MLK Challenge - Recently Updated Pages

Technology Contest

Kara22 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:13:43 CDT

Announcing the 2010 MLK Technology Challenge Contest

The MLK Technology Challenge Contest recognizes the campus with the most creative and inspiring use of technology to highlight their MLK Day of Service efforts. This year's contest will have two categories:
1. Photo Contest
2. Social Media Contest: Possible presentation methods include YouTube videos, online photo albums/scrapbooks, websites, etc.

One winning campus per category will receive a cash award of $250 to support future MLK service efforts.
Contest kick-off will be January 19, 2009. More dates, including deadline & public voting opportunities, will be announced in upcoming months.

Rules & Regulations
Eligibility: This contest is open to any campus that is receiving MLK Day grant funding directly from NC Campus Compact or through their state Campus Compact office.

Selection: NC Campus Compact staff will select the 5 finalists per category and post the entries on this website. The general public will be able to vote on the selections. NC Campus Compact will notify the finalists and winners directly using the contact information submitted with the entry.

Submission: Starting January 29, 2010, eligible campuses can send their links to Kara Brown, kbrown37@elon.edu. Please note that we will only accept one entry per category per campus.

Themes: Although there is no specific contest theme, the overall theme of the MLK Day of Service is "Make it a Day On... Not a Day Off!" In addition, the
focus of the NC Campus Compact grant is to show the positive impact of campuses and students on their community.

Judging Criteria: Submissions will be judged by the following criteria:

Overall impact (educational and informational)
Originality (concepts, ideas, format)
Memorable content and delivery
Message (to what extent does it acknowledge and honor the principles and legacy of Dr. King)

Copyright Material: Entrants must be the original author of everything they include in their presentation or have
permission to use copyright protected material. If the presentation uses existing music, video clips, photos or the like, it is very likely that someone else owns a copyright to that material and the entrant must obtain the copyright owner's written permission before using the material. Consent from Participants
in your presentation: Winning entrants must declare that they have written consent from any people appearing in their video. Please be aware that consent requirements may vary from state to state and each entrant is responsible for complying with state consent requirements.This link will take you to a sample media release document that CNCS has created.

Funding for this contest is provided through a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service.

MLK Reflection Ideas

Kara22 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:03:01 CDT

Reflecting on Dr. King's life and dream of a beloved community is an essential part of the MLK Challenge model. The goal is that students will better understand Dr. King's dream of equality and true social justice. Providing students with opportunities to reflect on Dr. King and service throughout the day, as well as during the closing ceremony, will allow them to connect their service to Dr. King's life of action.

Quotes serve as an easy reflection starting-point. Some campuses include a sheet of quotes in the challenge packet and encourage site leaders to discuss them over lunch with their group.

MLK quotes --

Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.
I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.
Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?
Let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge, to make America what it ought to be.
Although social change cannot come overnight, we must always work as though it were a possibility in the morning.
An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.
Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.
I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
Although social change cannot happen overnight, we must always work as though it were a possibility in the morning.
These students are not struggling for themselves alone. They are seeking to save the soul of America. They are taking our whole nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the Founding Fathers in the formulation of the Constitution & the Declaration of Independence. In sitting down at the lunch counters, they are in reality standing up for the best in the American dream. One day historians will record this student movement as one of the epics of our heritage.

The Greater Philadelphia Day of Service (www.mlkdayofservice.org) also has some great ideas for reflections --

Discuss the community need/concern that your project addressed/met. Discuss how the group used Dr. King's principles (unity, respect, service, peace, justice, etc) to successfully complete the project.
Ask participants to discuss these questions:

1. Why are you serving today?
2. What is the connection between Dr. King's legacy and honoring him by serving others?
3. If Dr. King were alive today, what issues do you think would concern him? How would he react?
4. What are some ways you can continue to honor Dr. King throughout the year?

Celebration Ideas

Show a PowerPoint of photos taken throughout the day of student serving
Invite local public officials & campus "celebrities" (i.e. chancellor/president, dean of studens) to volunteer with you (or be a part of opening or closing ceremony)
Solicit food & prize donations from local businesses (MLK-themed prized are great for MLK trivia!)
Participate in the 2010 Technology Contest & showcase your campus MLK Day of Service event
Engage your event alumni (both student planning committee members & volunteers)
Email department heads to let them know their faculty/staff volunteered on the MLK Day of Service
When possible, t-shirts, mugs, water bottles make great give-aways & are great advertisement for next year

For more info....

The CNCS MLK day site has an MLK service-learning PDF available for download (useful particularly for engaging youth in your event).
For a comprehensive listing of websites related to Dr. King's life, photos, speeches, etc to be used during your event, head to http://www.spectacle.org/mlk/links/index.html#comp.
For more information on facilitating post-service reflections of all kinds, head to Hands On Network's wiki.

Even more reflection & celebration resources....

http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/

http://www.communityservice.wustl.edu/leaders/csreflection.php

http://www.communityservice.wustl.edu/leaders/morereflection.php

http://www.communityservice.wustl.edu/leaders/groupsreflection.php

http://www.uvm.edu/~dewey/reflection_manual/

MLK Challenge Home

Kara22 — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:16:00 CDT

Welcome!

This community exists as a place for student-leaders serving on MLK Challenge planning committees to share information, get ideas, and provide feedback.

Post questions, troubleshoot, and upload flyers or documents to share. We recognize that not every campus will be implementing the MLK Challenge in the same way, so feel free to peruse the site to find information that's useful to you and your school.

For basic information, check out What is the MLK Challenge?
You'll also find topic-based pages, including challenge/project development, MLK reflection ideas, and information for members of student planning committees.

If your campus has tried something new for your MLK Challenge (maybe it worked, maybe it didn't) or if you have any ideas related to any of the topics, you are welcome to create a new page, post to any page, or if you've got a question, you can start a new thread. To comment or add info to a page, please join by clicking on the box in the top right corner.

