Aiding Unwanted Pets Through Grantwriting
UNST 421-513/CRN 14333/6 credits
Meeting time: Tuesdays 12:00 to 1:50 pm, NH 224 Fall 2011
Instructor: Kimberly Mukobi
Office: NH 376
Office Hours: By appointment or directly following class Tuesdays
E-mail:
Class and Project Description
In the United States alone, an estimated 9.6 million cats and dogs are euthanized every year. Of those, at least eighty percent are adoptable. This capstone allows students to explore the social/cultural dynamics of pet overpopulation, the ethical dilemmas presented by it and the rise of the no kill revolution in the United States. Participants will work with a no-kill nonprofit animal shelter to assist them in acquiring grant monies to address the needs of the shelter and expand the shelter’s operations. Students will participate in the various levels of grant writing: locating appropriate grantors, ascertaining the shelter’s needs, and learning effective grant writing techniques. The end project will be a portfolio of grant proposals addressing current needs of the shelter.
Community Partner
The West Columbia Gorge Humane Society (WCGHS) is a no-kill, independent non-profit animal shelter established in 1994. The WCGHS has a mostly volunteer staff (only 3 part-time employees) dedicated to caring for animals and finding loving homes for each one. It offers community outreach and educational opportunities that teach responsible pet guardianship. It also has a foster homes program and has a cat shelter and dog kennel located in Washougal. During the last few years, the WCGHS has experienced tremendous growth and is excited about the possibility for further expansion and development of the shelter.
As the president of the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society, I will act as your primary contact for the society.
The shelter contact information is as follows:
West Columbia Gorge Humane Society
P.O. Box 270
2675 South Index
Washougal, WA 98671
(360) 835-3464 (cat building)
(360) 335-0941 (dog building)
WCGHumaneSociety.org
Goals, Objectives, Outcomes
The GOALS for this Capstone are as follows:
§ To provide PSU Capstone students with a personally, academically, professionally and creatively diverse service-learning opportunity: and
§ To further the missions of the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society by assisting in the effort to raise funds to support and sustain the shelter.
The OBJECTIVES of this Capstone address both course content and the University Studies goals of communication, critical thinking, appreciation of diversity and social responsibility, and are as follows:
§ To promote students’ larger understanding of the social, cultural and ethical issues presented by pet overpopulation (social and ethical responsibility).
§ To enhance students’ facility and confidence with working in groups and writing, in particular persuasive writing; editing; and oral communication (communication).
§ To facilitate students’ building of functional teams around both differences and likenesses experienced within the classroom community and with the community partner (appreciation of diversity).
§ To increase students’ interviewing, research, problem-solving, and organizational skills (critical thinking).
By the end of this Capstone, students will demonstrate the following enhanced capacities:
§ Students will develop a personal ethical stance and commitment towards the problem of pet overpopulation.
§ Students will learn to write clearly and effectively in both persuasive and reflective pieces.
§ Students will learn to discover and utilize the intellectual and practical resources necessary to answer multiple posed questions.
§ Students will gain experience in relating to others in a team and to contributing individually diverse gifts and efforts to create a team product.
§ Students will learn to apply personal energy to meeting community challenges and experiencing enhanced community identification.
§ Students will learn effective research techniques in identifying potential grant funders.
§ Students will gain the knowledge and experience to effectively write a grant proposal, including all of the various components.
§ Students will have a working knowledge of the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society, including its mission and programs.
Instructor’s ExpectationsI assume that each student who enters this class has a strong commitment to animal issues and is willing to engage wholeheartedly in the class activities and projects. This level of commitment can make a difference in the lives of numerous animals. I believe that each student comes with gifts and skills which he/she can offer to the classroom community so that we, as a community, can have a meaningful experience within the classroom and produce work that has community impact.
In service-learning classes like this Capstone, students work in a collaborative partnership with a community organization towards mutually beneficial goals. In this course, you will learn experientially, that is, by doing and reflecting on the meaning this “doing” has for you and for the communities of which you are and will be part. This process is a collaborative one in which students, faculty and the community partner work together to identify each collaborator’s needs and to develop the means to address those needs while capitalizing on and expanding each collaborator’s strengths.
