SUPERSTARZ: AN EXPERIENCE IN GRANT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Vera Gubnitskaia
The Orange County (Florida) Library System received an LSTA grant for $107,704 to conduct SuperStarz: Skill Building for Underserved Children weekly classes at seven Orlando community centers’ afterschool programs utilizing mobile computer labs and promoting library resources. Our target group included children in grades three to five as well as their parents and center counselors and managers. The project ran from October 1, 2008, through September 30, 2009. Planning and preparation took place in the first quarter and classes started in January 2009.
GOALS
The project’s immediate goals were to provide access to library resources to children who had difficulty accessing them and to introduce to them tools for building school skills and practice test-taking. Mid-range goals included providing the children and caregivers tools that they could use after the grant period was over and promoting library card registration and library resources. In the long term, we hoped to establish and strengthen the library system’s relationship with the City of Orlando Families, Parks and Recreation Department and with the community centers, allowing us to tap into the population pool served by the community centers and to help all partner organizations make the use of their funds more efficient.
PLANNING PERIOD
The project manager met with the administration of the Families, Parks and Recreation Department to discuss the details of the project and with each center’s manager and other staff to discuss the program and finalize the schedule. Additionally, the manager met with the Orange County Library System’s department and division heads participating in the project. Separate action plans with due dates were developed to ensure that preplanning objectives were met in a timely manner. The team of librarians was then selected to serve as instructors and content developers, and additional library staff were identified to serve as support personnel during classes.
Supplies featuring the SuperStarz logo were purchased to help students keep class materials, handouts, and completed work organized. Library materials (books and DVDs), computer hardware and software, and wireless technology were purchased in the first quarter. Equipment was configured and necessary software installed. Mobile labs were installed at three library locations.
MARKETING AND PUBLICITY
The community relations department and project manager developed and implemented the marketing plan. Activities included
TEAM TRAINING AND SUPPORT
A team of managers and librarians developed the curriculum and lesson plans and wrote scripts based on subjects studied in grades three to five. Class support and promotional materials were developed, including database user guides and bookmarks, library registration cards, and informational posters. The project manager developed a wiki at superstarz.pbwiki.com to facilitate communication and resource sharing among SuperStarz team members. The wiki was populated with lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, information about each community center, and instructors’ notes and feedback.
Several team meetings and training sessions were held for library instructors and managers:
Five web-based tutorials were developed by team instructors on the subjects presented during “live” classes, and a SuperStarz page was created on the Orange County Library System homework-help website.
We distributed entry and exit surveys to children and their parents at community centers, collected and analyzed the resulting data, and created reports using FCAT Explorer to monitor the number of FCAT explorer sessions, subjects practiced, and students’ progress. Transcripts of tutor.com sessions were supplied by the vendor to evaluate the success of the sessions.
FEEDBACK AND STEPS FOR IMPROVEMENT
One of the goals of the grant was to provide library access to the population that had difficulty accessing it before. We understood that some kids might not have library cards and therefore would not be able to access the databases. To address the issue, a special library account was created that allowed instructors to sign up children to use databases during the classes. Instructors emphasized to their audience that they should have their own cards if they wanted to use the same products outside the SuperStarz classroom. Instructors distributed card registration forms to kids that their parents could fill out at home. After they brought registrations to the class, the library issued cards and mailed them to students.
To allow statistical analysis of skills development, the project manager created seven “classrooms” on the FCAT Explorer website, with each community center being a class. This allowed the manager to monitor students’ progress in FCAT Explorer and make adjustments to the class content.
Instructors reported occasional problems with wireless connection at community centers. To address the issue, the team developed PowerPoint presentations that included screenshots from online products that instructors would usually present in “live” sessions. This allowed instructors to mimic the live session until the connection was restored. Presentations were shared with all instructors through the SuperStarz wiki.
Instructors reported the need for additional activities at the beginning and end of each session; these would allow children to get focused in the beginning and “wind down” at the end of the class. Several puzzles, mazes, and other activities were scanned and posted on the team wiki to use in classes for this purpose.
Librarians used mobile computer labs that carried laptops, LCD projectors, portable screens, and other equipment and supplies. Instructors offered suggestions on making transport of the equipment easier and safer. Additional supplies were purchased or existing library supplies used to address the issue.
After analyzing entry surveys, we found that even children who had library cards did not know how to access and use the library online. Instructors began placing special emphasis on signing kids up for library cards and explaining how they could use library resources from home, school, or a community center. This information was also included in the virtual class recordings.
RESULTS
We completed all three goals set forth at the beginning of the grant period. We introduced school children and their caregivers to library resources that could be accessed remotely, provided them with tools and information they would be able to utilize beyond the program, and strengthened our relationship with the City of Orlando government agencies.
To implement the project, our team developed seventeen lesson plans and recorded five virtual tutorials. The library conducted 177 classes that were attended by 2,128 children, and 602 visitors utilized online classes. Because of budget cuts and subsequent staffing issues, the library was not able to continue regular outreach classes at community centers, but the project continues to benefit the library and community. SuperStarz materials, equipment, and virtual classes are being used during other library activities. We also built a good foundation, developed important partnerships, and gained valuable experience that will be utilized in future projects.