Getting the ball rolling...

We have started getting the ball rolling with our project. Our groups are decided, some research has been done, and we are getting ready to start contacting and working with MBNA. I am so excited to learn more about the organization (especially from their point of view) and to figure out what problem/s we will be helping them with. We have brainstormed quite a bit as a group, and I am looking forward to hearing MBNA’s response to what we have already come up with.

I am little anxious though. I am worried that they might get offended by how nit-picky we were when looking for problems. I also worry that some ideas that we have may not be appreciated or considered. We have spent a lot of class time educating ourselves on MBNA and preparing ourselves to collaborate, so I hope it pays off.

I also hope that they will be open-minded when it comes to solutions. We bring a fresh set of eyes to their problems, and I hope they will see things from our perspective and see the value of our ideas. I also hope that by the end of the semester we will have made a good impact on the organization and helped them, even if it is in a small way. Overall, I have high hopes for this project and this experience.

Writing To Make Something Happen

I have written numerous pieces that I am proud of. There have been late nights researching and early mornings trying to conceptualize feelings that seem impossible to describe. Often times, I am not only trying to create a piece I am proud of, but also one that a teacher will appreciate and give me an A for. However, the piece (or pieces as this case may be) of writing I am most proud of is one where I tried to get people to listen to me. More specifically, I wanted the public to come to programs I was putting on at the local state park where I was working.
 

I had just been hired at Lake Sakakawea State Park as an interpreter, someone who puts on nature programs for guests. Unfortunately, the following for these programs was nominal at best, and I had to convince the public that my programs were worth going to. In order to advertise and demonstrate the worth of programs, I decided the best medium of communication for the intimate community was fliers and Facebook posts. At first it was difficult to be concise and detail-oriented while also trying to sound fun, but after a few tries and input from other employees, I had consistent wording and formats for my fliers and posts. I hoped this consistency and conciseness would make people flock to my programs.
 

My hopes and efforts were not in vain. I did get a larger and more consistent following for my programs than the previous year, and thanks to Facebook, I was able to reach people outside the small community. However, I was using more paper than I would have liked, and I often found my fliers on the ground and in the trash. I accepted the same position for this summer and have a few changes in mind. I would make daily Facebook posts about programs and create a newsletter that had more information about program activities while also advertising for the park. These writings would create less questions and allow for everyone to have an enjoyable summer.