English @ Work Assignment

This activity is designed to help you begin thinking about the problem you want to solve by applying some of the skills we have learned related to the subdisciplines of the English major.

Each of you will be exploring something different, so your projects will be really individualized to you. That’s the goal! I’ll give you feedback about how to make your plan successful.

Parts of this activity will inform your drafting of your report. This activity is not divorced from the work of the learning challenge, it is the work of the learning challenge.

1) Define the problem. I have put multiple case studies in Module 9 on our Folio shell. You may choose to explore one of these case studies. You may also modify the case study to something that is relevant to your current work life or personal goals. In this space, tell me about the case study or situation you will explore. The case study or situation needs to be something that you can apply various skills from the subdisciplines of English to solve.

The outreach program of a local church wants to help address the issue of poverty and homelessness in their community. Because of a hurricane that hit the area, issues of economic instability, lack of food, clothing, housing, and emotional and spiritual support have been exacerbated. The outreach program wants to give the community holistic and practical support to the people suffering and in need. The church is willing to provide long term and temporary assistance. The role that this project will be playing is to fundraise. Comment by Amanda Konkle: What role will your project be playing, @[email protected] ? Advertising the program, fundraising, both, neither?

2) Consider English-major skills you might apply to strategize regarding this problem. For example, are you exploring a rhetorical strategy that will best communicate with stakeholders? Are you participating in a public debate? Are you creating marketing materials using rhetoric, linguistics, and professional & technical writing? Are you creating a brand trailer using rhetoric, linguistics, film studies, and professional & technical writing? What role will storythinking play in your solution or strategy? What English major skills will you apply to strategizing a solution for this case?

Rhetorical Strategy: I will use persuasive communication skills to entice stakeholders like church members, funders, and community members to support and give fund to the program.

Technical Writing: I will use technical writing to create proposals that clearly and concisely communicate the church’s goals and develop reports and materials.

Storytelling Skills: I will use storytelling skills to create a narrative that highlights relatable experiences of those the church intends to help, which will compel donors to invest more of their resources.

3) What kind of story will you need to tell? Who is your audience and what is your purpose? This audience does not need to be me. Think about this as a real-world problem. Who is the audience for your strategy? (potential clients, students, subscribers to a service, etc.)

I will need to tell personal, authentic, compelling stories of those in the community that are in a great need. My primary audience are potential funders like foundations, restaurants, generous individuals, shelters, and community members. The purpose is to persuade and inspire people to donate their resources to the program initiative.

4) Develop an investigation plan. What do you need to know more about in order to strategize a solution? Do you need to research similar crisis management situations? Do you need to learn more about other similar organizations? Do you want to compare to other businesses? Do you need to revisit some theory around teaching and learning? Where will you seek information about the problem and/or possible solutions?

I need to know more about the actual needs of the community, such as food, shelter, basic necessities. I will also want to get in contact with other organizations or people that are doing similar work so I can see what are the best practices and approaches. I will also want to know how other people and organizations received funds and resources. Comment by Amanda Konkle: Yes, and maybe review some websites and social media to think about what strategies they're using and what seems effective. This can count as part of your research for the next activity.

5) What are your research questions? These questions detail the information you are hoping to discover through your research.

What are the most important needs of the homeless and low-income families in the community? What are common practices and strategies utilized by other organizations to receive funds? What are some available funding sources?

6) How can the stasis points of fact, definition, quality, or policy help you better understand your problem, case, and/or proposed solution? What are the questions of fact around this issue? What might you need to define? What moral or ethical values might be associated with this issue? What policies are already in place? Will you need to develop a new policy?

Fact: what are the statistics on the homeless/ low income community.

Definition: How do we define support and “holistic support” in what the church is willing to provide?

Quality: What is the standard of support that will guide and uphold our outreach initiative?

Policy: What are the policy concerning support of the impoverished and homeless?

7) What questions do you have for me about this project and how to get started?

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