If you have a specific question that you can't find an answer to, email AmeriCorps MLK VISTA Kara Brown (kbrown37@elon.edu).
.

Communicating with Non-profits

Kara22 — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:19:28 CDT

Good communication with your partner agencies will truly make all the difference for your MLK Challenge event.

How do you approach non-profits if this is your first year planning the event?
Some campuses send out an email to their non-profit list-serv in early November just to get non-profits thinking about the day. A week or two later, they make calls to specific agencies to follow-up and describe the event. Here's an example of an email sent out to non-profits from one campus:

Hello Community Partners! I wanted to let you all know that ACT has begun planning the 2008 MLK Challenge!! For those who might not know, the MLK Challenge is a day of service held at ASU to commemorate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Our event this year will be taking place on Monday, January 21st, and the actual service projects will take place from about 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The challenge is for groups to complete a service project by 5 p.m. that may have seemed a little bit out of reach at the beginning of the day. Each group will have approximately 12 people participating.
If you have a project in mind that you would like to have our students participate in for the MLK Challenge or have any questions, please send me an email at your email address here, or call the volunteer office at 333.333.3333. We can work out the details together.

Thanks so much! I look forward to working with you.
Jenny Conklin
MLK Site Development Coordinator

Some points you might want to mention in follow-up calls with your agencies:

You're looking for a substantial, goal-oriented service project for a group (#s of participants will vary between campuses).
Explain the concept of the "challenge" -- the idea is that groups are given an overall goal for the day and that's it, the rest is up to the group.
12 really motivated students can get a lot done in 6 hours. Encourage non-profits to think of projects they've wanted to do for some time but just haven't had the manpower or resources to do. That's the kind of project you're looking for. Do they need the stone wall in front of their office rebuilt? SURE! Do their offices at the agency need a makeover? Be creative.
Encourage them to not plan too much. An orientation and some general direction and motivation are all they need to give for the most part. True, groups could start working faster if the paint was already at the site. But, part of the day is about team-building and decision-making, so if the group has to figure out how to get 7 gallons of paint donated, they've already taken a part in making the day a success, and will be more invested and more willing to see it through to the finish.

Other tips:

START EARLY. Start calling/emailing agencies in early November -- a lot of agencies will need time to meet with their board or to create a project -- be patient! Set deadlines for them to call you back, or for you to get back in touch with them.
Be flexible when helping to develop projects with the agency. We want to meet the agency's needs...but we also want to make sure the project will take 12 people 6 hours to complete...and that it's somewhat of a challenge. If the project they have in mind won't work for the MLK Challenge, be sure to connect them with another group that could help, just on a different day perhaps.

Day-of-Event Coordinator

Kara22 — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:31:53 CST

The day-of-event coordinator is responsible for keeping the event running smoothly overall. You'll coordinate the opening and closing ceremonies, incorporate MLK educational components into the day, design the Pledge Card and organize and distribute evaluations. This position obviously has a lot of responsbility on the day-of the event, and also requires a great deal of coordination and communication with other groups in the weeks leading up to MLK day. See the attached sample day-of-event agenda from ASU's 2006 event.

Opening Ceremony
This is the first introduction your participants will have to the day, so make it exciting & educational. You want people to leave the opening ceremony energized and inspired and ready to tackle their challenge. Brainstorming with your planning committee is a great way to get ideas and suggestions for the opening ceremony. Length of the ceremony will obviously depend on the campus, but at some, it runs around 1 hour, 15 minutes, with about half of that devoted to actual "ceremonial pieces" and the rest to challenge selection, explaining rules, etc.
Inviting guest speakers or performers is a great way to get people excited about serving in honor of Dr. King. Some ideas:

creative artistic expression (music, art, dance, poetry) that honors Dr. King (gospel choirs, campus spoken word groups, etc)
keynote speaker
video of one of Dr. King's speeches

Challenge Selection (example process from Appalachian State)
1. In the front of the room, create a "challenge board" to hang the challenge packets on, thus
15 groups = 15 challenge packets, lettered A - O.
2. Each group sends a representative up to pick a number 1 - 15 to determine the order they will select a packet.
3. Each group, in their randomly chosen order, chooses a rep. to select a packet from the front of the room. (sometimes the teams like to shout out which
letter should be chosen, kind of like on 'The Price is Right').
4. Member of the planning commitee (oftentimes the site development coordinator, since they actually wrote the challenge descriptions) reads the Challenge
aloud.
5. To keep people pumped, try yelling out "(TEAM NAME), ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE??" People really do respond. And if they don't, ask them
again and require some more enthusiasm. There's such an energy in the room at this point though, teams are excited even if they find out they're going to
be shoveling fertilizer for 6 hours!
6. The group takes their packet, the process is repeated til each group has their packet.

What's in a Challege Packet? (example from one campus)

the actual Challenge, so they know exactly where to go and what to do (see attached examples of Challenges)
instructions on what to do first (go to the agency, find donations, or stay put and someone will meet them?)
directions to the agency & phone numbers
official donation letters to use to give to businesses
donation-tracker sheet

Rules for the Day (suggested reminders)
1. What time do groups need to be back by?
2. Remind site leaders of contact information included in challenge packets (phone numbers, etc).
3. Appalachian State gives each site leader a sheet with all the challenges listed, and reads through which site leader is stationed where before everyone heads out. That way, if Mike's group needs a rug cleaner, and they know Steve's group needs one too, they can communicate during the day about sharing it.
4. "IT'S ALL PART OF THE CHALLENGE." This has become somewhat of a mantra at ASU's MLK Challenge. The whole point of the day is to solve problems, so before people leave, ASU reminds their students to let the inspiration of Dr. King carry them through the day, and to know...that their goal is to complete their challenge no matter what. So, if your van breaks down on the way to the site...."IT'S ALL PART OF THE CHALLENGE." If you get done 2 hours early with your project (and thus, you want the group to spend their time doing something meaningful)..."IT'S ALL PART OF THE CHALLENGE." If no businesses will donate paint to your group...you get the idea. Remind your participants that this day will require hard work and problem-solving and persistence...but they CAN do it. Because, everything, after all, is all part of the challenge.

