Service Learning Project

During the Service Learning Project, students will learn how to work collaboratively to produce a professional project for a real world client. Groups of 3-5 students will produce specific documents for a local non-profit organization, Lafayette Crisis Center. While producing these documents, students will demonstrate their understanding of audience awareness, research, documentation, ethos, professionalism, conciseness, and document design.

Project Prompt and Summary

For this project, your group will be helping a local nonprofit organization with their largest fundraiser of the year. This is the real deal and the client will be choosing one of the projects to actually use in their marketing campaign (this makes great resume fodder) this December. So, there is a lot riding on your choices and not just in terms of your grade. The client has expressed a desire to revise their previous materials in order to give more emphasis to the importance of this event. Previously, the focus was on having a fun evening, but they want the new focus to be on the importance of bidding on the items in the auction. The Crisis Center must raise 1/2 of their own budget each year, and this event, on its own, needs to create most of that.

Some project specifics:

• Client: Lafayette Crisis Center
• Contact: Jane McCann (jane@lafayettecrisiscenter.org)**
• The documents you are to revise:
  • The flyer (8.5 x 11 inches)
  • The poster (11 x 17 inches)
  • The press release for the event
    
• What you are to accomplish:
  • Revise the three documents with an eye to visual design
    
  • Revise the three documents according to the requirements mentioned in the paragraph above 
  • Conduct yourselves with professionalism within your groups and when contacting the client. Remember that you are representing not only yourselves, but the professional writing program and Purdue University.
• Other factors to consider:
  
  • For the press release, keep in mind what we learned for the Jet Blue project
  • The client has requested that the documents be delivered so they can be revised in the future (i.e. no .pdfs)
  • In addition to the three documents you are to revise, you also have attached below:
    • Jane's email to me which includes information you should read
    • The Center's philosophy about the auction
    • the two images you need to use in the project
      • One is the United Way image
        
      • The other is the branded image for the Center

** Go easy on Jane. She is very nice and very willing to work with each group, but just one question from each group per week is 5 contacts. By all means, if you need to know something, ask, but think carefully before you do so. We don't want to burn out the client. Also, make sure your group communicates internally to avoid more than one person asking the same thing. The idea is to be professional throughout the duration of the project. I will be soliciting her feedback on how well each group does in that regard. I, of course, remain your contact for anything involving the class. You are only to contact Jane in regard to questions about the documents themselves. If you have even a 1% doubt as to whom you should contact, ask me and I'll either answer or direct you to Jane.

Deliverables

Step 1: Group Gantt Chart. In a thoroughly executed Gantt chart, students should lay out group goals, a time table for the completion of each goal, and the individual responsibilities of each member. Each Gantt chart must include all duties and deliverables necessary for project completion as well as color coding and a key that specifies which group member will complete each duty. There are many resources online to help you produce your chart, including instructions for using Microsoft Excel to make it. Just Google "gantt chart" for more information, and use the samples provided on Week 5 of the calendar. Due Friday, July 11.

Step 2: Group Activity Reports. Groups are also responsible for weekly activity reports (250 words) in order to keep the instructor informed of the progress that the group has made over the week. Activity reports (submitted as professional emails) are due by 11:59 PM, each Sunday, starting with week five (week five's report is due Sunday, July 13, and so on) and concluding in week eight. Please always give this email the subject "Group # Activity Report" (fill in your group # obviously).

Step 3: Weekly Individual Work Blogs. Because the course and the professional world stress the value of documenting work, individual students are required to keep weekly work blogs of the tasks they have completed. These blogs (200 words each) should briefly and professionally describe work completed by the author and how this work contributed to the goals of the group. Work blogs (posted to the "Work Blog" category) are due by 11:59 PM, each Friday, starting with week five (week five’s activity report is due Friday, July 11th, week six's is due Friday, July 18th, and so on) and concluding in week eight. Please label all work blogs "LASTNAME Work Blog Week #."

Step 4: Group Document Drafts: Because these documents are for a professional client, several drafts are required to ensure quality. Groups will turn in a draft of the project in weeks six and seven, July 16th and 22nd. Each draft should demonstrate significant progress towards completion of the project.

Step 5: Group Peer Review: Each group will have their project peer reviewed by members of the other section. Your instructor will partner your group with a group in the other section. Each group member should post a 200 word review comment to that project by 11:59 PM Wednesday, July 23rd. For peer review to run smoothly, it is vital that each group posts its draft by 11:59 PM Tuesday, July 22nd.

Step 6: Group Final Draft: A final draft of the project is due at the end of the course. The final draft should meet all of the standards specified by the client and be ready for professional use. Final drafts are due Wednesday, July 30th.

Step 7: Individual Assessment: At the end of the project, each student will fill out the Project Assessment Form evaluating the final project and each group member's participation. Project Assessment Forms are due Friday, August 1st.

Grading

The Service Learning Project is worth 25% (250 points) of your course grade. The group portion of the project is worth 80% of project grade, and the individual portion is worth 20%. The breakdown for each of its components is as follows:

• Step 1: Group Gantt Chart (6% or 15 points)
  
• Step 2: Group Weekly Activity Reports (10% or 25 points)
  
• Step 3: Individual Work Blogs (10% or 25 points)
  
• Step 4: Group Drafts (10% or 25 points)
  
• Step 5: Group Peer Review (6% or 15 points)
  
• Step 6: Group Final (48% or 120 points) 
  • Flyer: 40 pts
  • Poster: 40 pts
  • Press Release: 40 pts.
    
• Step 7: Individual Assessment (10% or 25 points)

Grading Criteria

For the service learning project, the client will contribute to the final grading process. The client will select one project for professional use, and that project will be the only project that receives an A. Other projects will receive an A- or less based on the following criteria:

• The project conforms to the demands and needs expressed by the client.
• The project effectively addresses its specific multiple audiences.
• The project follows the principles of professional, clear, correct, concise, writing as elaborated in the course.
• The project demonstrates awareness of design principles discussed in the course.
• The project is ready to function in the appropriate professional environment.

Revision

The final course project cannot be revised because of time constraints. However, multiple drafts will ensure that groups get plenty of feedback to improve their projects.