Program Plan Outline

Project Title:

HOF: Helping Our Families. Implementing a Boys and Girls Club of Hardy County

Author:

Sherri Hof Health 634 October 16, 2015

Problem/Need Statement:

In America, there is a lack of supervision for children after school hours, leading to increased juvenile crime rates, poor educational progress, obesity, lack of physical fitness, limited y for access to healthy foods and minimal opportunity for socialization. Between 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. juvenile crime escalates because 15.1 million kids are left unsupervised? ¹ Also 3 out of 10 kids are obese or overweight?² Children in Hardy County have limited resources for improvement and need an intervention to improve their potential outcomes for the future and to avoid one of the above mentioned statistics.

Hardy County children reside in West Virginia’s Congressional District 2, where there are 34,941 families participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, of which 52.1% households contain children less than 18 years of age.³ The median income for these families is $15, 409.00.³ White families make up 98.3% of this population and 2,348 students in the county are from pre-K to 12^th grade.³ English is the most prevalent language among these families. Single parent families total 35% with 26% of those children living in poverty.⁴ Continuing to decline is the statistic describing physical activity while poverty and unemployment continue an increasing trend.⁴Hardy County rates 25^th out of 55 counties relative to health behaviors which includes premature death, quality of life, poor or fair health, poor mental health days, and low birth weights.⁴ While these statistics reflect mostly the conditions of adults, the children are affected also and by improving the circumstances children are exposed to, we can improve outcomes and overall health.

Goals:

Through the implementation of a Boys and Girls Club of Hardy County, children will recognize their potential and will be exposed to opportunities not otherwise available to them. HOF: Helping Our Families sets both long and short term goals through the establishment of a Boys and Girls Club of Hardy County.

By January 4, 2016, 100% of children residing in Hardy County between the ages of 6-15, will be aware of the Boys and Girls Club of Hardy County and the opportunities it provides.
By opening the Boys and Girls Club of Hardy County we will decrease the number of children left at home alone after school by 50% within six months of opening.
By implementing programming inclusive of physical activity the fitness of children attending the Boys and Girls Club of Hardy County will improve by 25% within six months.
After one year, 50% of all of the children, whether at risk or not in Hardy County will be attending the Boys and Girls Club of Hardy County.
After one year, Boys and Girls Club of Hardy County will expand to implement 3 programs addressing specific needs of children in Hardy County, in addition to the general programs offered by Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
After five years, Hardy County will recognize a 25% increase in those children beginning in 9^th grade and graduating in the four year normally progressive timeframe attributing the improvement to participation in the Boys and Girls Club of Hardy County.
After five years, Boys and Girls Club of Hardy County will acknowledge additional family needs and will begin implementing additional programs to improve not only outcomes for the primary audience but for the secondary audience and others in the community.

Objectives

For each goal above, below matches a corresponding objective:

Produce various communication methods, brochures, press release, posters, newspaper articles, etc. to ensure all families in Hardy County are aware of the opening of the Boys and Girls Club of Hardy County.
Provide a safe, supervised environment after school, so children will not be home alone and will engage in programs improving outcomes.
Provide a place where physical activity and recreation are encouraged, improving the fitness levels of children.
Implement programs that are fun and beneficial to the overall well-being of the children in Hardy County that will lead to better outcomes.
Through identification of specific areas of needs, we will implement special programming to meet those needs as identified, in addition to providing the general programming specified by the Boys and Girls Club of America organization.
Provide tutoring and additional learning opportunities with assistance to complete homework from caring adults.
Through the collection of additional data as a result of operation additional needs will be identified so programming can expand to meet the needs of families.

Sponsoring Agency/Contact person

HOF: Helping Our Families (HOF) is the local organization that identified the need and is sponsoring the Boys and Girls Club of Hardy County. As part of the national organization of Boys and Girls Club of America, several criteria must be satisfied to maintain the affiliation. There are also several local organizations partnering with HOF, to ensure our children in Hardy County are exposed to opportunities for healthier lifestyles, better habits, educational assistance, physical challenges and social encounters all leading to valuable results. Sherri Hof is the founder of HOF: Helping Our Families and may be reached by email at shof@liberty.edu or by responding to her blog at: https://helpingourfamilies.wordpress.com/. Sherri is also at the Club on Main street in Wardensville, WV every weekday from3:00 pm – 8:00 pm, or can be reached by phone at 304-xxx-xxxx.