Closing Ceremony
At this point, groups have returned, they're probably exhausted and elated with what they've been able to accomplish in just one day. The point of the closing ceremony is to 1) feed them and 2) help them see that what they did on MLK Day has been multiplied several times over by all the other groups in the room, and in turn, 1000s of times over by groups doing MLK projects all across the country. You want people to leave inspired, having processed what they accomplished. And all this in probably just under 1.5 hours (people will be tired).

Some ideas for closing ceremonies:

MLK trivia
Reflection idea: Give each group 2 minutes to discuss where they went, what they did, and how they completed their challenge on stage. (Posters are helpful to write points down.) Be sure to keep track of time -- 2 minutes x 10 groups is pretty good, but get into 3 or 4 minutes per group and you're looking at quite a while).
Announce pledge cards & any follow-up service projects in the upcoming weeks (or ASB trips or other service-related opportunities for students to connect with).
If possible, having a picture-laden powerpoint of the day is a cool way for groups to really feel like they were a part of something big (and who doesn't love seeing their group doing something cool on a big screen?). At ASU, a "shell" of a powerpoint is designed in advance, and a staff member just loads photos taken from the day (which, logistically, might be tricky for just one person to do -- if several can help it makes it considerably easier) into the presentation, plays a song (also a good topic of discussion among the planning committee), and it's ready to go by 6:15 p.m.

For reflection ideas, and links to helpful websites for educational components, see MLK reflection ideas.

MLK Resources

Kara22 — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:37:31 CST

Promotional/Marketing Materials
http://www.mlkday.gov/marketing/posters/index.asp

MLK Merchandise
http://shop.cafepress.com/martin-luther-king
http://www.mlkday.gov/marketing/tshirts/index.asp

Books
Carson, C. (ed.). The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. New York: Warner Books, 1998.
Cone, J.H. Martin & Malcolm & America: A dream of a nightmare. New York; Orbis Books, 1992.
King, Jr., Martin Luther. Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story. Harper & Row Publishers, New York, 1964.
King, Jr., Martin Luther. Strength to Love. Fortress Press, Philadelphia, PA, 1981
King, Jr., Martin Luther. Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story. Harper & Row Publishers, New York, 1964.
Miller, Keith D., Voice of Deliverance: The Language of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Its Sources. The Free Press, a Division of Macmillan, Inc., 1992. Washington, James Melvin, Editor. A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. Harper San Francisco, New York,
1991

Children’s Books
Alder, D. A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Alder, D. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Free at Last.
Bolden, Tonya. Tell All the Children Our Story: Memories and Mementos of Being Young and Black. Harry N. Abrams, 2002.
Boone-Jones, M. Martin Luther King, Jr: A Picture Story.
Bray, R. Martin Luther King.
Bridges, Ruby, Through My Eyes. Scholastic, 1999.
Carson, C. 1998. A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the great sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
Clayton, E. Martin Luther King: The Peaceful Warrior.
Hakim, R. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the March towards Freedom.
King, Casey, and Linda Barrett Osborne. Oh, Freedom! Kids Talk About the Civil Rights Movement With People Who Made it Happen. Knopf, 1997.
King, Martin Luther, Jr. I Have a Dream. Scholastic, 1997.
Lowery, L. Martin Luther King Day.
Marzollo, J. Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King.
Mattern, J. Young Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream”.
McWhorter, Diane. A Dream of Freedom: The Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1968. Scholastic Nonfiction, 2004.
Patrick. D. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Patterson, L. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Freedom Movement: Facts on File.
Rochelle, Belinda. Witnesses to Freedom: Young People Who Fought for Civil Rights. Puffin, 1997.

Videos
King: Man of Peace in a Time of War http://nationalserviceresources.org/library/items/V3471
Martin Luther King Jr. - I Have a Dream http://nationalserviceresources.org/library/items/V3408
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: A Historical Perspective http://nationalserviceresources.org/library/items/V3003 G
reat Americans for Children: Martin Luther King, Jr. http://nationalserviceresources.org/library/items/V3636
Our Friend, Martin: An Adventure Inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr. http://nationalserviceresources.org/library/items/V3405
In Remembrance of Martin http://nationalserviceresources.org/library/items/V3001
Biography: Martin Luther King, Jr. - The Man and the Dream http://nationalserviceresources.org/library/items/V3004
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. http://nationalserviceresources.org/library/items/V1324
Martin Luther King: Commemorative Collection http://nationalserviceresources.org/library/items/V3002
Now is the Time: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Partnership Outreach Video http://nationalserviceresources.org/library/items/V3425

Miscellaneous

Western Michigan University Library—thorough listing of books & documentaries/videos of MLK
MLK Service-Learning Guidebook – Includes activities (games, coloring pages), background & historical information, and resources for further information. The Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University –links to multimedia clips, speeches, autobiographies, websites, King
Papers Project, etc
History Channel documentary, King
PBS – American Experience – Citizen King Seattle Times’ MLK Electronic Classroom – lots of newspaper articles, MLK biography, photos, and a study guide
for educators & students

Bonus Challenge

Kara22 — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:09:02 CST

Bonus challenges are great for several reasons. First, they provide a common goal for all of your participants (across all of your groups) to work towards by the end of the day. And, secondly, they provide an opportunity for everyone to be involved. Sometimes, only 7 people can be painting at one time, so a bonus challenge means the other 3 people in the group can work on something different for an hour before returning to the main challenge project. It also can come in handy if the group completes their challenge early!

