Program Plan

Bridget Johnston
SLIS, University of Alabama
LS 523: Materials and Services for Adults
Professor Tiffany Duck
October 6, 2022
Purpose 

In order to provide language practice in a fun, engaging, and non-intimidating format to

Kenner’s many Hispanic residents, I am proposing a Bilingual Trivia Night to be held at North

Kenner Library, which is part of the Jefferson Parish Library system. The event will pair English

and Spanish speakers on teams in which they strive to answer a mix of questions, half of which

will be posed in English and the other half in Spanish. The event will be open to all ages, and

families will be welcome. 

The questions will be general knowledge, including questions regarding food and drink,

animals, entertainment, history, pop culture, and movies, and will feature a healthy incorporation

of questions that draw from Hispanic culture, particularly from Honduran culture. “What is the

name of the largest lake in Honduras?” (Lake Yojoa, or Lago de Yojoa) and “which English-

speaking singer was featured alongside Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi in Despacito?” (Justin

Bieber) are examples of possible trivia questions. 

The program will run about an hour and a half, with the first 15 minutes allocated to

snacks and team formation, one hour reserved for the trivia game, and the remaining 15

minutes allotted to announcement of winners and prize distribution. We will aim for 2-6 people

per team, with at least one person fluent in English and one person fluent in Spanish per team.

This format will foster camaraderie between communities and will facilitate language skill

practice in a casual environment for both Spanish-speakers learning English and English-

speakers learning Spanish. 

Team members will have two minutes per question to confer among themselves and

determine their answer, which will be written on a piece of paper in either Spanish or English

and turned in. One point will be awarded per correct answer, with first, second, and third place

prizes awarded. We will attempt to procure a $30 gift card to an area restaurant as a community

donation for first place, a JPL hat can be the second-place prize, and a free book from the

Friends of Jefferson Parish Library book sale can be the third-place prize. There will be four 15-
minute rounds of questions, which should allow for approximately 7 questions per round, for a

total of 28 questions asked for the night. A tiebreaker question can be determined ahead of time

in case of a tie. Questions will be displayed on a monitor visible to all participants, and will also

be verbally repeated upon request. Scores will be kept on a spreadsheet and will also be

periodically shown throughout the event.

Although the current proposal is for a standalone night of trivia, there is potential for

expanding the program into a monthly recurring event. Participants would be welcome to come

with teams already formed, or they may choose to allow library staff to assign them to a team.

Pre-registration would be encouraged but not required to encourage high participation while still

attempting to get an idea beforehand of team composition.  Team formation and trivia host

duties will be facilitated by bilingual NKL staff. The event will be held in the meeting room at

NKL, which holds 40 people. Tables, chairs, computers, and a projection screen are readily

available, as are golf pencils and paper. Optional answer sheets can be easily printed as well.

Since the library closes at 5 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and at 9 pm on weeknights, a

Thursday evening time slot would be optimal to allow for family participation when adults and

kids are most likely to be off work and school. I am proposing a 6:30 start time on a Thursday

night in the fall for this reason. Although it is too late for this year, in the future, scheduling the

event to coincide with Hispanic Heritage month would be ideal.

Potential risks for this program are minimal. The atmosphere will be fun and casual, but

as with any competition, there is the potential for participants to get upset at perceived

inequities. Therefore, care must be taken to make sure rules are clear and well explained and

are written out in a visible location. Transparency with scoring is necessary, and ambiguous

questions should be eliminated.  The inexperience of the emcee is another potential risk, as

none of the staff have experience hosting such an event. However, there are several online

guides for best practices for hosting a smooth and fun event that the emcee can use to prepare

for the evening. 

Target audience 

The target audience for this program is twofold: it will benefit both the Spanish speaking

residents of Kenner who are looking for English language skills practice as well as English

speaking residents who would like to improve their ability to communicate with this growing

segment of the population. Both the bilingual and teamwork aspects of this program will foster a

greater sense of community and enhanced cultural appreciation for members of both sectors. 

According to the U..S. Census Bureau, as of 2020, 25.6 percent of Kenner residents are

Hispanic, with 28% of households reporting speaking a language other than English at home

(Kenner, Louisiana Population History | 1990 - 2021, n.d.).  Non-US-born citizens account for

20% of the population, more than double the rate of the remainder of the New Orleans-Metairie

metro area. Despite these numbers, the disappearance of ESL programs due to both pandemic-

related closures and the aftereffects of Hurricane Ida has created a gap in services to this

segment of the population, particularly pertaining to language skills. The proposed Bilingual

Trivia Night would work to address the need for local, in-person language skill practice in a fun

and relaxed environment that participants should look forward to attending.  

