Post SCWK 432 Video

Evaluation of BSUs Break the Silence, Stop the Violence Week

Community Intervention Evaluation

I am going to evaluate our community interventions based on the following four components:  communication, the events themselves, outreach, and collaborations.  The evaluation will indicate what worked well for each of the components and what needs to be changed and possibly reevaluated.

In order to get valid, grassroots feedback, I will speak to three classmates about how the communication process worked for our intervention community and also reflect upon my own experience as well.  I will also research how many people attended the events to determine if the events grew a big enough crowd to warrant repeating in future years. I will accomplish this by analyzing feedback from SCWK-432 classes via Facebook post. In addition, I will determine the outcome of the outreach group.  This will be done by researching the feedback that was giving to the outreach team directly by the groups that the outreach team visited to see if they thought the students were more likely to attend since they were personally invited by the team.  Lastly, I would review what collaborations were made and with whom to identify if additional relationships needed to be worked on for future events. I will gain this information by asking at least three event attendees.

Communication was the major challenge that was reported during the planning process.  With over 50 people in three classes, two different professors, and various clubs and organizations involved, it took a few weeks to come up with a plan that everyone would be able to follow.  The plan consisted of several steps.  The first was to create four leaders in each class.  The leaders took on certain task and ensured that each group completed the goals established for the week or month.  Secondly, was to establish two representatives per class.  The representatives met with each other and the professors on an ongoing basis and shared each classes' goals, needs, and completed tasks. The information was then communicated back to each class in a once a week email to all students with updates about the events and the next steps that needed to be completed.  This method helped alleviate some of the missing details that some felt they were not receiving and kept the planning process organized. This method was created after a failed attempt to create a communication network using a Facebook page for the entire group.  The Facebook page failed because some participants do not have a Facebook page, nor wish to have one.  Therefore, individuals were being left out, and in order to have a successful planning process all must work together.  Another reason the Facebook page was not an appropriate means of communication is because there were too many posts being made and no one could keep up with what was going on. The process became confusing. Therefore, a method needed to be designed that would not leave any of the participants out of the communication circle. It was decided that since all students are required to check their student email daily that BSU email was the most efficient way to get the same information quickly to everyone. This system worked well.  

In evaluating responses posted on Facebook from students who attended each event, the consensus is that an overestimated amount of people attended each event. As a result the events were deemed successful in creating awareness about domestic violence and sexual assault.  Furthermore, due to the overwhelming participation from the BSU community and guests at each event, it is deemed that BSU should continue to promote Women's week through the Clothesline Project, the movie Telling Amy's Story, Vagina Monologues, and Take Back the Night March.

Outreach is an important part of event preparation because you need to ensure that there are enough participants to make an impact and create social change.  After speaking with the Outreach team, it was deemed that face-to-face contact really made a difference in the amount of students outside of the social work major that participated in the various events. In terms of Outreach we discussed the feedback of the individuals who visited professors and their classrooms to personally invite students to the weeklong events. It was assessed that students and faculty enjoyed the personal invitation and the fact that they were given the information about the events in person made them acknowledge that domestic violence and sexual assault are a social problem and that this problem does exist in the BSU community. It was also assessed that the face-to-face invitations made more of an impact on the students than the flyers did. Some student hadn't even seen the flyers as they scurried by the many that are posted everywhere on their way to class.  However, it was also deemed that the flyers are informative and work well as hand outs during Outreach activities.

There were approximately fifteen collaborations that were made with the SCWK-432 classes to promote and endorse BSUs Break the Silence, Stop the Violence events.  The collaborations included fundraising, sponsorship,  promotion,  donated services, education,  participation, etc.  It is deemed that the collaborations created for the week long events did make a positive impact on the success of each individual event.  However, it was indicated that the collaborations should  include further community members outside the direct BSU community to create further awareness of such an amazing week of life changing events.  It was also concluded that it would be nice to have more educational material available to participants at each event.

For future initiatives, I would first make sure everyone understands the concepts of each event that is taking place to ensure proper population is reached, then concentrate on communication evaluation to keep all students involved.  In addition, I think it is important to evaluate current collaborations to see if they are still a good fit for the events that are going to take place and to generate new leads for more collaborations. Lastly, utilize face-to-face outreach for a personal touch and to get individuals and groups involved. Look outside your comfort zone. You never know what you will find!

                                             My Learning Experience 

The results of a Strengths Assessment evaluation of myself indicate that I am an achiever, restorative, a developer, relator, and like harmony.  I have to say when I saw my results I was floored. I do believe I possess all of these attributes. Whether they are good attributes for macro social work or not, I don’t know.  What I do know is that this is who I am. However, one attribute that was not indicated in my Strengths Assessment results was that I am a leader.  But, after thinking carefully about this I realized that restorative and relator covers leadership qualities because being restorative gives strength to others and a relator tells stories and passes on knowledge. Therefore, a good and productive leader empowers (restorative) others to become leaders by bestowing them with resources (stories & knowlege) to help them become new leaders. So, I now understand that my leadership capabilities goes beyond setting a good example for others, it also includes empowering other to become great leaders by utilizing my knowledge and experience.

