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@in24hours-blog
A Masterpiece
Just as an artist displays their masterpiece to the world and shows anyone willing to look, that is CreateAthon to me. A display of my experience and passion; something to be shared. Excitement is not meant to be hidden. I want anyone and everyone to hear about the fantastic experience CreateAthon was, relive my story of working with The New Community School, and see the beautiful results.
I will tell my story.
And they will want their own.
STUDENTS UNITE!
I believe that what could make CreateAthon even better would be a more involved team. Informing potential volunteers more about the event and the workings of the event will make them more interested and more willing to be involved for more than just the 24 hours. Assigning teams earlier on and communicating with them weeks before that event will help draw them in and ready them for the big day. Spreading the CreateAthon excitement to the teams would make the work have greater impact.
More than Machines
Through Different Eyes
This Tuesday's blog post assignment was to write about our reflection on the field trip to Carter Printing. I had had a rough weekend and wasn't feeling so great so maybe that is why I came away from the trip with a completely different view. Yes, seeing the process was awesome and the machines were incredible, but I left feeling sad.
The People
I felt bad for the people doing the little jobs and wondered about their lives and home situations.
The woman folding and taping boxes.
Stack
After stack
after stack
after stack.
The people folding pieces by hand.
Pile
after pile
after pile
after pile.
I was stuck thinking "How'd they end up working there?" They obviously didnt say "When I grow up, I want to be a box folder." Was it a serious of unfortunate events that got them there? Perhaps they couldnt afford school and somehow the bills still needed to get paid.
Be Grateful
I feel like sometimes we forget how fortunate we are for the lives we have. I am so grateful for the education I have been able to receive, for the people in my life who have supported me, and the way I was raised.
It's Not Fair
I understand that the world isn't fair and that someone has to do those jobs. I can't help but wish that somehow everyone had the opportunity to fulfill their dreams and be whatever they want.
Smile
I tried to smile and be friendly to everyone we saw, but most did not smile back. They either ignored us completely or stared at us with a frown. Because of this response and my desire to see people happy, I left feeling sad for those stuck doing jobs that most people would hate to do.
A Plan
I am a planner. I like things organized and I like to know what is going on. CreateAthon was no exception. Before the event, I already had a plan of how the night would go. I had arranged to take my team to TNCS, first thing in the morning. I also had an idea of who I would need to work on what. Having a plan allows me to lead a team without having to make on the spot decisions.
There were times, even with a plan, that I began to stress out. It was not a difficult problem to solve though. Getting back on track and forming a plan was all it took to get my team and I going again. Knowing our objectives and how we were going to get there helped the night run smoothly.
Its All About the Client
Different
Every team member had a different relationship with their client. Some seemed to work well together and others had some rough spots.
#1
The number one thing I learned is that the client is the most important. This does not mean that the client should have whatever they want. It's about learning and knowing what the client needs. Listening to the client when working is so very important.
They know what they do the best.
They know their mission the best.
They know who they help the best
Open Mind
Having an open mind to everything they say will help the work best reflect the non-profit. Realizing that they are not criticizing your work is important. Their corrections are to modify the work to really fit with their organization.
For example, in some of the first batches of copy, we used the word dyslexic to describe the kids at The New Community School. After talking to our client we learned that:
Dyslexic (just like special needs) has negative connotations
A school for dyslexia could turn people away because they want a normal school
Dyslexic is a term for a reading, writing, and spelling difficulty
Each child struggles with different things
Not every dyslexic child is right for TNCS
Some children who are not labeled 'dyslexic' are right for TNCS
This was something we had to learn from our client. Being aware that the client is a vital source of information is key to producing relevant and effective work.
The New Community School Admissions Redesign Project (CreateAthon on Campus)
CreateAthon gives students the opportunity to
-work in a team
-have a blast
-stay up all night
-design great things
-use their talents
-eat too much food
-help a non-profit
-make a difference
-increase their portfolio
-make friends
-get a free massage
-network
-meet professionals
...
Respect
Working together was an essential part of CreateAthon for my team. Each person was needed to finish what we had to finish. Everyone was willing to work together and help out. Although each person was very different and unique, every voice was heard and each opinion valued. The individual team members left feeling like they had a part and had been able to contribute. Together we accomplished what we did.
