1

To: Jessica Dwyer Commented [1]: I don't have a full name, can anyone
fix that?

From: Kymber Andersen, Ali DeGrauw, Sarah Groebs, and Eric Matesen Commented [2]: I just put this in Alphabetical Order by
our last names. :)

Date: September 22, 2017 Commented [3]: Thanks! Good thinking

Subject: Proposal to assist International Dark-Sky Association

What is Dark Skies?: Commented [4]: Added Intro/Background.

Removed "Our Ultimate Goal" section because it
seemed repetitive to "what is needed to help achieve
The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is the recognized authority on light pollution and that goal" and "background" sections.
is dedicated to combating the ill effects of artificial lighting and restoring our night skies to their Commented [5]: All changes saved on separate doc if
ancestral beauty. The IDA was founded in 1988 and has since worked with various governing we need to undo. Let me know!

bodies, public officials, consumers, and lighting manufacturers to achieve more efficient and Commented [6]: Excellent intro

ecologically favorable lighting solutions. Their purpose is to benefit people, businesses, and our
environment by providing a way to not only be active in the health of their community, but to
save a few dollars by doing so.As environmentally minded students, we are excited that we have Commented [7]: I moved this piece up here from the
former "background" paragraph
the opportunity to work with such a benevolent organization striving to better the world around
us.

Why we are needed: Commented [8]: Again, excellent.

As a non-profit organization, IDA relies heavily on volunteers. One major setback for the Commented [9]: How does this look?
organization is community awareness and outdated PR material. They have been wanting to Commented [10]: How does this look?
update their public outreach materials for some time; however, they did not have the available Commented [11]: Added Intro/Background.
Removed "Our Ultimate Goal" section because it
funds, personnel, or time necessary to do so. Jessica has been planning a large fundraising event seemed repetitive to "what is needed to help achieve
and would like to have the material updated before then, but she has been focused on planning that goal" and "background" sections.
the event and needs some extra hands to complete the project Commented [12]: All changes saved on separate doc
if we need to undo. Let me know!

Projects we will undertake: Commented [13]: This sounds good, but my concern
is that it won't allow you to meet the 1500 minimum
word count.
The IDA currently has a set of public outreach documents, but they are in need of consolidation Commented [14]: Switched order of "Projects we will
and updating to a more ergonomic and effective design. We will be revising two letters, undertake" and "what is needed to help achieve that
goal" to help with continuity and word flow.
consolidating two visual infographics, transcribing a speech, and making a visual presentation.
Commented [15]: changed this a bit to morph the last
We will also consider other projects IDA needs help with during the time we are working with sentence of the old background paragraph
them. Commented [16]: Is that enough description? Or
should we add more?
What we will do: Commented [17]: All this info is more relevant to the
section above. The Methods section should establish
how you will gain the expertise needed to
create/complete the various writing projects.
 2

First, we will prepare a couple of example letters that members can use freely. One letter will Commented [18]: changed from "it would be optimal"
to "we will"
focus on talking with a neighbor about light pollution and safety. The other letter will address
legislative committees to persuade them to put forward more efforts towards prevent light Commented [19]: added this because our letter really
isn't about light pollution explicitly
pollution. Secondly, some visual infographics containing basic information will help spread
Commented [20]: Changed "high councils of
awareness. Lastly, we will reach out to the public by sharing our personal experience regarding organization" to "legislative committees".
light pollution at an IDA event. Commented [21]: I'm not sure if this is right, I just
How we are going to do it: wrote it since we need to give it to Jess tomorrow. :)
Commented [22]: It appears you have two Methods
sections. This has to do with your writing process,
Each of these projects will be a collaborative effort between all four of us. Using our individual which is not the same thing as the methods, the means
expertise, some of us will be focused on the visual based projects, while others will be more in whereby you will gain necessary expertise.
charge of the writing aspects, but we are all working together. During the process, we will be in
open communication with the officials from the International Dark Skies Association to ask Commented [23]: Replaced "are planning on staying
with contact with any" to "will be in open
questions or to gather information that we will need when creating and writing these projects. communication with the"

When it will be finished:

Because we are students with our own various schedules, dates and deadlines may need to be
changed. Our current plan, however, is to complete the letters by October 1st of this year to
provide sufficient time for the IDA to print them for their events in October. During the event on
October 5th, we will transcribe the speech and send the presentation before October 20th. All Commented [24]: Everybody okay with that?
other materials will be completed by October 20th. Commented [25]: will this work for your infographics?

Our background and how it will help:

Our team is invested in improving the environment, and we reached out to IDA because we
already have a strong connection with them. We are all proficient writers, and our writing Commented [26]: Who are you writing to here?
experiences comes from Writing and Rhetoric majors and writing projects such as a manual,
research papers, a field report, an ethnography, and a letter to a legislature. For the infographics,
we have a Multi-disciplinary Design major on our team, and several of us have taken a Visual
Rhetoric course. We also have strong communication skills and are comfortable presenting in
front of crowds. Commented [27]: does this look good?

Budget:

We are volunteering our time and skills to complete this project and will be responsible for any
expenses accrued for software and other materials used for designing the infographics and
writing the letters. If requested, we are willing to cover up to $20 for printing prototypes. The
IDA will be responsible for any costs from replicating and distributing the material.

Overall: Commented [28]: Good conclusion.

 3

We want to help improve the environment by raising awareness towards light pollution and the Commented [29]: of?
negative effects it has on human health, wildlife, and energy consumption. By partnering with
IDA, we can make a positive impact towards reducing light pollution. All of our materials will
be designed to convey information in a palatable manner by tailoring them to specific audiences,
using clear language, and making them visually appealing. By doing this, we will not only raise
awareness in the general public, but we will also reach legislators who have the power to
decrease light pollution on a larger scale. If you have any questions regarding graphics, please
contact Sarah Groebs at sarah.groebs@gmail.com and if you have questions on the written
aspects of this project, contact Eric Matesen ematesen85@gmail.com.