As some of you know, Darin and I’s workshop just didn’t get
off the ground this semester. I’m driving to Alaska in a few days for work, so
my time in the bay area is coming to the end. I’m disappointed that I didn’t
get do the workshop we planned with this community. But I’m excited that I was
able to help Darin put something together that he can implement in the future
and I’m also excited about someday adjusting this workshop to the needs of a
community where I’m living.
I wanted to reflect on some of things that worked and some
of the things that didn’t work as well, because I think it might be useful info
for future CTP organizers.
2.
While it was helpful in many ways to have a
workshop planned out, I think it might have been better to start by making
contact with organizations and asking what they need. With this approach, we
would probably have ended up running a very similar workshop, but establishing
a relationship with organizations would have allowed us to construct a program
tailored to their needs. In other words, because people in non-profit social
justice organizations have 500 things to do at any given moment, I don’t think
they have time to determine whether or not a workshop might fit into their
programming and then go through the scheduling maze of establishing contact
with a new set of volunteers (us), while simultaneously wrangling workshop
logistics and searching for and communicating with participants. I mean, these
are all things that need to be done, but I think that if one establishes a
relationship with an organization first, you can learn what their (logistical) needs
are and then offer a workshop that is already streamlined to fit in with their programming.
One thing I think would have been beneficial is to hear, read, see different stories that reflect success in writing project ideas come to fruition! I really used my one on one time with Kiala to ask a lot of questions to try to understand the game. I think CTP has taught us mostly through trial and error how to find a space, participants, and support for our projects, which made the experience a "real life" experience. As I'm digging up "success" narratives, I'm finding out that the journey towards success of a project is in part distinct to the project itself, in part has to do with making appropriate connections, and in part has to do with how much the organizers know about the resources that exist and how to obtain them. I'm still putting the puzzle together as I'm trying to keep offering this workshop beyond CTP.
ReplyDeletei feel much the same way, leslie. i think we've learned that you really have to get to know organizations and the people involved with them before you can form working relationships with them. i guess that should be obvious...i don't know why i ever thought otherwise.
ReplyDeleteLeslie- this semester I also learned the importance of face-to-face and established relationships with organizations. I like your point about asking organizations what they need. Sometimes I know I just want to help in some vague way, and might not have the full idea of a workshop, for example, but knowing where I want to help or maybe what community I want to be apart of and then growing a relationship even before the workshop enters the picture is a cool idea.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Leslie. I appreciated working with Leslie very much. I was at first a little bit taken aback by the idea of collaborating on the workshop--especially with someone I did not know (Leslie and I had never met before CTP). Once we started talking and sharing ideas I realized it was a superb idea to work together. Leslie helped me see when my ideas were fully-formed and /or not on point with the point of the workshop. She also brought her own great ideas that helped me imagine the workshop in new and better ways. We truly came up with a great syllabus and lesson plans that I look forward to implementing.
ReplyDeleteI wish Leslie well in her travels and future and appreciate her so much for inspiration and hard work she put into this project.