Ignite Summer Toolkit: PLANNING

From Dreaming Big to Doing Big.

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It's time to take your vision and make it happen.

It might feel like there are a million little moving parts to pull it all together, and that can be overwhelming. This planning guide breaks it down step-by-step so you can go from dreaming big to doing big things for and with young people.

A note about the planning steps: You might follow these steps in order — or maybe you start one step, jump to another, and then go back again. That’s okay! Complete these steps in the order that works best for your team and your needs. And if you need to circle back and repeat a step as plans evolve, that’s okay too.

 

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When staff’s talents and passions intersect with young people’s hopes and dreams for summer programming, anything is possible!

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SECURE PARTNERSHIPS
Working in partnership brings even more ideas, talents, skills and resources to your program and multiplies the impacts on youth.
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BUILD A BUDGET
High-quality programs cost money — and a little creative thinking can go a long way.
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PREPARE FOR STAFFING & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Attracting, hiring, and training talented, enthusiastic staff is one of the biggest challenges summer programs face.
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PLAN YOUR PROGRAM SESSIONS
One of the best aspects of summer programming is the opportunity for flexibility and creativity.
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DESIGN THE DAY
A successful day involves students arriving smoothly, activities starting and ending on time, and everyone knowing where to go and what to do.
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SUSTAIN THE MOMENTUM
So you’ve got a creative, exciting, high-quality summer program planned – woohoo!