PROSPER Statewide Meeting

May 12-13, 2005

Okoboji, Iowa

 

 

 

Team Roles and Responsibilities

Session Summary

 

 

Background

 

The attendees were divided into three groups; a school personnel group, a community agency group, and a group of Extension Team Leaders. The school personnel and the community agency groups also included youth participants. All groups included some University researchers as well. The school personnel group and the community agency groups were facilitated by team leaders, while the Extension leaders group was facilitated by prevention coordinators.

 

The task of the school personnel group and the community agency group was to identify the key functions and tasks required of the team in order to fulfill the goals identified on the first day of the meeting; to sustain the evidence-based programs and to sustain and enhance the community team.

 

The task of the Extension team leaders group was to have a structured discussion of the future function of the teams. This discussion focused on the teams expanding from sustaining the evidence-based programs to including the function of community capacity building.

 

Following are the functions and tasks identified by the school personnel group and the community agency group.

 

 

School Personnel Group

 

The priority functions identified were:

 

  1. Provide youth and family programs to make better communities and schools
  2. Sustainability/securing funding
  3. Marketing/recruitment from all aspects

 

 

 

 

These functions were distilled from the following list created by the group:

 

  1. Provide youth and family programs
  2. Pool of youth knowledge
  3. Training to make a difference (leadership)
  4. Acting as a liaison between PROSPER and parents
  5. Integration of PROSPER model into community
  6. Secure funding
  7. Maintaining community representation
  8. Maintaining integrity of implementation
  9. Being the model of how it should be done
  10. Get the information out
  11. Give a deeper perception on the effects of family bonds
  12. Help kids/families in PROSPER programs
  13. Continual new recruitment ideas
  14. Sustaining program funding
  15. Stronger/better families make better communities and better schools
  16. More PROSPER meetings
  17. Team members share work of PROSPER
  18. All ideas shared/heard
  19. All well informed can answer questions about programs
  20. Keep PROSPER alive
  21. Apply PROSPER model beyond context of specific project
  22. Advocate for kids/family outcomes, use evidence-based!

 

The primary tasks identified were:

 

  1. Secure funding
  2. Attending team meetings and be involved in them
  3. Program logistics- time, place, etc.
  4. Publicity- media, community groups, newsletters, one-to-one
  5. Evaluation
  6. Making the ask

 

These tasks were distilled from the following list created by the group:

 

  1. Continued meetings with possible funding sources- grant writing
  2. Evaluation (are we meeting our goals)
  3. Continued recruitment of youth, families, administrative staff
  4. Training
  5. Scheduling
  6. Publicity- community groups, newspaper, radio, newsletter
  7. Putting a face with PROSPER
  8. Role models
  9. Monitor implementation of programs
  10. Continued team meetings- work together, support one another, shared perspective
  11. Keeping track of decisions
  12. Talk to teachers, students, parents, about programs and needs
  13. Attend team meetings
  14. Get word out- communicate (newsletters, one-on-one)
  15. Team members share workload
  16. Work collaboratively with schools
  17. Network with businesses for sustainability
  18. Write grants, talk to donors
  19. Ask for volunteers at team meetings and keep accountable
  20. SFP logistics
  21. Promote SFP in schools (newsletter) to recruit families
  22. Team members attend SFP sessions
  23. How to coordinate with data unit to collect project data
  24. Why families not attend- how find out?
  25. Marketing/sustainability SFP recruitment
  26. Liaison to the school “system”

 

 

Community Group

 

The primary functions identified were:

 

  1. Promotion- marketing- funding
  2. Quality programming
  3. Maintaining strong team, perspective, structure

 

These functions were distilled from the following list created by the group:

 

  1. Local funding- target employers of participating families, walk (or other) a-thon to raise dollars, ask clubs/churches for food donation, grant writing team, tie into schools/churches, constant sources (% of take each year), public donation of 25 or less-sign
  2. Looking past dollars for support- thank you notes for (time, services, money, etc.), public recognition (signs, ads, etc.), changing perception to beyond “at risk” families, use community resources to generate interest (free family movie night/presentation/sign up, wellness center family night), meet in public places, recognize that everyone in community has something to offer (senior citizens, in-kind services, donations)
  3. Use high school kids to be group arrangers
  4. Include youth (6th grade, high school, young adults)
  5. Former participants share (announcements, article, TV) prior to sign-up
  6. Look for and use talents
  7. Involve school personnel
  8. Involve coaches/pastors
  9. Ask for a three year commitment and let go when it is done
  10. Be honest and informative about time commitment
  11. Stick to time lines
  12. Assign jobs and give updates, expect to be there
  13. Meet only when needed
  14. Try times convenient to all members

 

The primary tasks identified for each primary function were:

 

  1. Promote and market projects- heads up to 5th grade families at end of school year, SFP graduates talk to 6th graders, newspaper articles/radio spots/TV public access, presentations to civic groups, promote programs with teachers/administrators, posters, share with groups you belong to
  2. Fundraising- presentations to civic groups, collaborating with other groups for grants, solicit businesses (identify key message), community foundations, churches, volunteers, State Incentive Grant
  3. Program Quality- well trained facilitators, visit from team members, facilitator meetings share ideas, technical assistance (P.C.s and teachers), Recruit good facilitators, feedback from parents for SFP, strong partner with principal, partnership with agency that teaches, facilities (environment).