Primary Target Audience

The primary target audience is defined by the population who will most benefit from the intervention to eliminate the said problem. Boys and Girls Clubs of America have helped communities produce successful children who are productive and who exceed what even they thought possible. The target audience for Boys and Girls Club of Hardy County can be described as:

Children in Hardy County between the ages of 6 and 15.
Latch-key children (Behavioral)
Children struggling in school (Behavioral)
Children in single parent family homes (Cultural)
Children who have limited social skills or opportunities for socialization (Cultural)
Children living in poverty (Demographic)
Children with limited access to healthy foods (Demographic)
Expand the allowed age of participation to children between ages 4-17 (Physical)
Obese/Overweight children (Physical)
Children who recognize their limited resources but want to improve their circumstances/outcomes (Psychographic)
Children who will benefit from supervision and are receptive to participating in programs for self-improvement (Psychographic)

Primary target key strategies

These children are going to be communicated to through school contacts, posters, and friends sharing their experiences. The secondary target audience is where the concentration of initial communication is directed because parents have the greatest influence and power over the primary target audience of children. Even if the children heard about and wanted to attend the Boys and Girls Club, without parental permission it would be impossible. While communicating through parents is the greatest asset, it could also be the biggest barrier. Parents must be convinced that leaving children at home alone is not in the child’s best interest and the Boys and Girls Club will provide opportunities that can enhance the future for their children. Convincing parents of the value of the Boys and Girls Club will then help persuade the children to at least try out the Club and see what it has to offer. Once at the Club, the Club and all of the activities and benefits speak for itself and children will want to participate and get involved. The Club has a long history with many stories of success and can boast of people who have achieved greatness as a result of their participation in Club activities. Friends will talk to friends about the Club, the website will be used to share the success of the Boys and Girls Club of America, schools and other neighborhood organizations will all be contributing to create an atmosphere where children can play, learn, grow and prosper.

Secondary Target Audience

The initial communication campaign will be conducted through outreach to the parents of children in Hardy County who are the secondary target audience. Parents have the greatest chance to influence children of the benefits of the Club. Once children experience the atmosphere in the Boys and Girls Club of Hardy County, it is believed they will enjoy the environment and communication can then be directed at the children relative to whom programs would be most beneficial to meet that child’s particular need. The secondary target audience consists of:

Parents of children in Hardy County
Guardians (Foster parents, custodial parents, relatives) of children in Hardy County
Adult influential figures on children in Hardy County (teachers, deputy, sheriff, preachers)

Secondary target key strategies

Children will be the direct beneficiaries of the programs and services provided by the Boys and Girls Club of Hardy County, but first parents must be convinced of the benefits of the program. Parents will have to admit leaving children home alone is not beneficial and be willing to explore the healthy alternative of the Club. All parents of children attending school in Hardy County will receive a hard copy announcement of the opening of the Boys and Girls Club of Hardy County. The announcement will outline the programs and benefits of the Club. Each parent will recognize the diverse programs which appeal to children of all ages, talents and limitations and eliminate peer pressure for children to be anything but who they are. My communication will compel parents to want to provide experiences often missed out on for children in small rural towns. Responses will be sought relative to interest in the Club. The communication strategy is to first persuade parents, the BGC will be a safe, productive environment for their children to play, learn, grow and prosper resulting in a brighter future.

The health communication strategy of opening a BGC of Hardy County will be shared using social media, the newspaper, the HOF blog, posters and flyers throughout the county. While the communication will be geared to parents, the pictures will be creative appealing to the curiosity of children.

Pretest strategy

The communication will be conducted through brochures, public service announcement, press release, posters, blog, flyers and word of mouth in the small town where word travels fast. All written information will be written on a 10^th grade level or lower to ensure understanding by all parents. Attendance at the grand opening, responses on the blog, inquiries through community organizations, ultimately interest in the Club from the parents and children of Hardy County will determine if communication strategy is working. The pretest result is actually the number of responses collected from the flyer sent home from school with each and every student. Reviewing the number returned will not only determine interest but also an understanding of what is available and if the communication strategy should be changed to better meet the needs of the secondary audience and eventually the primary audience consisting of the children in Hardy County.