So, while the bonus challenge shouldn't necessarily be the main focus for the groups (hopefully they've got enough to handle with their actual challenge project), it's a fun way to spread the spirit of service throughout the community in one way or another. The main idea behind these is that they are quick, achievable tasks that every group has in common. Some ideas:

Cards for Hospice Families

Groups were asked to make 10 cards of any kind (birthday, happy anniversary, hope you're doing well) to give to Hospice families and caretakers, that Hospice would sent out throughout the year.
Some groups did handmade cards, others got cards donated from local businesses.

Random Acts of Kindness

Groups are asked to complete 3 random acts of kindness to anyone outside the organization they're working with.
In their challenge packets, each group was given a few "random acts of kindness cards" -- letting people know that it was in honor of Dr. King, to give out as they completed their acts.

WeCAN Do It!

WeCAN is a local non-profit that provides emergency funds to individuals to assist them in getting emergency fuel oil or paying their electricity bill.
Each group was asked to raise money for one gallon of fuel per member (so, the current price was $2.21, thus a group of 13's goal was to raise 13x$2.21=$28.73.)
Groups were asked not to save their seed money to put towards the goal. By the end of the day, 17 groups raised nearly $1100 (WAY more than the original goal of the price of a gallon of fuel per person).

Where do the ideas come from? Often bonus challenge projects come from suggestions from a non-profit agency -- maybe they have a project idea that you just don't think will take one group all 6 hours to complete...so instead, split it up among your 10 or 15 groups to complete. The WeCAN challenge as an example, came initially as a suggestion for a "challenge project" -- but the committee wasn't sure that the $500 initial fundraising goal was a big enough challenge for a group. So instead, they split it up among 17 groups and it ended up raising far more money as well!

Event Chairperson

Kara22 — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:23:14 CST

While different campuses will tend to have different set-ups for their student planning committees, some may have a student event-chair or student-leader who oversees the MLK Challenge planning committee. This person's main role may be to support the committee, run meetings, etc, or they may serve as both the site-development coordinator AND the event chair. Either way, hopefully this page will provide some resources & ideas for supporting your committee.

One of the most important things that an MLK event-chair can do is offer guidance and great leadership to their team. On some campuses, this might mean meeting one-on-one (perhaps with your staff director as well) with each member of the committee to discuss responsibilities, answer questions, etc. You may also be responsible for running the meetings, developing agendas, etc. See timeline for ideas for what thing could be happening & when. And too, you also have the awesome & fun responsibility of helping your committee to get excited about this event, about honoring Dr. King, and educating others and yourselves about his dreams of social justice and equality.

For the most part, committees start meeting in late October or early November, and meet twice a week for about an hour. This may vary from campus to campus. With Thanksgiving break, and exams/winter break, that'll probably give you about 6 actual weeks of planning -- so there's a lot do in a rather short amount of time. Meetings that are task-oriented & allow each member to contribute their ideas (brainstorming sessions!) let people leave the meeting feeling accomplished & motivated to continue working.

Some ideas to keep your meetings interesting:

Obviously the logistical planning piece of your meetings is essential (you are planning an MLK Challenge event after all). Don't forget about the big picture though -- honoring Dr. King through service. Perhaps spend some time at your first meeting talking about Dr. King's impact. Or include quotes on your agendas to remind people of the purpose of your event, even amidst all the crazy planning that may be going on.
Encourage your planning committee members to come to each meeting with updates -- having "check-ins" with each member during the meeting means that everyone is up to speed and can offer suggestions/comments/etc.
Spread the love -- of running the meeting. Encourage your committee members to lead sections of the meeting -- if the publicity coordinator needs help coming up with ideas for posters or advertising spots -- have him/her lead that discussion. People stay engaged when they have a piece of the responsibility.
FOOD. Sometimes coordinating 5 busy student's schedules can mean very early or very late meetings...having food every once in a while (even if its only cookies) can serve as a pretty super motivator at 7 a.m.
Goal-oriented endings to meetings. Having a designated part of your agenda be devoted to "what will you accomplish by the next meeting?" is a great way to end the meeting...people leave knowing what's expected of them.
Setting your own deadlines. People respond better when they decide what to do, versus being told what to do. So, within the first few meetings...discuss as a group when you want your poster to be designed by, when you think club mailings, etc should begin. Once people have their "final" deadlines...they can begin working backwards to know when drafts/initial emails/etc need to be done by.
Fun agendas. No one wants to feel like they're in class when they're really not. Entertaining agendas are, well, entertaining, and appreciated.

Resources:
See attached brainstorming/planning forms for day-of schedule & post-event planning.
There's also an attached agenda example from ASU's 2007 MLK Challenge planning committee meeting.
Check out http://www.mlkmobilization.org/resources.html & www.mlkday.gov for all kinds of resources for your committee & event about planning an MLK Day of Service. (not MLK Challenge specific, but lots of good info)

Seed Money

Kara22 — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:26:59 CST

A key part of the MLK Challenge is group autonomy, and seed money is one of the ways that groups are allowed such independence. Recognizing that not every campus has the means/desire to incorporate seed money into their project, the following information details how/where some campuses have received funding for seed money as well as what it's used for.

Where does the money come from?
Since it's inception, ASU's MLK Challenge has received funding for seed money from grants, program budget, and a local business sponsor (a local student-apartment complex).

How much is each group given?
This will vary between campuses, but ASU's event gives each group $75 to start the day with.