One of the most eye opening things I learned this semester is the difference between advocacy and badvocacy.  Even though this doesn't pertain directly to the task I completed for the week long events, I feel it is important to touch on it as it adds perspective to my activism philosophy of "if you're not advocating for yourself, then you don't know what you are advocating for so make sure you find out first".  Therefore, understanding the difference between the two advocacies has helped me refocus to what is important when advocating for myself and others. 

This is especially significant to understand while working with oppressed groups that may need you to advocate for them.  In order to provide proper advocacy you need to understand and acknowledge exactly what is needed or wanted. Good activist do research, talk with representative and individuals affected by the issue before advocating for change.

I know that I will remember this project for the rest of my life. Not for the work I did or the knowledge I gained, but for the awareness created by the impact of the Clothes Line Project.  The reactions of individuals and the look on their faces while reading the t-shirts and the look on one particular person's face as she handed me her freshly decorated t-shirt will forever be in my soul. 
Knowing that I was an amazing part of the impact bestowed upon the BSU Community the week of April 9 - 13th, 2012 against domestic violence and sexual assault will stay with me throughout my social work career and remind me of who I am and why I chose to become a social worker.  

In addition, the fact that so many different individuals came together from diverse backgrounds and with varying interests to create an amazing and caring community for social change of such a sensitive subject that has affected so many of us reminds me of the following quote from Gerstandt (2012), "it does not require us to like each other or agree with each other...it requires us to be committed to both caring for the container of commonality and the individual differences inside."  This quote reminds me that we as individuals are not the reason we worked so hard and with such passion to create social change.  We chose to work together regardless of our differences and with passion because of our common goal to end domestic violence and sexual assault. This is an example of the strength that a community can build.

Furthermore, after looking through all the pictures of the events, personally witnessing students decorating t-shirts for the Clothesline Project, and hearing about how individuals told their own story during the Take Back the Night event, I now understand what creates the type of grassroots awareness that makes a big enough impact on individuals and communities to create change on a larger scale.  I feel that the Break the Silence, Stop the Violence week at BSU will continue to make an impact on the community well after the week has past because of the collaborations with different campus organizations and the dedication of the students, staff, and community members who offered their own stories to create such an amazing force against domestic violence and sexual assault. This week has taught me that an individual can be strong, but together we can create a strengthened bond that will create social change.
 
In conclusion, involvement in such an amazing macro social work process such as Break the Silence, Stop the Violence week at BSU helped me to recognize who I am in the world and that I am someone important. I now understand that if I am passionate about something or want something changed, I now know that I CAN do it!   I now believe that I do have the power to create change especially after participating in the Legislative Education Advocacy Day (LEAD) in Boston and in SCWK 432.  I never realized how much of an impact that grassroots organizing can have on a community until Break the Silence, Stop the Violence week.  The reason I say grassroots is because I now know that campus wide sexual assault is more rampant than I thought, and that domestic violence has; unfortunately, affected many more of us than implied. Therefore, because so many of us have been affected by these atrocious acts of violence, a grassroots effort was made to produce a safe haven, create awareness about the social issue and set right the wrongs.  Even though it didn't start as a grassroots effort, but a class project, it grew into much more than just a class requirement. It grew into a passion!

 

To All Future SCWK 432 Students....

You are about to embark on an amazing adventure that will forever change how you feel about Macro social work  (in a positive manner of course).  My personal advice to you is that the first thing you need to do is understand that macro social work is a group effort.  Together you can make a difference. However,  one must not lose site to the fact that every little bit helps and if each person contributes their strengths to the efforts then the results will leave an amazing impression. Secondly, self-care.  I know this is probably hard for so many people to comprehend, but taking care of yourself comes first.  If you are not physically and mentally healthy you are not able to contribute your strengths to help create change. Lastly, but certainly not least, encourage each other and provide each other with support.  This is vitally important, especially when working with a topic that one may have a personal history, as you never know what may be a trigger for whom and at what time.  So use your social work skills and care for each other and don't forget to enjoy the events you worked so hard to plan!  In addition, I'd like to leave you with my top ten list of do and don'ts for a successful semester in SCWK 432.

1.    Keep up on class work. Do the readings and assignments on time to ensure you do not fall behind.

2.    Talk to each other!  Especially if you're feeling overwhelmed. Others probably feel the same way.  

3.    Start with the grassroots!  Here you will find what will work best for the stakeholders of the events you are planning.

4.    Understand that the weeklong events may seem overwhelming, but once they arrive they go by quickly. So enjoy them!

5.    Rely on each other!  Know that you are not alone in this process. This is a group effort and you do not have to do it all. Everyone has great things to contribute.

6.    Think outside the box!  Be creative. What other resources can you use?

7.    Learn from mistakes and from other's strengths.  What have others reported as part of their program evaluation for the particular events you are participating in?

8.    Face to face contact never fails!  Promote events by visiting classrooms and extending personal invitations to various club, organizations, and pertinent community leaders you'd like to see participate in or attend the events. Building relationships is an important part of a successful intervention.

9.    Most of all......Have fun! 

 

Work Cited

Gerstandt, J. (2012). Community requires courage. Retrieved from

            http://plato.bridgew.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_2_1&url=%2fwebapps%2f

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