Leadership and Advocacy in Educational Endeavors

TEL 410

Lesson 2: Advocacy Action Plan

Assignment: Advocacy Action Plan - Frame Your Design Challenge
Name: Taylor Ball

L2: Discussion - Action Plan Reflection - Frame Your Design Challenge

Advocacy Focus Problem: What is the problem you are trying to solve?

There are limited extracurricular music programs in our area for students. In addition, there
are no programs to help student living in poverty to purchase instruments or take private
lessons in our area. By creating a “YMCA” for music we can address three issues – provide
affordable instruments for any student, make private lessons and small ensemble
opportunities for students and provide performance opportunities in the community.

Design Question: Try framing the problem you would like to solve as a design
question.

How can I support families looking to get affordable instruments to participate in music class
and provide private lessons and performance opportunities outside of the school setting?

Impact: What impact are you trying to have in this area?

The impact I can have through the formation of this organization would be to increase the
opportunities for participation in music for those who otherwise could not afford it, as well as
the overall improvement of those students’ education. I believe in adding all of this
enrichment to their musical education goes beyond the musical realm. We can impact them
cognitively and improve attendance, grades, test scores etc. I also believe we can help
students improve psychosocially giving them an opportunity to relate to other students and
give them better communication skills, develop lasting friendships and equip them with a skill
that gives them a lifelong community to belong to. Much of this falls in line with being a
servant leader by fostering student’s growth, building and connecting community, healing and
empathy. Music can be a voice to all students and empower them.

Solutions: What are some possible solutions to your problem?

An easy solution would be to simply provide money to programs to buy and maintain their own
instruments. Giving ownership of those instruments to the school.
Another would be to simply buy instruments or pay for private lessons for “qualifying families”
similar to financial aid given to families living in poverty.

Creating an organization like the one in Middletown Ohio that operates out of the local mall is
an option. It more broadly focuses all art forms and less on supporting families and just
providing an outlet for expression.

Working with a local arts foundation, drama troupe, school or church is an option.

Design Challenge Hurdles: Write down some of the hurdles and constraints that you’re
facing. (These could be geographic, technological, time-based, or have to do with the
population you’re trying to reach.)

We are a small town; resources locally can be limited or would have to be sourced out.

Funding, especially startup costs would be large.

Finding experts to give quality musical training would have to come from local professionals
(small pool), colleges or professionals living in surrounding areas.

Location – we would need regular use of a building for storage of instruments, lessons as well
as performance venues.

Advertisement to those needing the program, getting the word out to local schools/educators
so that we could be utilized.

Competition to companies that already provide these and wouldn’t want people taken away
from their business.

Tracking progress – how do you monitor and track results to be able to show the benefit of the
program, musically, academically, personally etc.

What processes would be in place if families living in poverty could not afford instruments.
Would it be free, would we “reposes” instruments for non-payment? How could you have a
fair program that truly supported students and learning.

Final Design Challenge Question: Does your original question need a tweak? Try it
again.

How can I support families looking to get affordable instruments to participate in music class
and provide private lessons and performance opportunities outside of the school settings in a
way that enriches their musical experience, academic performance and psychosocial
development?