What's the money used for?
In general, groups use the money to buy supplies to complete their challenge. This might mean buying paint, lumber, PVC pipes, any number of things to complete the project. Year after year, groups have successfully managed their seed money by spending it on needed supplies, stretching it by negotiating discounts at local stores, and making it go even further by requesting donations from businesses. Obviously, for some groups, what they need to purchase with their seed money will be clear. For others, for room-refurbishing projects for example, it's a lot more open and the group will have to spend some time deciding what they want to purchase and from where.

What if the groups don't spend it all?
Explain to your groups before they leave for the day that they are not to come back with money. That doesn't mean they should just give it away though. Site leaders should know that the money needs to be spent in the manner it was intended (for good things). Encourage groups to be creative with their money -- if they have $25 leftover, could they benefit the agency somehow? With that said, handing over the money directly to an agency isn't very creative either. One group at a local legal non-profit finished their project early and with money to spare, so they noticed the sign out front was in pretty rough shape, and used the rest of their time and money to get a brand new professional sign made for the agency. Money can be used towards the bonus challenge if need be. Or, some groups might need extra money, so groups may end up donating their money to a group that they know needs it. (Having a staff person or two to stop by the projects throughout the day makes this money-transferring process a lot easier, since they can be the shuttlers of funds!)

(One year at ASU a group "upped their challenge" by giving away their seed money at the very beginning of the day to help the fundraising group, and start completely from scratch! While groups certainly don't have to go to that extreme, encourage them to think of how they can use their money most effectively and most creatively.)

Developing Challenges

Kara22 — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:35:29 CDT

The basic ideas behind projects ("challenges") for the MLK Challenge:
1. Challenges require the group to complete something that is actually challenging, something that may have seemed a little bit out of reach at the beginning of the day. Communicating this to your non-profit partners is essential. Examples of projects: raising $1,000 for a women's shelter (in ONE day), throwing a birthday party for 50 senior citizens (including food donations, activities, etc) with 3 hours to plan, doing a "Trading Spaces"-style makeover for the living room of a local homeless shelter.

2. Challenge project logistics aren't completely planned from start to finish. This may be one of the most difficult things to communicate to your non-profit partners. Ideally, the supplies aren't necessarily there, there's no one telling them exactly what they want the end result to look like. Groups may be required to find donations for materials (paint and paintbrushes for example), or they may be given creative license for the room-makeover challenge mentioned above. Whether it's brainstorming how they're going to tackle a project or figuring out where they're going to get supplies from, the idea behind the MLK Challenge is that everything isn't already organized. Groups get to make decisions and organize how they're going to complete the project. (*Disclaimer: Sometimes, its not feasible for there to be no logistical support prior to the event. For a project where a group was rebuilding a stonewall, the power-tools were already at the site and the agency brought a knowledgeable staff member to work alongside and provide guidance on this highly technical project.)

In general, when teams leave the opening ceremony, they have a copy of their challenge (see examples), their seed money, and directions to the agency. That's it. The rest is up to them.

Tips:

Look for projects with a clear start and finish. Its motivating for groups to know they have something tangible to complete by the end of the day.
Non-profits might have a hard time understanding what sorts of projects you're looking for. Be patient, offer ideas of sample projects. See Communicating with Non-profits for ideas.
Manual labor projects (cleaning, organizing, painting) are normally needed by agencies. Be creative though! Organizing a 200-person meal, or planning birthday parties for elderly folks have been great hits on campuses.
What if a non-profit can't come up with a big project? Sometimes agencies just don't have a huge project...but they do have lots of little things that need to be done (painting a room, cleaning their kitchen from top to bottom, replacing the broken back door, etc). Be creative here & come up with a "top 10 list" of tasks for the group to complete. This way, the agency is still getting a project (projects!) accomplished, but the group still has something tangible to work towards throughout the day.
Since most groups will need to solicit donations/purchase supplies from local businesses -- should you let businesses know ahead of time that students will be looking for donations? Or, should you try to organize the donated door or couch or rug, etc ahead of time for the group? In keeping directly with the original MLK Challenge model, no. One of the most exciting pieces of the day is the spontaneous giving from the community. At the same time, especially for the first couple years of the event, doing local press releases, talking on local radio shows, etc will at least get the word out the students will be out and about doing good things in the community on MLK Day. Certainly, if you absolutely don't feel comfortable sending groups out to businesses without any forewarning, we encourage you to make contact. Do whatever works best for you community and campus. Just know that for other campuses that have tried it, they've met the challenges of soliciting donations with great success.

See challenge examples for ideas for projects & examples of final challenge descriptions.

Site-Leaders

Kara22 — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:34:08 CDT

Site-leaders are faculty/staff/graduate students who have a seemingly ambiguous but very important role. The actual phrase "site-leader" is misleading, as they are encouraged to step back and let the students take the responsibility. Site leaders are responsible for the seed money for the day, recording donations, van-driving, and generally just being a good team player and making sure the students are having a positive experience.

One thing to keep in mind, and to pass along to your campus' site leaders:
While we certainly want the students to make decisions and lead the brainstorming, if you (the site leader) know something that could help (if you have a skill saw at your house & you need one), you can certainly offer it. We
just encourage site-leaders to make sure students are the ones in charge.

To keep in mind:

You'll need 1 site leader per group

For the first year, doing some personal recruiting of faculty to volunteer on their day off might be necessary. Soon, they'll be asking in October if they can be a part of the next year's event though!
Having a site-leader orientation the week before MLK Day is a great way of making sure everyone's on the same page & understands the basic structure of the day.

See the attached site leader meeting PowerPoint from ASU's orientation meeting for 2008. In general, an idea for a basic agenda for such meetings is:
1. Welcome & introductions
2. MLK Challenge overview (what is it? why are we doing it?)
3. Review day-of-event agenda
4. Brief description of projects (reminder, site leaders don't get to choose their projects, and they're told not to leak out the secret projects)
5. Role of the site leader

What makes a great site leader?

