Marketing and Outreach
Organization:
Heart of Los Angeles Youth, Inc. VISTA Name:
Ashley Cross
Program Start:
9/2004
Program End:
9/2005
Project Description:
Install, maintain and troubleshoot a wireless network of 30 laptops, the Mobile Lab, by November 2004
Increase the number of youth served by the CLC from 500 to 600 (a 20% increase) by the end of the VISTA term, with the addition of the Mobile Lab Project. We may surpass this target number by recruiting Camino Nuevo High School youth, who can earn elective credits for participating in the MLP.
Create job descriptions and train 2-4 technologically advanced high school interns to teach younger CLC participants.
Public and private sector resources will enable the project to continue after the VISTA member leaves.
Create a manual of procedure on how to update the website after VISTA member leaves.
Recruit local college volunteers to work with high school youth on developing the HOLA Fun Zone (HOLA’s youth website).
Project Outcome:
HOLA’s AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer, Ashley Cross, has been an amazing addition to Heart of Los Angeles Youth (HOLA). You need only visit our new and improved website to see the many ways that she has made a tremendous impact upon the organization. At www.heartofla.org you will see updated stories and press releases which Ashley designed and published. She also designed and formatted a link for point of donation opportunities, as well as a merchandizing page featuring HOLA cards designed by our youth. HOLA has received close to $3,000 in donations through our website to date, which funds can be directly attributed to Ashley’s efforts. We also received a $50,000 grant that came through our new and improved site. Please take a look at the home page and the articles included on the site, which Ashley was responsible for designing and formatting. Ashley was able to recreate on our web site the entire article about HOLA, including photographs, which was published in “La Opinion”. She was responsible for creating the Special Events page and many of the stories and pictures throughout the site. At the same time, we have been able to hard copies of the PDF articles from the web site to form an integral part of HOLA’s press packet. Ashley’s contribution to the HOLA website is only one very critical part of how she’s expanded the capacity for our organization.
Ashley succeeded in refurbishing the 30 laptops ahead of schedule, but the organization encountered some unforeseen obstacles in procuring battery packs, a wireless router, wireless cards, and most importantly, a space to accommodate the Mobile Lab Project. Thanks to Ashley’s research, these were obtained during the last quarter of her term. While these challenges were being addressed, we added the new goal of increasing the capacity of HOLA’s development office through the overall improvement of the website, which Ashley undertook with great efficiency and success.
The Mobile Lab Project is now slated to be unveiled in March or April of 2006, a successful culmination of Ashley’s research and development efforts. Batteries, cards and a router have been obtained, and funds have been secured for the build-out of the new Teen Center.
Impact Quote:
Ashley’s ability to accomplish tasks quickly has greatly enhanced HOLA’s public image, giving a much-needed dynamic quality to the website, much to the organization’s benefit. Because she finished the Mobile Laptop Project in such a timely manner, HOLA was able to gain additional financial support from national companies towards launching a new Teen Center. Ashley successfully adapted to the new goals as they evolved during the year, and she was able to complete the tasks set out for her before the end of her contract. Fortunately for Heart of Los Angeles Youth, Ashley’s next post will be as a full-time staff member. She joined HOLA’s staff as the Bridges After School Manager and Volunteer Coordinator on September 19, 2005.