Theoretical foundation

The transtheoretical model with its main construct, stages-of-change construct², fits the communication strategy. Guiding people in rural communities, that are accustomed to doing things a particular way, to try a new, but better way is never easy. This willingness to consider alternatives is like a journey, not a destination. The process is similar to the race between the hare and the tortoise. If one jumps ahead and runs too quickly from the beginning, not only will momentum be lost, but important considerations may be overlooked that are important to the community. Slow and steady, carefully considering all facets of the people, the problem, the history, the future and the beliefs will lead to greater success. Communication will need to first walk parents through the stages of precontemplation, contemplation, decision/determination, action, maintenance.⁵ Once the parents make the decision for children to attend the BGC, the communication strategy process will shift to appeal to the children.

Management chart: Timetable: Tasks: Responsible persons

Starting a Boys and Girls Club begins with the recognition that things need to change for the children of a community. Then through the interest of one person, a spark can be started and with enough momentum turn into a blazing fire, burning the way to a brighter future. Developing a time table for key deliverables is an important activity in any new implementation. Knowing who is responsible for what and when it is due, how long it will take to prepare and where the deliverable is to be delivered, will help everyone stay focused.

Timeframe	Tasks to be completed	Responsible Persons
1 year prior to opening	Research done to evaluate the need for project in Hardy County. Release first public service announcement. Conduct a Community Readiness Test.	HOF: Helping Our Families/Sherri Hof Public Service Announcement-WELD Radio
9 months prior to opening	Communicate with as many people as possible to spread the word and stimulate interest in the Boys and Girls Club of Hardy County. Begin contacting potential partners, service clubs, local government officials, social, fraternal and labor organizations and any others who will listen. Continue public service announcement. Complete applications for potential government funding	HOF: Helping Our Families/Sherri Hof Public Service Announcement-WELD Radio
8 months prior to opening 8 months prior to opening	Contact one of the national BGCA Service Centers to discuss setting up a working partnership with a Boys & Girls Club in your area. The organization will begin the journey with you, walking through each step. Provide children the announcement of Boys and Girls Club. Organize a Steering Committee. Invite officials from other clubs to speak to Steering Committee. Press Release	HOF: Helping Our Families/Sherri Hof Assigned Representative from the National Organization of Boys and Girls Club of America Official of another Club Moorefield Examiner
7 months prior to opening	Working with people from National Organization of BGCA begins establishing policies for the local Club. If possible solicit the help from an existing Boys and Girls Club and develop a Management Operating Agreement.⁶	HOF: Helping Our Families Representatives from the National BGCA Officials from an existing Club
6 months prior to opening	Organize a Unit Advisory Council. This means establishing committees, hiring staff, identifying community stakeholders for involvement all who will contribute to the operation of the BGC Hardy County.⁶	HOF: Helping Our Families Representatives from the National BGCA Officials from an existing Club Community Stakeholders Hired Staff
5 months prior to opening	Secure a location for the Club	HOF: Helping Our Families Unit Advisory Committee
3 months prior to opening	Solidify budget Create a budget for the cost of building renovations, equipment and an operating budget for one year.⁶	HOF: Helping Our Families Representatives from the National BGCA Officials from an existing Club Unit Advisory Committee
2 months prior to opening	Begin raising funds through community fund raisers. Ask local businesses for sponsorships. Partner with other nonprofit organizations for help with fund raising ideas and activities.	HOF: Helping Our Families Representatives from the National BGCA Officials from an existing Club Unit Advisory Committee All staff
1 months prior to opening	Recruit or name Club Director Announcement to go home with children from schools	HOF: Helping Our Families Representatives from the National BGCA Officials from an existing Club Unit Advisory Committee School staff
Opening Day	Stir enthusiasm. Open the Club with a lot of excitement, publicity, and confidence.	HOF: Helping Our Families Representatives from the National BGCA Officials from an existing Club Unit Advisory Committee

Budget

Anticipating the cost of running the Boys and Girls Club while seeming daunting, it is imperative to have an idea of the costs for one year. This of course will require constant evaluation but a place to begin is essential. Our one year projected cost for the promotion and advertising of the Boys and Girls Club of Hardy County is $4495.00. Breaking down the cost helps stakeholders absorb what they are contributing to and for what purpose.