Encourages their group to go above and beyond
Offers support & guidance where they can
Maintains a positive attitude throughout the day
Makes sure donations get recorded!
Engages students who seem quiet or disengaged
Leads an icebreaker at the beginning of the day
Faciliates reflection (sometimes during lunch, sometimes on van ride back to campus at the end of the day)

Registration Coordinator

Kara22 — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:21:21 CDT

The registration coordinator is responsible for creating and managing the database of participant registrations and communicates directly with participants. Also works with the publicity coordinator to send out club mailings, and entirely coordinates the day-of registration process.

Some campuses choose to pre-register folks, while others have people show up on the day of. There's benefits to both sides.
If you do decide to pre-register participants, some things to keep in mind:

Even if you have 100 people register beforehand, expect a good handful not to show up (weather, comfy beds, etc can act as deterrents). To counter this, encourage people who didn't sign-up ahead of time to come on the morning of MLK day. Let them know that you can't guarantee them a spot, but there may be a chance!
On the other hand, a confirmation email the week (or weekend) before the event can serve as a handy reminder & motivator to get people to your event

An example registration process:
1. Students are welcomed and directed to the "volunteer check-in" table.
2. After having their name checked off, students sign liability forms.
3. Students draw a number to determine which group they're in.
4. Students write down their name on the corresponding group sheet on the next table. (There's a blank page for each group). This helps too, because then you know at the end of registration that group 4 only has 7 people...and you can send your waiting list folks to that group.
5. Participants are sent to get breakfast and to their group's table.
6. Near the end of your registration period, your waiting list people can go through the same process & be sent on their way!

What to do if you have a waiting list?
Let's say your event can feasibly utilize 100 volunteers. What happens if by the first week of January all your spots are filled up?
Some campuses have found a waiting list to be an effective way to manage extra volunteers. Let the students know that they're not guaranteed a spot, but to still show-up on MLK Day to see if they can get a spot.

So, what do you do with students who show-up on the day of who aren't even on the waiting list?
Let them know that there's already a waiting list & while you can't guarantee them a spot, tell them it's worth sticking around to wait and see. Have them sit in a designated area with others til your registration process has slowed down. Then, depending on how many open spots you still have, and how many people from your original waiting list showed up, you can add the students to the respective groups.

Site Development Coordinator

Kara22 — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:35:39 CDT

The site development coordinator communicates with community partners (non-profit organizations) to assist with service challenge site research and development. Assists with site leader recruitment, communication, and training. Develops site leader informational packets for the event, as well as facilitates and coordinates the Challenge Packet selection process.

This position requires a lot of communication with folks, so be prepared. Your main job is to organize the service projects (we call them "challenges") for the event. Normally, for MLK service days, non-profits just let the organizers know they have a need (painting a room for example) and people show up and do it. End of story. Which is good...non-profits need things to get done. But the MLK Challenge (and you, as the site development coordinator) does it a little differently.

See Developing Challenges & Communicating with Non-profits for more information.

Another piece of the site development coordinator's job is to recruit & work with the faculty/staff site-leaders for the day. Find more information on Site-Leaders.

One perhaps difficult piece of being site development coordinator will be keeping the challenges a SECRET. While this certainly isn't mandatory, other campuses have found that keeping the projects under wraps until the day-of definitely helps to heighten the excitement. Some campuses even keep the challenges a secret from the rest of the committee (the staff member & event chair are normally in the loop though) until the day before MLK day. Don't be afraid to ask for ideas, or run one particularly challenging challenge-idea by your committee -- that's what they're there for! The idea is just that there's a hint of excitement until the very end for the committee too.

Example Challenges

Kara22 — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:32:36 CDT

Planning service projects can require a great deal of communication no matter the date, location, or other logistics. Weather obviously is a factor for service projects held in January, so keep that in mind as you're speaking with non-profits. Outdoor MLK Challenge projects certainly have been completed before -- in both nice and not-so-nice weather. And keep in mind as well, that not all of the logistics for these projects were arranged ahead of time, per the MLK Challenge model. As an example, the Hospice group had to purchase/find donations for everything -- the vegetables for the soup, the containers, etc. & they even got extras (bread from a local bakery, or movie tickets one year, or even beta fish) donated to give to caretakers. (See developing challenges & communicating with non-profits for more information on those topics).

The following projects are obviously specific to one particular campus and community. Hopefully they'll spark some ideas for potential projects in your community!

Sample challenge projects:

Henry Blair Farm -- This is the oldest structure in Boone, and participants spent the day helping to prepare it for the National Historic Registry. The overall challenge involved construction & demolition, specifically the students helped remove drywall & restored several outbuildings.

Hospice of Watauga County -- Group continued an ASU MLK Challenge legacy by preparing soup from scratch, buying containers, packing, and taking soup to Hospice families & caretakers.

Western Youth Network (WYN) -- This challenge was a "fundraising" challenge of sorts. The group was asked to collect graphic calculators, bookbags, pens, notebooks, and any supplies that would help the kids in their after-school program. Another year, a group helped to literally move the offices of the WYN staff so they could get new carpet put in that day. In between furniture-moving, the group helped with several upkeep projects (painting, cleaning, etc).

Hospitality House -- The challenge at this local homeless shelter was to refurbish the living room by updating furniture, a fresh coat of paint, and new artwork.

Computers for Schools International -- This relatively new agency in Boone was excited to receive a group of motivated volunteers to sort through literally an entire room-full of computers. MLK Challenge participants packed, shipped, and weighed computer parts to be send to the first lady of Honduras to be sent to schools in need.

Children's Playhouse -- This kid's art centre needed help with several mini-construction projects around their site. Group members helped build benches & activity tables for the playroom, created a mural, and did some touch-up painting throughout the space.

