Service Learning Proposal

Service Learning Proposal for Young Women’s Leaders Program

By: Sarina D.

February 9, 2011

Meredith Tweed

WST 3015-001

Community Partner Profile:

Community Partner: Young Women’s Leaders Program

Address: 4000 Central Florida Blvd. P.O. Box 161994 Orlando, FL 32816 CNH 411

Contact: Maria Roman, ywlp@mail.ucf.edu

Community Partner Mission Statement: “The Young Women Leaders Program is a mentoring program sponsored by the UCF Women’s Studies Program. YWLP originated at the University of Virginia, and UCF launched the program in the Orlando community. YWLP promotes middle school girls’ leadership abilities, pairing collegiate women with middle school girls. In mentoring pairs and small groups of Big and Little Sisters, participants focus on learning competence and autonomy, independent thinking, empowerment, self-esteem, and encouraging girls to think about their futures” (YWLP).

Political and/or Social Basis for Organization: YWLP empowers middle school girls (Little Sisters) in the Orlando area to become strong leaders in the future. The middle school students meet with college age women (Big Sisters) and they instill values that will help the girls realize their potential. Essentially, the two hour meetings revolve around vital issues like: “leadership, friendship, autonomy, body awareness, tough decisions, connection, and looking ahead” (YWLP).

Community Partner Needs: YWLP needs volunteers to hold supply drives for the Little Sisters and Big Sisters. These supply drives accumulate needed items to be used during their mentoring sessions. The items range from snacks, journals, index cards, markers, etc. that can be donated by patrons of stores or restaurants, etc. (YWLP).

The Proposal:

Memorandum

TO: Meredith Tweed

FROM: Sarina D.

DATE: February 9, 2011

RE: Proposal for the YWLP Service Learning Project

The proposal states what YWLP needs and how my partner and I will be fulfilling those needs. My proposal also shows how the service learning project relates to classroom lessons. The timeline may need to be adjusted according to unforeseen issues, etc.

Need for Volunteers for the Community Outreach Program:

YWLP needs the community to aid in their effort to inform middle school girls about how to become leaders in society. The Big Sisters (college age women) teach the Little Sisters (middle school girls) about a variety of issues and present many examples of how women can positively contribute to society. In fact, on the YWLP website, Little Sisters are provided with books, websites, activism ideas, and movies to further empower them outside of the mentoring process (YWLP). Through donations of supplies or money, the program is able to function. This means that volunteers and donations are crucial to the strength of this program, so any form of help is appreciated. Supply drives fuel this need and provide some of the basics that keep the program running.

Plan Proposal:

YWLP needs supplies for the Littles Sisters who will be participating in the program. These supplies include: “snacks, poster boards, jelly bracelets, digital camera(s), journals, paper plates, napkins, age appropriate prizes, yarn, magazines, stapler(s), stationary, cups, index cards, markers, and stickers” (YWLP). To meet this need, my partner and I will be holding two supply drives. We must contact Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store and Publix to have our venture approved. Then, we will need to create and post flyers and set up a table at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store and Publix. We will ask customers to remember the girls of YWLP when they are making their purchases. My partner and I will split up each of these tasks equally to ensure fairness. At the end of our endeavors, my partner and I hope to be able to give the Little and Big Sisters of YWLP some, if not all, of the necessary supplies to accomplish their mission of educating young women.

Rationale for Women’s Studies:

My project for the YWLP relates to WST 3015-001 for numerous reasons. It debunks one of the common myths associated with feminism. The myth states that “feminism is ideological,” but the textbook states that, “Women studies courses and projects seek to link intellectual, experiential, and emotional forms of knowing with the goal of improving women’s lives” (Kirk, Gwyn, Okazawa-Rey 5). That is the core of YWLP and my personal project with my partner. We will be helping supply items to YWLP so that the participants in the program can prosper and become better girls. I also think that the program represents what how women can choose how they will live in our patriarchal society (Kirk, Gwyn, Okazawa-Rey 55). By teaching these girls to be leaders at young ages, they will be better equipped to deal with our society and learn to be active against patriarchy and not settle (Johnson 69).

Action:

I have written an e-mail and my partner (Lindsay Q.) sent it to the program contact (Maria Roman). She informed us of the options we had and advocated our own creativity as well. My partner and I have loosely planned two events- one at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store and one at Publix. We will hold supply drives outside their stores and raise the necessary supplies. My partner and I will create the flyers and supply what is necessary to conduct the supply drives (table, chairs, donation buckets). If additional items are needed, we will contact our YWLP contact.

Timeline:

I, along with my partner, will present the project on April 21, 2011. It should be noted that these dates are tentative and may change throughout the semester as needed. As of now, there will be two supply drives-one at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store and one at Publix.

1. Publix Supply Drive March 15-20

            2. Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store Supply Drive March 15-20

3. Write Draft March 25

4. Edit Draft April 8

5. Present Draft April 21

Works Cited

Johnson, Allan G. “Patriarchy, the System: An It, Not a He, a Them, or an Us.” Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. 5^th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 69. Print.
Kirk, Gwyn, and Margo Okazawa-Rey. Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. 5^th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print.

Young Women’s Leaders Program (YWLP). University of Central Florida. Web. 9-10 February 2011.

Word Count: 944