Professionals in Schools: Creating Opportunities to Bring Curriculum to Life
Professionals in Schools is a platform that leverages untapped professional resources, further incites professional participation/skill-based volunteerism in schools and quantifies the value of volunteerism.
As the "one place" for submitting or retrieving information about available resources--PIS eliminates costly coordination time, gives teachers direct access to resources to enhance their curriculum and provides metrics for school districts to value and recognize effort
About You
About You
First Name
Becca
Last Name
Sterbenz
Website
Organization
Country
United States, OR, Multnomah County
About Your Organization
Organization Name
Organization Website
Organization Phone
Organization Address
Organization Country
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Your idea
Name Your Project
Professionals in Schools: Creating Opportunities to Bring Curriculum to Life
Country your work focuses on
United States
Describe Your Idea
Professionals in Schools is a platform that leverages untapped professional resources, further incites professional participation/skill-based volunteerism in schools and quantifies the value of volunteerism.
As the "one place" for submitting or retrieving information about available resources--PIS eliminates costly coordination time, gives teachers direct access to resources to enhance their curriculum and provides metrics for school districts to value and recognize effort
Website URL
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
This concept gets to the root of key issues in communities across the country by answering the frequently asked question, "How can we connect programs in need with people who can help?" PIS can leverage untapped professional resources because it offers an unmatched approach to issues of Access, Usability and Scalability.
ACCESS: Many will say its not what you know, but who you know. By creating a "one place" PIS levels the playing field and gives "lesser networked" entities access to information. This alone is a huge plus.
USABILITY: By providing "one place" to go and a clear process of how to get involved, PIS limits the unnecessary hassle of coordination for skilled volunteers willing to take the time to make a difference. From needing to track down the right person to speak with to working through unique systems per school--PIS makes what has been a labyrinth, into a user friendly and pleasant experience. It saves time so volunteers can focus on what matters.
SCALABILITY: PIS is a completely scalable concept. In every community large and small, businesses and professional associations are already contributing to student success in classrooms. To capitalize on this strength and grow this essential resource pool, the next BIG step is to address access for teachers, organizations and school districts.
PIS does just this. It addresses the key barriers for involvement and paves the way for others to join the fun.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What impact have you had?
To date PIS is still a concept, however, it is starting to get buy-in from key parties who are primed to be partners. The impact has been excitement from folks who are in the position to help and have the network to grown this project.
Problem
The need for tailored, focused real world education/curriculum has never been higher. High school graduation rates are shockingly low in communities across the country. The current trajectory of our nation’s economy indicates that access to living wage jobs for those without a high school diploma or post-secondary education is and will become harder to come by. The future direction of our community pivots on the success of those in school today.
To make the biggest impact in this arena, teachers need access to resources that can connect, inspire, and engage both students and the community at large. Funding cuts mean this need cannot be met by traditional measures.
Actions
I have currently identified a set of partners who have the infrastructure in place to make this project happen. Portland, Ore. is a hot bed for innovation and education is at the top of the Mayor's policy agenda. I am in the process of meeting with folks ranging from the City to a national volunteer network.
Results
I expect PIS will be in a position to get off the ground and have a formalized group of supporters before it even becomes an actionable program. Depending on access to funding, it could be off the ground within 12-18 months.
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Please address each year separately, if possible.
Year 1:
-Grow support base and leverage their resources to create a platform for this idea to become a real, functioning program.
Year 2:
-Focus on working with one local school district to create a platform that works for them.
-Inventory professional groups currently working in schools across our community and add to database.
-Create opportunities for feedback at every stage from school administrators, teachers and skilled volunteers.
Year 3:
-Draft first annual report.
-Work with focus groups of teachers, administrators and skilled volunteers to learn from first year.
-Begin to expand the PIS database by using excerpts of the first annual report (quoting sponsors, volunteers, etc) to gain momentum--getting press coverage, working with key groups like Chambers of Commerce and following leads that come up.
What would prevent your project from being a success?
Not having the flexibility to make it through this first stage. Seed funding would enable me to focus my efforts more fully on this project.
Once all meetings with partners are complete, the next big hurdle would be developing a program that caters to the needs of partners and fulfills the project goal. Meetings to date have garnered lots of buy-in. This is a hurdle of having the time to coordinate such an effort.
How many people will your project serve annually?
More than 10,000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
Please select
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
Yes
Sustainability
What stage is your project in?
Idea phase
Is your organization a
Not registered
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
If yes, provide organization name.
How long has this organization been operating?
Less than a year
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
Does your organization have a non-monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Does your organization have a non-monetary partnerships with businesses?
Does your organization have a non-monetary partnerships with government?
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
As a program in the idea phase, I have secured meetings with key parties who are interested in helping do things such as potentially promote PIS once it is on the ground and be involved in the interim.
I plan on leveraging these partner resources to develop the PIS model and promote it to the broader community.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization?
1. Continue to meet with potential partners.
2. Gain in-kind support form partners working within the same arena. Identified partners are working towards this end goal.
3. Gain financial support to dedicate time need for program to flourish.
The Story
What was the defining moment that you led to this innovation?
In my current position, I have delivered outreach programming to schools in communities across the state. Each school I had to navigate a new web to coordination. Sometimes this meant going through a teacher someone knew, other times it involved cold calling principals.
It was difficult to coordinate, but every program we delivered we recieved thank you notes and people from schools wanted us to stay engaged.
It became very apparent that the scale of the relationship was off. That there were other groups facing the same problems getting into schools--and students were missing out. Also, it seemed that different rules applied for group-based volunteers, as opposed to individual volunteers (background check, etc.)
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
That would be me! My name is Becca Sterbenz. I'm 26 years old. I'm in love with core concepts of community development and do outreach for government projects for work. I am passionate about connecting people to projects that bring them joy. I would love to make PIS a full-time position, so I can focus my energies on making it a national model for civic engagement.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Through another organization or company
If through another, please provide the name of the organization or company
Harwood
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Comments
I think this is a wonderful idea! There is a very strong need for program like this and I am positive there will not be any shortage of enthusiasm to offer skills-based volunteering services to our communities (myself included). One-stop-shop element is necessary in order to support and enhance experience when asking professionals to offer their highly valued time, which professional skills always are.
Way to go!!
This is a highly relevant and useful idea. Working professionals are among those with the most to offer to students in the way of volunteerism, but ironically often have the least opportunity due to lack of convenient or appropriate access to schools. An effort to centralize and simplify the process such as this will create countless opportunities for students to get hands-on experience and knowledge of the workforce which are as of now not being realized due to the complexity and lack of organization in the system.
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