Sugar Grove Developmental Day School -- The challenge here involved helping to construct a playground with parent volunteers, as well as building storage units for several of the classrooms.

Animal Shelter -- The spay/neuter room at the Watauga County Animal Shelter needed a fresh coat of paint, so group members spent the first half of the day there, and the latter half spent helping to organize & clean out the shelter at the shelter's thrift store.

Habitat for Humanity -- This group created water-bars to prevent flooding on a road leading out to 5 Habitat houses. Habitat home owners & staff were on-hand to help as well.

Mountain Alliance -- This youth-focused leadership & outdoor education organization needed help organizing their gear shed -- participants cleaned, organized, and helped build storage units to ensure the kids had access to the gear they needed for trips. Another year, a group helped revamp the climbing wall at this organization.

Blue Ridge Wildlife Institute -- Group helped construct perches for flight cages for owls soon to be returned back to the Institute. the group also worked (with guidance) on an aviary that was already in process.

Appalachian Brian Estates -- This is another "legacy" of sorts of ASU's MLK Challenge. This group had til 3 p.m. to brainstorm, plan, find donations, and set-up for a January birthday party for 50 residents of this retirement home.

Timeline

Kara22 — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:55:07 CDT

Sample (very general) timeline for student planning committees:

November -- first committee meetings begin
Site development: contact agencies for initial project development
Publicity: advertising begins for event in mid-November
Registration: mail info to clubs, registration begins at end of November (database for registration updated as people begin to register)
Day of Event: contact organizations & potential speakers
Hospitality: contact restaurants/grocery stores for possible donations for meal, begin designs for "keeper"/giveaway
Advisor: contact & recruit site leaders, reserve vans/transportation at end of the month

December -- meetings continue until exam period
Site development: continue contacting agencies, begin finalizing projects
Publicity: continue advertising
Registration: 2 deadlines, early-bird registration ends in early Dec, regular registration ends week before the event
Day of Event: speakers confirmed, pledge cards designed, follow-up challenge organized (or in the works), bonus challenge decided on (with committee),
closing ceremony elements are in process
Hospitality: still finding food donations if necessary, place giveaway order before winter break begins

January -- normally one week of classes between return to school & MLK Day
Site development: last minute details of challenges coordinated & written-up, meeting with site leaders organized (overview of day & challenges is provided)
Publicity: helps wherever possible
Registration: registration continues until last week, organizes waiting list if necessary
Day of Event: confirm speakers, final touches on multimedia components, reflection materials gathered
Hospitality: breakfast and dinner confirmed, giveaway delivered & organized

Weekend before MLK Day
pledge cards copied
lunches purchased & organized
challenge board created
challenge packets printed & put together
run-through of schedule with DOE coordinator
multimedia components checked at event-site
posters, decorations, thank yous, reflection posters created

Troubleshooting

Kara22 — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:42:12 CDT

Common issues and some things to keep in mind as you begin planning your MLK Challenge event:

Will students want to come to an event on their day off from school?
Yes! If you make this an exciting event. True, lots of students are used to having MLK Day off from school, but did you know that Congress actually designated the MLK holiday as a national day of service back in 1994? The purpose of MLK Day isn't to have a "day off," it quite literally is to honor Dr. King by making it a "day on" and by serving to honor Dr. King. Be excited when you're talking with students and groups on your campus -- this event is not only really meaningful, but its a lot of fun too. Students get free food, they'll have accomplished something, and will leave inspired. Talk it up...after the first year, people will realize this is definitely an event they want to make a "day on."

What if our groups get finished with their projects early?
This is definitely something to keep in mind as you're initially planning the challenge projects. Even so, sometimes a group is SO motivated when they arrive at the agency that they knock out a project with a whole extra hour to spare. Before the teams leave, remind them of the bonus challenge (if you've decided to incorporate that element) to complete as well. Also, bringing up the "IT'S ALL PART OF THE CHALLENGE" motto (see Day-of-Event Coordinator for more info on this) can be useful in this situation as well. It's fair to let your groups know before they leave that they might get done early...but it's up to them to make good use of their time, whether at the agency or somewhere else they see fit. Prepping your site leaders for this ahead of time is a good idea too.

MLK Trivia

Kara22 — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:33:18 CDT

(A hard copy can be found in the MLK Challenge toolkit.)

When is Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday?
January 15, 1929.

MLK's father was the pastor of which church in Atlanta, GA?
He was pastor of Ebeneezer Baptist Church, following his own father. MLK's mother was a preacher's daughter & because of these influences, he felt the call to ministry while at Morehouse College. When he was just 18, he became assistant pastor of his father's church.

How old was MLK when he graduated from high school?
15. MLK then attended Morehouse College in Atlanta graduating when he was 19. It was here that MLK developed a lot of his ideas on nonviolence and also became attracted to working in the ministry.

While at seminary, MLK became very attracted to the nonviolent methods of what important man?
Mahatma Gandhi. MLK wrote in Stride Toward Freedom, "Gandhi was probably the first person in history to life the love ethic of Jesus above mere interaction between individuals to a powerful and effective social force on a large scale. It was in this Gandhian emphasis on love and nonviolence that I discovered the method for social reform that I had been seeking for so many months."

MLK was elected the president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, which helped to coordinate what important movement in Alabama?
The Montgomery Bus Boycott. During the boycott, which lasted for over a year; fifty thousand African Americans in Montgomery walked and carpooled to many places. After the town's white leadership noticed the effect, they began arresting the boycotters for whatever reason they could find. MLK was arrested for going 30 mph in a 25 mph zone. Finally, on December 21, 1956, Montgomery's buses were integrated.

MLK was not only involved in the Civil Rights Movement. He was also an outspoken advocate against which war?
Vietnam. He once said "I'm not going to sit by and see war escalated without saying anything about it. It is worthless to talk about integration if there is no world to integrate. The war in Vietnam must be stopped." MLK became the co-chair of Clergy & Laymen Concerned about Vietnam in 1966.