Budget 

Costs for this program would be minimal. Expenses for pre-existing staff pay, marketing

materials, light snacks, and prize expenditures would need to be accounted for. Approximate

costs are outlined as follows: 

 Staff salary: $20/ hour x 8 hours (4 hours planning, 1 hour setup and cleanup, and 3

hours (1.5 x 2 staff members) moderation of event. $160 total 

 Marketing materials: 

Social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) posts: free

 Fliers: 50¢/ page x 100 pages. $50.00 total 

 Snacks: 

5 bags of chips. $5 x 5= $25 

3 10-packs of mini-sodas. $6 x 3= $18

1 case of water: $15

$58 total 

 Prizes: 1st Place: $30 restaurant gift card (donated from restaurant) 

2nd Place: JPL hat ($7)

3rd Place: Book from Friends book sale: free 

$7 total 

Total estimated cost of program: $275

Partner Description

I have identified the Hispanic Resource Center in Kenner as the primary target with

whom to form a mutually beneficial collaboration in regards to this program. The Hispanic

Resource Center has shelved its ESL program as well as its Spanish language classes for

English speakers, leaving Hispanic Kenner residents with few viable options for in-person

language skill practice. While there is another organization (Catholic Charities) that offers online

ESL classes and  in-person classes in New Orleans, many residents prefer an in-person option

but find going into New Orleans problematic for a variety of reasons, including lack of

transportation, parking and/ or traffic concerns, and time constraints. While not an ESL class,

this program will nonetheless provide important language skill practice in a personal, relaxed

format in a location that is conveniently located for Kenner residents. 

I envision the Hispanic Resource Center’s role in the collaboration as being a resource

to increase North Kenner Library’s visibility in the community. In addition to posting and
distributing fliers for the Bilingual Trivia night, the Hispanic Resource Center can distribute

bookmarks with library locations and hours, as well as the main Jefferson Parish Library web

site address, which can provide more detailed information on the many services NKL and other

Jefferson Parish Library branches can provide. In return, NKL will serve as an additional

marketing tool for the Hispanic Resource Center, displaying any pamphlets or fliers they may

have to distribute and directing patrons their way for assistance with food stamps, medicaid

applications, and information on the Hispanic Homebuyers' training program. 

Another aspect of this collaboration that extends past the planning of this one event

involves the sharing of resources between entities so that both the Hispanic Resource Center

and North Kenner Library are as current and up-to-date as possible with the information they

are providing to their patrons. The Hispanic Resource Center currently provides referrals for

issues such as medical assistance, legal advice, and counseling services, including

interpretation services for court hearings, negotiation assistance in obtaining permits, paying

fines, and getting marriage licenses. By providing NKL with access to these resources, we can

ensure that residents are getting accurate and consistent information from both HRC and NKL. 

Lastly, the Resource Center is currently in the process of building an after-school

homework program. The library may serve as an ideal location for this program to be

implemented. NKL can offer the use of its meeting room or study rooms in a joint effort to

provide optimal services to the community. 

Marketing Plan 

Marketing for this program will consist of fliers to be posted and distributed at both North

Kenner Library and the Hispanic Resource Center. Fliers will list all pertinent information and

will strive to encourage maximum participation. 

In addition to print materials, social media will be used to help spread the word about the

event. Facebook is a common method of posting events, with JPL’s profile having over 6,000
followers. Instagram and Twitter are also options for social media marketing outlets. JPL does

have a dedicated marketing department through which all event postings originate. Although

NKL will be designing and printing the flier for this event, the marketing department is also

capable of contributing their expertise for print materials as well. Staff hours for marketing

purposes have been factored into the budget. 

Finally, NKL could ask that its fliers be posted at nearby schools, churches, and

restaurants. There is an elementary school next door to NKL; a request could be made for a

mention in the school newsletter, as well as a mention over the PA with the morning

announcements that day. Fliers could also be posted at the restaurant that NKL asks to provide

the gift certificate, as well as at some of the many Hispanic churches in the area. 

Although the program is currently slated as a one-time event, the hope is that it can be

expanded to a monthly event in the future. If so, marketing/ partnering possibilities could also

expand to include the city of Kenner during Hispanic Heritage month September 15 through

October 15 and the Kenner Hispanic Fest in August. The city of Kenner has its own Facebook

page, and regularly submits press releases, including those to promote Hispanic Heritage

month. A mention of NKL’s Bilingual Trivia Night in these press releases as part of a slate of

events to show Kenner’s recognition of this month would be beneficial to both entities. Similarly,

the ability to market our program at the Kenner Hispanic Fest in August would lead to greater

visibility on NKL’s behalf and would provide the hosting organization with additional resources to

offer attendees. 

Evaluation

Evaluation will be done by an exit ticket. The teams will be asked to rank the overall

quality of their night, where they learned about the event, and how likely they are to return.

Participants will be given the opportunity to make comments or suggestions for how the event

can be improved. Teams will be asked to drop their anonymous comment forms in a box at the
same time they are turning in the answers for their last trivia question of the evening. Informal

evaluations will also be performed by casual conversation with participants by NKL staff. Using

these tools, NKL staff can determine how likely they are to repeat the event, whether the

program met the goals of providing language skill practice in a fun atmosphere and fostering

camaraderie between communities, and how effective the partnership with the Hispanic

Resource Center was. 

Public relations piece attached next page

 References

Kenner, Louisiana Population History | 1990—2021. (n.d.). Retrieved September 5, 2022, from

https://www.biggestuscities.com/city/kenner-louisiana