R
E
S
P
E
C
T
Collaboration fails without respect. When someone's work or voice isn't valued and respected, they loose interest and the drive to be a part. My previous experience with CreateAthon was not the best, because the project I had been working on was taken away from me and, as a result, I did not desire to participate in something where I wasn't appreciated. I was determined not to allow that to happen with my team.
Another girl told me of an experience where the client was told in reference to her work "This is kinda bad. You don't need to look at it." She never wants to participate again. Even if the work was awful, there are ways to encourage collaboration and improve on someone's work. Even presenting the work as a possible option would have given the girl the respect she deserved, while leaving the client to decide whether or not they wished to use it or not. Now, we have lost a person who could've helped us do more in the future.
Respect is a trait that seems to be so easily forgotten when it comes to today's society. For example, here are some quotes I've seen and heard from the heated abortion issue: "the anti-abortion crazies" "baby killers!" "people are dumb as hell". There will always be disagreements and arguments, but there would be so much more community, cooperation, and possibilities of collaboration for good if everyone could respect one another. Agreement is not necessary. It makes me sad to think of the opportunities we are loosing because of failure to respect one another. If people learned to get along, respect, and work together, the results would be world changing.
As my role model Audrey Hepburn said, "People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone."
The Front of the Postcard Ads for The New Community School
There's No I in Team!
One of the Biggest things for my team was our trip to TNCS. Everyone agreed that it made an impact on them. Personally, I believed it made my job easier. My team was passionate about the school and the kids.
My goal to spread my passion to them had succeeded. They were ready to work hard and get as much done as possible for TNCS and their students.
I did not have to push them on or pursuade them to work. In fact, they were supporting me. When I was stressed at 3am, they were telling me, "we can do this! Its going to be great!" When they finished one task, they came right back to me ready for the next thing.
They have emailed and texted me "thank you so much" and "Marie you did a fabulous job", but all the credit goes to them.
I wouldn't have been able to pull this off without the support of an amazing team. We had fun and we can't wait to see the results of all our work.
And the rest of our story, you can see in our pictures!
The Week Before
CreateAthon is in a week!! in a week!!!! IN A WEEK!!!
I have a list of things I must do before then.
____See if a team member has a good camera
____Check and make sure I have all logos and required guidelines
____Check on status on pictures
____Figure out exactly what info needs to be included in admissions packet
____Go through HUGE pile of materials
..along with a long list for all my other classes. Spring break is not going to be very "breakish".
Nervous and Excited!
LEeehhgoooo!!!!
Jacob, You're not the only one.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one thinking that writing the brief was fairly easy. Jacob and I had the first 2 briefs to be sent. Follow his blog at yaakovmcfadden.tumblr.com!
For some people, writing is a horror, but not for me. (Science maybe, but writing nahhh!)
Some of my classmates had difficult clients to understand..
...or clients that did not have a solid idea of what they are even about,
...or clients that did not know how to express what they do.
...or clients that were not communicating
Writing the brief was easy for me for
one small reason
and
one BIG reason.
Thanks to my mom for the small reason.
I write well. My mom taught me so I give her all the credit. I don't really write for fun, but quality writing is not difficult for me.
Thanks to my client for the BIG reason
My client is very organized and has a solid idea of who they are reaching and why. Teachers, staff, students, and parents all took time to sit with me and help me understand exactly what I needed to know.
Funny note:
My teacher would ask me to word things a certain way or change something in my brief (because she's just the best at this stuff and has great feedback =), but I found myself explaining why I couldn't change things like she said because of what my client had explained to me.
TNCS knew their mission intricately and had given me so much details that I found myself telling my instructor why I couldn't edit things a certain way.
Thank you TNCS!!
Drum Roll Please
The results of my strength finder test were:
Belief (100%):
People strong in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.
Ideation (90%):
People strong in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
Harmony (85%):
People strong in the Harmony theme look for consensus. They don't enjoy conflict; rather, they seek areas of agreement.
Connectedness (85%):
People strong in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.
Positivity (80%)
People strong in the Positivity theme have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.
Communication (80%):
People strong in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.