MLK became the leader of what theological organization?
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). SCLC was based in Atlanta and was a Christian organization that promoted nonviolence and civil disobedience of unjust laws.

What famous letter did Dr. King write on April 16, 1963?
Letter from a Birmingham Jail. MLK wrote this while confined in a Birmingham, Alabama jail and responded to the Civil Rights issues that he was working towards.

What famous speech did MLK deliver from the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963?
The "I Have a Dream" speech. Over 250,000 people from all over the country attended the rally in Washington, D.C. After the rally, President John F. Kennedy met with the leaders of the march. Writing about that day, MLK stated, "As television beamed the image of this extraordinary gathering across the border oceans, everyone who believed in man's capacity to better himself had a moment of inspiration and confidence in the future of the human race. And every dedicated American could be proud that a dynamic experience of democracy in his nation's capital has been made visible to the world."

In 1964, MLK was awarded what very important honor?
The Nobel Peace Prize. He was awarded the prize not only for his involvement in civil rights, but because he contributed to peace all over the world. Instead of keeping the $54,123 in prize money, MLK divided it among the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Congress of Racial Equality, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the NAACP, the National Council of Negro Women, and the American Foundation of Nonviolence.

In what city was MLK assassinated?
Memphis, TN. MLK, only 39 years old, was assassinated by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968. He was in Memphis to lead 6,000 sanitation workers who were on strike. Over 200,000 mourners followed his coffin in Atlanta. Robert F. Kennedy delivered a eulogy at a rally for civil rights after hearing that King had been assassinated.

Student Planning Committees

Kara22 — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:45:54 CDT

One of the basic ideas behind the MLK Challenge is student-ownership of the event -- students are the ones who are tackling challenges, brainstorming, and working as a team to complete their challenge by the end of the day. And this doesn't just happen on MLK Day. MLK student planning committees mean that the students are the ones making the decisions, building a movement and culture of service on their campus, and making meaningful connections within their community. At some schools, student planning committees are made up of 5 students and a staff project director. At others, its a whole team of students or maybe just a few.

Click on the links for information on responsibilities for each position, and resources that might be helpful. (Useful information for an MLK student chairperson, or for the actual members of a student committee to get a better idea of what they can expect while planning the event.)

Site Development Coordinator : works with community partners to develop challenge/service projects
Hospitality Coordinator : organizes food donations & give-away
Publicity Coordinator : coordinates & designs poster, gets the word out
Registration Coordinator : manages participant database, organizes day-of registration process
Day-of-Event Coordinator : coordinates opening & closing ceremonies, incorporates educational & reflection pieces

Student Event Chairperson : supports committee, organizes meetings & agendas, provides leadership for MLK team

What is the MLK Challenge?

Kara22 — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:45:32 CDT

In 1994 Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, officially designating MLK Day as a national day of service. The MLK Challenge model provides college students across the country with a fun and challenging way of serving in honor of Dr. King.

The MLK Challenge, a project model developed by Jenny Koehn at Appalachian State University, is essentially a day of service projects… but with a different process from other such events. Many service-days entail placing people in various group service projects which they are expected to complete. These days are excellent ways to spur motivation within participants and accomplish great things. The MLK Challenge takes this concept a step further by framing the service as a “challenge” to be completed; the result has been that participants are automatically in a different mindset and are prepared for a rigorous day.

An important aspect of the event is that groups are determined on a totally random basis, thereby challenging participants to meet new people. The service challenges are also selected on a random basis, which has
proven to boost interest, fun, and excitement. Teams are given basic instructions and a final goal … the rest
is up to them. Far from being told what to do and how to do it, the MLK Challenge requires participants to
work together, organize, and problem-solve. The effect can be very powerful to the individual who wonders how he/she can truly make a difference.

Check out the MLK Challenge Toolkit attached at the bottom of this page, and/or continue exploring this wiki, for more detailed information!

Publicity Coordinator

Kara22 — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:12:54 CDT

The publicity coordinator serves as the marketing guru for the event. He/she is responsible for designing & distributing posters on campus, sending out promotional emails, working with the local radio stations & newspapers to get media coverage, Facebook invitations, and signage at the actual event (thank yous to businesses, MLK quotes, images, etc).

In general, plastering posters & ads in the school newspaper are pretty effective ways of letting people know about the event. "Contact tables" in student unions can also be effective, particularly if the students staffing the table are informative and engaging when speaking about the MLK Challenge. Facebook can be a great tool as well for spreading the word. The first few years may be difficult to explain to students what the day is, especially if they're used to considering it a "day off" from school. Be proactive....ask if you can do a presentation at club meetings, utilize empty advertising space on your campus, send out a club mailing (see attached mailing for an example) or email. If people leave your event tired and happy, with the knowledge that they completed meaningful work, then simple word of mouth will be your best advertising/publicity for the next year.

Tips for poster designing:

be sure to include all relevant information (free food!! (if applicable), deadlines to register, locations, etc)
agenda-at-a-glance -- lets people know that they're expected to stay all day
bold & colorful design (to get ideas flowing, try brainstorming with your planning committee about ideas, colors, & images for poster)
hint of mystery -- pump up the idea of completing a challenge; ASU uses the tag line, "MLK Challenge...are you up for it?"

Try plugging in with your local town media outlets as well. Especially because this event is so community-focused (not only will students be completing projects in the community, but also likely soliciting donations from local businesses), working with your local radio stations and newspapers is a great way to advertise the event. Communities like hearing about good things that college students are doing...so start spreading the news about your campus' MLK Challenge!

Not sure where to start with designing your poster? Here are a few websites that offer graphic design tips:
Ideabook
Flyer Boy