round of OLLIE projects has balanced new and returning community partners. Our VISTA has served as a group coordinator for many of these sites, facilitating communication between the OLLIE staff and volunteers, the OLLIE coordinator, and community partners. Ryn has also begun to identify volunteers to support this project. He identified the post-production talents of a community partner and utilized them to finish a student project.

In addition, OLLIE’s curriculum design has evolved. Based on participant feedback, trainer input, and research into youth media best practices; the teaching methods, practice exercises, and time allotments for each segment of production have changed to better serve the youth we work with. Ryn’s insights about classroom teaching experiences and research into youth media curriculum are of great value to this process. I am looking forward to further utilizing Ryn’s expertise to design and implement our summer intensive “Adventures in Television”sessions. He is one of the leads for this project.

A very exciting part of OLLIE’s evolution is the creation and implementation of a graphic design identity package. Ryn has served as a lead contact in the process of recruiting and hiring a designer, developing a logo, and working with vendors. Currently Ryn is leading efforts to develop and refine copy that will promote the program in print, web, and video materials. Ryn also was able to develop his web design skills to create a first draft of a website for OLLIE: www.ollietv.org. Behind the scenes, he has created extensive outlines for future implementations of a site that will be useful to project staff, community partners, and program participants.

Jessica has used technology tools to facilitate organizational communication and information gathering/sharing at TCP. These tools included an Intranet, the Vienna newsreader and a del.icio.us account for the organization. This work has enabled TCP to stay on top of cutting edge issues in the field of youth and technology.

She has also made major contributions in researching, writing, editing and design work for some of our products. This has helped TCP achieve its mission of advocating for digital resources and access to benefit the nation’s 73 million children and youth, particularly those who are low-income or underserved.

Jessica has also completed several projects for CCTPG, working towards meeting the broader goal of advocating for all communities’ access to broadband and advanced technologies and the benefits they offer.

Working with several colleagues, Jessica helped create the new CCTPG Web site and edited, updated and posted a majority of the documents currently available. She uploaded the contacts currently in the CiviCRM and created an automated sign-up form for new members. She was also responsible for many listserv and Web site updates and helped with several outreach efforts, including a videoconference. She gathered information for an online map of CTCs and helped with CCTPG’s network restructuring.

One of the measurements of Jessica’s success was whether CCTPG won any legislative victories while she was serving. Of the four pieces of legislation CCTPG focused on last year, three of them passed.

We have increased our publicity through our VISTA’s work on designing our annual report, developing a template for our newsletter and designing our website. Dan Chen worked on the design and layout of the annual report which was published in December. The design was significantly more professional than in the past. It is sent out to donors and other interested individuals as part of our year-end donation appeal. This past year, the year end giving exceeded the amount raised in past years. Although we can’t determine if it was due to the design of the annual report, we did receive many comments about how well done it was. The Pui Tak Center has not had a regular newsletter for 7-8 years and has intended to restart it. Dan assisted in developing a design template. The newsletter will be mailed to supporters and donors as well as distributed in local churches. Dan has also begun work in redesigning our website. He has completed the initial design and site map. We are currently working on the content. After that is completed, Dan will work with a programmer to get the site up and running. All of these efforts improves our communication with current and potential supporters (donors, volunteers, etc.).

Kristen produced a variety of written materials and marketing collateral for potential partners, funders, and clients. She assumed responsibility for our quarterly newsletter; created and distributed flyers, postcards, and brochures for all three sites; and provided the photography, design, and some of the written content for our annual report. In addition to Kristen’s writing and design work, she organized several events designed to increase public awareness of our offerings, including job fairs and open houses. Finally, Kristen helped NTRC evaluate and improve its community engagement efforts through focus groups and an internal SWOT analysis. Although marketing was the main focus of her VISTA year, Kristen contributed to NTRC’s day-to-day operations by representing the organization at meetings and outreach events; contributing research, editing, and proofreading services; and performing or creating interviews, surveys, and other workforce development tasks. Kristen’s impact on the organization can be seen in three major ways: first, NTRC marketing materials have stepped up several levels because of her efforts; second, NTRC hosted a successful job fair in August 2007 with over 100 participants; and third, NTRC produced a visually impressive and content rich Year 2 Report for our Chicago Housing Authority funded “Make IT a Priority” Training Program Report in the Spring of 2007.

The best story to demonstrate Kristen’s contributions to NTRC is to tell you what we did when Kristen’s year-long commitment was complete. Despite the fact that prior to her arrival, the position that Kristen filled did not exist, NTRC offered her full-time employment at the termination of her VISTA year because during that year, Kristen proved herself to be a vital member of the team and not someone we were willing to give up. Other than that, most of Kristen’s contributions are best viewed, rather than told. The dramatic improvement in our marketing materials, quarterly newsletters, and reports speak for themselves.

Gregory has designed an exciting new curriculum as well as a long-term multimedia plan for the school. Students truly enjoy and benefit from these classes and we look forward to building on this aspect of our program in the future. The students welcome the creative outlets these classes provide as a balance to the MS office applications and the technical computer repair classes we offer. As previously reported, this instruction has been given not only to students but to staff as well.

In the web design class students continue to work on non-profit site projects under Gregory’s advisory oversight. Several students are now independently building and maintaining websites for neighborhood non-profit organizations.

Gregory has almost completed the Spanish mirror of our bi-lingual website and he remains solely responsible for the web presence and staff accounts. He continues to work with staff and students in completing and maintaining CAMINOS’ website. (Please see http://www.caminossf.org)

As can be seen above, Dan has continued to take on an extraordinarily broad range of projects that require talents ranging from research to multi-media production, to writing, community organizing and Web design.
In these past six months he has played an especially important role in increasing the organization’s communication capacity through everything from enhancing our Web site to managing email lists systems for well over 1000 subscribers to communicating with and assisting individuals seeking to create community technology centers.

A summary of accomplishments includes:

Assisting Evaluation for Grants
• Participated in applicant evaluation committee; reviewed approx. 25 proposals for the subawards we’re making through our CNS-funded Learn & Serve America/Youth Visions for Stronger Neighborhoods program

Communication:
• Edited 2004 CTCNet Annual Report
• Edited Fall 2003 CTCNet Newsletter

CTC VISTA Project:
• Served on CTC VISTA Project Advisory Board; participate in monthly conference calls
• Attended part of CTCNet VISTA Pre-Service Orientation (08/03)
• Participated in CTCNet presentation to new VISTAs at PSO
• Updated his VISTA web page
• Sent informational emails about regional CTCNet-associated groups to each non MetroBoston CTC VISTA and their supervisor as a potential resource
• Attended monthly MetroBoston CTC VISTA meetings
• MA InterCorps Council: Serves on this state-wide National Service council
• Leads Communications team, managing MICC web site, edited and co-wrote Fall/Winter 2003 newsletter
• Developed and helped plan MICC Service Enrichment Roundtable event (12/05/03) attended by over forty National Service members; did time/stress management presentation.

Other:
• Produced “Digital Empowerment” PSA Video
• Attended all-day CTCNet Staff Meeting (Oct. 1); did “What Matters Most” personal/time management presentation
• Participated in CTCNet Strategic Planning Meeting in DC (Oct. 24-26)
• Met with Lisa Austin of Pasadena, CA, in town to research setting up a CTC
• Completed supervisor evaluations of Executive Director and Managing Director
• Completed CTCNet Tech survey for current and future needs
• Served as reviewer for Salesforce.com Foundation on-line Community Youth Media Festival