As such, this Capstone experience may be quite different from any other course experience you have had to date. By its design—bringing together interdisciplinary teams of students to work towards a shared goal—this class may at times feel challenging in ways that you have not experienced before. Any feelings and thoughts we may have about this experience are not in and of themselves positive or negative; it is our attitudes and behaviors relative to the challenges and contingencies which are the key to our interpersonal success. I expect each student, as an upper-class student, will be responsible for his or her own learning, attitudes and behaviors in the class. You are encouraged to process your thoughts and feelings about this class in as many ways as you can. Please feel free to speak to me if you would like additional resources for doing so.
If you miss a working class session, team meeting, or other Capstone-related event, it is up to you to get notes from the class, verify assignments, check on deadlines, collect materials from the class, and stay current with the project. If you know in advance that you will miss a class session, please discuss the upcoming absence with me and make arrangements to pass on assignments related to that session. If you miss a class unexpectedly, please contact me as soon as possible after the missed class to get caught up.
Please turn off cell phones and other electronic devices during class time and while performing community service tasks.
Finally, it is strongly encouraged that you read the Student Conduct Code (see http://www.pdx.edu/dos/codeofconduct). It details your rights and responsibilities as a member of the Portland State Community.
Disability Access Information:
Students needing an accommodation pursuant to federal,state,or institutional education
regulations should immediately inform the course instructor. Students with conditions affecting their academic abilities will be referred to The Disability Resource Center (503-725-4150, TTY or Relay: (503) 725-6504. Email:) to document their disability and discuss accommodations.
Texts
Required:
Brown, L. G. & M.J. Brown (2001). Demystifying grant seeking: what you really need to do to get grants. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Winograd, N.J. (2009). Redemption: The myth of pet overpopulation and the no kill revolution in America. Second Edition. www.almadenbooks.com: Almaden.
Harbolt, T. (2003). Bridging the bonds: The cultural construction of the shelter pet. West Lafayette, Indiana: Purdue University Press.
Recommended:
Alger, J.M. & S.F. Alger (2003). Cat culture: The social world of a cat shelter. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Barbato, J. & D. Furlich. (2000). Writing for a good cause: The complete guide to crafting proposals and other persuasive pieces for nonprofits. New York: Simon and Schuster. (An irreverent account of the entire grantwriting process, with particular emphasis placed on the writing process itself.)
Carlson, M. (1995). Winning grants step by step. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. (Contains worksheets that lead the writer through a structured process for composing each section of the basic grant proposal.)
McPherson, C. (2004) Washington Foundation Databook. Portland, Oregon: C& D Publishing. (Comprehensive Guide to Washington Foundations)
McPherson, C. (2005) Oregon Foundation Databook. Portland, Oregon: C&D Publishing. (Comprehensive Guide to Oregon Foundations)
Grading Components
You will earn a grade in this class based on your work as an individual, as a member of a team, and as a member of the whole class.
Breakdown of Grade
/Points Available
Individual Component / 25 pointsClass Contribution / 30 points
Team Contribution / 20 points
Final Product / 25 points
Below is an explanation of each of the grading components delineated above.
Individual Component: 25 points
Twenty-five percent of your grade will be dependent on the following activities:
a) Skills Assessment Reflection. This should be typed and double spaced, and is worth 5 points.
b) Journal Reflection on chosen book. Each student will write a reflection on one of the two books dealing with shelters. This assignment is worth 20 points and will be graded on effort and depth of critical thinking, accuracy, and proper use of references.
Class Contribution: 30 points
Thirty percent of your grade will be based on evidence of your commitment to each class member. Students will move through the course as an interconnected group of individuals collaborating and brainstorming together. Each piece of the class’s work depends on each member’s willingness to become a stakeholder in the outcome. Each student has invaluable contributions to make to both group process and the final product. Each student will find his or her contributions to the class to be enhanced by thoughtful, ethical, and respectful behavior with each other.
Each student will earn up to 3 points per week for each working class session and by contributing to the discussion board on the class website. Students will be rewarded in which he or she:
a) Contributes to class discussions and work sessions, both online and in the classroom.
b) Is on time and in attendance for the entire session in the classroom and/or participates in a task in the community.
c) Shows evidence of being prepared for class and work sessions.
d) Completes all necessary assessments, reflections, and peer evaluations.
