In my next to last post on this subject (yes, there is still one more piece in the pipeline), I'd like to share some of the lessons learned.
Civic Engagement - according to Dr. Doran and Ms. Taylor, all you need is a party. Doesn't matter what you have to get to do to have the party, just party along and you will be engaged. The louder the better.
Don't worry about the rules - yes, you can have a large party in school facilities, even if you need to import or borrow attendees from outside your school to come to the party. Noise permits, police, traffic control - who needs them? Certainly not a high performing school with well connected parents who can arrange to have things your way.
Run the event after school hours, at a cost that could be prohibitive to some of your school community. After all, the student government raised the funds. School activities are much more fun if you need a ticket on a Saturday night to attend.
Don't forget to bring in a partner, even if the partner's goals aren't your own. So what if its a faith based organization, and its name is on every website. Its great publicity. And if some members of your community feel excluded? The material has no religious content! OK, we'll take off that part about synagogue affiliation from the ticket order form.
Also be sure to include fencing with barbed wire to keep out the undesirables. That way you won't spend as much money on security.
The only folks with any sense during this concert seemed to be the featured attraction. During the afternoon, the sound checks rocked the neighborhood. However, during the concert, the actual noise level did not shake the walls in the neighbors homes. Thanks to Third Eye Blind for recognizing this wasn't your usual commercial venue.
Thanks to the combination of weather and sparse ticket sales, the last lesson learned - the one about parking and traffic - didn't seem to be an issue last night. Attendance at the event was modest, so traffic was not an issue. But another lesson that Dr. Doran and Ms. Taylor need to know for the next event - be sure that you plan for adequate parking, especially if you invite teens from across the county. Maps would be helpful. Telling the Northern Virginia VIPs to park at Frost doesn't mean much.
Which brings us to the next rule. Only plan events that will excite and engage your own students. If you have to count on ticket sales to other "partners" or reach out to other schools, you have failed big time in your key objective with your own students and community.
And for those of you who can't wait for my final post on this topic, I'll give you a hint. I'm waiting for the contracts and the budget information from the various county offices involved in the event. Almost everyone has responded to my request - except for Montgomery County Public Schools. As with Wootton, the rules don't apply to MCPS, so they are holding the materials to the last possible moment at 5 pm before they release anything.
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