Today’s Plan:
- Proficiency Project
- Community Engagement Opportunities
- Reports
- Homework
Proficiency Project
Somehow I’ve fallen a little behind this semester–looking at last year, we normally have completed the report by the end of week 5 and are working on the Proficiency Projects in week 6. To make up for lost time, I am going to slightly modify what we do this semester. Normally, I would break you up into three different “classes,” with each team working on a different set of three deliverables. This semester, we’re going to do something different.
For the next three weeks, we are going to dedicate one class session to three different professional writing specializations, so that everyone gets a taste of different work you might do in our major project, Project 3, the Community Engagement project. Those specializations are:
- Grant Research and Writing
- Design and User Experience
- Social Media Content Development and Management
At the end of the three weeks, you will give a presentations that does two things: first, it informs the audience about the book you have purchased and read. It gives us a concise and practical sense of the rules, tips, theories you have learned.
Second, it shares the results of your group’s major work project. Those are:
- Grant Writing: Your major project will be to complete a revision of the Kush Desai grant application–revising the other sections of the grant. You will also put together a preliminary funding target report.
- Design / UX: Your major project will be to design a flyer, brochure, and 3 instagram posts advertising our new Writing, Editing, and Publishing major. This project probably involves interviewing me.
- Social Media: [I need to talk to our department social team, so this is tentative] You will design a Halloween contest for Instagram (Facebook and Twitter?). This will require rules, posts, images, documentation for the department team [a mini-content calendar], etc.
So let me map out the next few weeks:
- Tuesday, Week 7: Grant Writing Crash Course. Homework: Revising the Project section of a grant application.
- Thursday, Week 7: Design Crash Course. Homework: Redesigning a bad flyer. Read Fadde and Sullivan.
- Tuesday, Week 8: Discuss Fadde and Sullivan. Designing Information crash course.
- Thursday, Week 8: Social Media Crash Course. Homework: Designing social media materials. Work on Major Project. Begin drafting Presentation script.
- Tuesday, Week 9: Designing Professional Presentations crash course. Homework: Complete Team Presentations.
- Thursday, Week 9: Team Presentations [October 20th]
We will start the Community Engagement projects Week 10.
Community Engagement Projects
Speaking of these, let me share a few emails.
Homework
Finish your Job Analysis Reports and make sure you have gotten a hold of one of the following books (this will determine your Project 2 team, but you will still have the option of working on a different project 3 team):
- Grant Writing: Karsh and Fox, The Only Grant Writing Book You Will Ever Need
- Document Design: Golumbiski and Hagen, White Space is Not Your Enemy
- Campbell, How to Build and Mobilize a Social Media Community for Your Nonprofit in 90 Days