Team Contribution 20 points
Twenty percent of your grade will be based your commitment and work towards the particular team that you have chosen. As a team member, you will need to agree on the tasks and responsibilities that each of you holds towards to the others and negotiate deadlines and individual responsibilities on an ongoing basis. This will require that each of you understand the strengths that each brings to bear on the process, ongoing communication in and outside of class and the equal sharing of tasks required in producing an excellent final product. The grade for this section will be determined by both the instructor and each member of the team. Students will be asked to evaluate their own and each other’s efforts.
Your grade will be dependent on the following requirements:
a) A written group contract which delineates the primary responsibilities of each group member based on the strengths they bring to the process as well as the interpersonal and working expectations of the group. This is worth 5 points.
b) A written reflection from each group member as to the successes and challenges that the group faced and the individual contribution of each group member to those successes and challenges. This is worth 10 points total.
c) A presentation of your final product to the class, the instructor and the community partner. This is worth 5 points.
Final Product: 25 points
Twenty five percent of your grade will be based on the completion of a written grant for the community partner. This work will take place both in and out of the classroom and will follow a collaborative design for the project. With the input of both students and the community partner, the instructor will assign up to 25 points for the final written product submitted to the community partner. This grade will be shared by the members of the team which produced this particular grant, unless there is evidence that one particular group member did not fulfill his or her contractual obligations to the group in which case that member may be assigned a different grade.
At the end of the term, each team will be expected to present a completed final product (a grant proposal) to the community partner, the instructor, and the Capstone office, where it will be available as a resource for future Capstone courses and to interested students/faculty throughout the University.
*CLASS SCHEDULE: SUBJECT TO CHANGE – CHECK ONLINE MODULES!Date
/Tasks/Agenda
/Readings/Activities
Week 1: Getting to Know Each Other (Module 1)9/27/2011 (F2F) / Introduce ourselves. Review Syllabus.
Technology Review
Generate Classroom Expectations. / · Syllabus
· Complete: Assessment of Student Readiness for Online Learning
· Handout: Capstone Handbook
(Online) / Discussion Online: Re-introduce ourselves online and upload photo
Download: Individual Skills Assessment / Readings:
· Syllabus
· Capstone Handbook
· Brown & Brown, pp. 1-30
· Winograd, pp. 1-50
Week 2: Understanding Our Community Partner (Module 2)
10/4/2011
F2F / Learn about the WCGHS
Individual Skills Presentations
Begin Team Selection Process. / · Individual Skills Assessment presentations
· Book Reflection
Online / Finalize questions for upcoming WCGHS Site Visit
Discussion Online:
1. Questions for WCGHS
2. Week 2 Topic / · Brown & Brown, pp. 35-57 and 69-77
· WCGHS Handouts and website: (http://www.wcghumanesociety.org)
· Winograd, pp. 51-88
· Team Meeting
Week 3: Forming Our Teams/Learning More about Community Partner (Module 3)
10/11/2011
F2F / WCGHS Site Visit / · Prepared Questions for WCGHS tour
· Brown & Brown, pp. 59-107
· Winograd, pp. 89-127
Online / Debrief Community Partner Visit.
Finalize Team Selection Process and Group Interests.
Discussion Online: Week 3 Topic / · Download: Group Contract Template
· Group Skills PowerPoint Online
· Group Skills Summary DUE
· Team Meeting
Week 4: Understanding the Proposal (Module 4)
10/18/2011
F2F / Understanding the Proposal/Selecting the Grant Donor (PP presentation) / · Meet In Teams
· Brown & Brown 111-133
· Winograd, pp. 128-178
Online / Team Facilitation/Meet in Teams
Discussion Online: Week 4 Topic / · Book Reflection DUE
· Team Meeting
· Group Contract DUE by next class
Week 5: Finding Funders (Module 5)
10/25/2011
F2F / Identifying Possible Grant Donors (Multnomah Co. Library Foundation Database) / · Sample Proposals
· Group Expectations/Assignments
· Download Grant Donor Profile
Online / Finish Selecting Funders
Discussion Online: Week 5 Topic / · Group Contract DUE
· Winograd, pp. 179-188
· Harbolt, pp. 1-40
· Team Meeting
Week 6: Beginning the Writing Process (Module 6)
11/1/2011
F2F / Review of Grant Basics
Team Check In
Work in Teams. / · Brown & Brown 133-164
· Harbolt, pp. 41-72
Online / Team Facilitation
Work in Teams
Online Discussion: Week 6 Topic /
· Outline of Proposal DUE