The banner for across the building costs $125.00.
The brochures will be printed at no cost as a donation from DentaQuest, Sherri Hof’s employer. DentaQuest agreed to sponsor the printing of 1,000 brochures which should last one year.
The brief public service announcement on WELD is done at no charge because it is a public service announcement.
The ad in the Moorefield Examiner is $10 a week for 52 weeks totaling $520.00.
The campaign signs are $15.00 when 100 or more are ordered. For signs to saturate the county we will need 100 signs so the total will be $1,500.00 for signs.
The blog and Facebook are both free to operate.
The posters cost $5.00 a piece when 250 or more are ordered. We will order 250 posters totaling $1250.00.

While donations and grants will be the main source of funding the operating budget, a small fee for membership will be required to join the Club and receive all of the benefits it has to offer. Recognizing the low income levels of the families we need to serve most, we will charge $25.00 a month, which provides attendance in any Club program Monday-Friday, from 3:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. This fee will include all activities, supplies, snacks, tutoring and transportation to the Club from school. For those who need the service but cannot afford the $25.00, we will partner with community organizations soliciting sponsorships for those children, enabling them to attend free of charge.

Issues of concern/potential problems

People in this rural town of Wardensville and in the county in general are reluctant to accept any change. They often question the credibility of newcomers, innovative ideas and anything that alters life as it has been known for decades. Parents will need to acknowledge their feelings of guilt and admit it is not healthy to have latch key kids. Transportation is going to be a challenge due to the size of the county. These areas of concern will be constantly in the forefront of our minds and we will work hard toward eliminating for the community. Each parent will need to acknowledge the diverse programs which appeal to children of all ages, talents and limitations and eliminate peer pressure for children to be anything but who they are.

The credibility will be verified by the proven track record of the BGC and their message to parents: “We work every day to create a safe, fun environment where kids can pursue academic success, good character and citizenship, and a healthy lifestyle – all under the guidance of caring, trained, trustworthy adult leaders.”¹The fact that increasing education and community based programs is a goal of Healthy People 2020 contributes to the credibility and importance of a BGC in Hardy County. Transportation, the wide expanse of the county for which we are serving, determining a physical location, funding and finally a sense the community does not want change, even when it is improvement, are all obstacles to make us stumble, but can be overcome.

Evaluation strategies

To determine success or areas for improvement, an evaluation is necessary. Quarterly assessments will be done reviewing attendance, programs offered, funds available and funds spent, staff satisfaction, member satisfaction, parent satisfaction. Through conversation, surveys, verbal feedback and Steering Committee meetings assessments will be made and solutions proposed for areas of improvements. Successes will be capitalized upon and turned into policies. Much of this activity is governed by principles and guidelines of BGC of America. Our impact locally will also be important to evaluate. Parent meetings, teacher conferences and stakeholder summits will be routinely conducted at a timeframe to be determined based on participation. Substantiating progress versus goals will be a standard to determine evolvement and will be continuously updated so growth can be recognized.

Nationwide the Boys and Girls Club of America is known for creating an atmosphere of caring adults supervising children in activities to enhance the opportunities children might not otherwise experience. Their national success will be the foundation for our success. Each an analysis will be conducted by the national organization to provide feedback on our performance. It is the intention for this long term project to by year five to be able to serve other areas in the community besides just children. Our expansion is to include family services, anger management and eventually maybe even a recovery program. The Club will grow in possibilities as the community embraces change and the enhancements which can be provided to our children for greater futures.

References

S. Department of Juvenile Justice. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Statistical Briefing Book. http://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/offenders/qa03401.asp?qaDate=2008 . Released on December 21, 2010. Accessed: August 26, 2015.
Ogden CI, Carroll MD, Curten LR, et al. Prevalence of High Body Mass Index in US Children and Adolescents, 2007-2008. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2010; 303(3): 242-249.
West Virginia Achieves. 2012-2013 Report Card. http://wveis.k12.wv.us/nclb/pub/rpt1213/printrp/test.cfm?sn=204&cn=031&school=204&coname=HARDY&rpage=pickreportcard.cfm&rptnum=99http. Accessed 9/1/15.
West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services. Hardy County Snapshot. http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/west-virginia/2015/rankings/hardy/county/outcomes/overall/snapshot. Accessed 9/2/15.
S. Department of health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute. Making Health Communication Programs Work. http://www.cancer.gov/publications/health-communication/pink-book.pdf. Accessed 9/14/15.
Boys and Girls Club of America. http://www.bgca.org/Pages/index.aspx . Accessed September 22, 2015.