Module 2 - Assignments


	Module Two: HOSA Chapter Management

	Assignments - Program of Work Guidelines

	The Chapter Advisor should meet with newly elected HOSA Officers to develop a tentative Program-of-Work for the year. At the first chapter meeting, the program should be voted on by the chapter members. Before you begin, be sure all officers understand the mission of HOSA, and the diversity of chapter activities. The Program of Work should be a balance of activities that include Leadership Development, Career Development, Community Service, Social Development, Workbased Learning Activities, Fundraising, etc.. Then, the following steps should be used in the planning process:

	Step One: Brainstorming
	1.	Don't hold back on any ideas even if they sound silly or irrelevant.
	2.	The more ideas the better; therefore, don't inhibit sharing.
	3.	Write all ideas on a flip chart so everyone has access to them.
	4.	Take turns sharing ideas to avoid dominance by anyone.
	5.	Participants may pass if they can't immediately share an idea.
	6.	Build upon ideas shared by others.
	7.	No discussion or explanations will be allowed during the brainstorming session. State the idea only.
	8.	No one is allowed to judge (praise, criticize or ridicule) another's idea.
	9.	Encourage every person to share at least one idea or more.
	10.	Conclude the brainstorming session when the time has concluded or when everyone has passed and no additional ideas are forthcoming.

	Step Two: Once a list of ideas has been produced, members should discuss each idea by closely examining the strengths and shortcomings of each idea. Does the idea support the mission of HOSA?

	Step Three: The planners should assign priorities or preferences to the alternatives listed. The priorities should be based on those activities having the most significant value to the expressed goals of the chapter or committee. For example, the Social Development Committee might identify ten activities. The committee should select the most preferred activity, the second most preferred activity, the third preferred activity and so forth

	Step Four: The planners should then develop an outline of what is needed for each activity including the activity goals, a brief description of the activity, and the preferred date to conduct the activity.

	Step Five: The planners should then work with the chapter advisor to estimate the cost of each activity.

	Step Six: Members should learn to use the Program-of-Work Programing sheet. This sheet is used to list, on a separate sheet, each activity, the projected date and site, and the breakdown of estimated costs by each item of the activity.

	Step Seven: Once the officers agree on the tentative plans for the year, they should fill in the yearly Program-of-Work, identifying proposed activities for each month.

	Step Eight: Once the membership has approved the chapter Program-of-Work, the planning sheet is returned to the appropriate committee. The committee will assign its members the responsibility for various tasks. Members will set up reporting dates and a schedule which shows when the activity will begin and conclude.


	PROJECT IDEAS

	The following project ideas can be used to attain the goals of the chapter in developing the program of work. Students will come up with a lot of ideas, but when they get "bogged down" the following lists will help you get them back on track. Some of the activities listed are for the purpose of community service and some are for fund raising. Some are combinations of both. Some of the ideas work as class or chapter projects involving all or most of the members and some of them will work so students can do HOSA approved volunteering on an individual basis. The projects are broken down into several areas to help you with your planning. Most of these projects also provide your students with opportunities for "resume building" details. Instruction-Connected Activities First and foremost, HOSA supports the HOE classroom. HOSA activities can support classroom learning through invited guest speakers, a health fair, and activities related to the HOSA Competitive Events Program. In addition, the following service activities may be considered:
	1.	Give A Custodian A Break
	Students get together with the head custodian or head of maintenance and find out what special things need to be done that they can do. They then make arrangements to do the tasks. The tasks may be as simple as helping the custodians clean the cafeteria or setting up for a special event or picking up trash at the end of the day. Each student can take a classroom and "clean it up."
	2.	Sponsor an Informational Program
	AIDS awareness, teenage pregnancy, substance abuse, scholarships, and bike safety are examples of informational programs. If an issue is ripe in your school and/or community, it is a topic for which your students can research and sponsor an informational program. All of these subjects are part of most schools' daily or yearly dialogue, but when the information happens because the students organize the assembly or guest speakers or workshops, it will probably be more successful. Your students could select a subject that they feel should be addressed and brainstorm what they would like to do. It is incredible what positive things can happen when the students tackle these issues themselves. (Remember, students may need to get permission from school administration to address some issues.)
	3.	Food Bank Raffle
	This is fun and helpful at the same time. Get some prizes donated and get a roll of tickets. Students, faculty and staff, instead of buying a raffle ticket, bring in a non-perishable food item. They get a ticket for each item they bring in. Tickets are drawn for the various prizes and the local food pantry gets much needed food.
	4.	Visiting Nursing Homes
	This project is best done over a period of time to allow the residents and students to get acquainted. Some nursing home residents have no visitors. Many of them are still quite lively and have wonderful stories and history to share. They also like to play games, such as checkers, cards, puzzles, etc.. Just visiting is many times a treat. Students can become pen pals with the residents, thus providing some of them with the only mail they may get. They can also become involved in home activities, such as holiday parties, outings, etc. Students can learn a great deal about life, relationships, and even death and compassion, from this kind of community service.
	5.	Adopt an Elementary or Middle School Class
	This is a great community service! High school students who have a hard time with reading, writing or math are really smart when they are working with a kindergarten, 1st or 2nd grade student. The health-related topics that can be taught are numerous. Some students who lack confidence become the best students when working with a younger student. And nothing is more rewarding than a hug and a smile from their new little friends. Offer the idea to your students and then have them contact the nearest school and make arrangements to adopt the class. Sometimes they may know an elementary or middle school teacher. The commitment should be spelled out at the beginning for all parties, i.e., the school period and the day, how often, etc. Elementary teachers are extremely busy and have their students all day long. If your school is close enough this project can be done in one class period. The teacher might have your students do everything from helping with recess to reading to helping them with their work, or even teaching a class! Great fun can be had during holidays and planning an end of the year trip or activity is also fun.
	6.	Adopt a Grandparent
	Because we live in a mobile society, many of your students may not have a grandparent who lives nearby. Local senior citizens organizations have many seniors who would love to be involved in the lives of young people. They are retired, may have been community leaders, successful business people, artists, or professionals. Bringing these people into your classroom and school can be a positive experience. These "grandparents" can be and are effective tutors, mentors, guest speakers, classroom aids, etc. They were "doers" when they were young and working and do not see any reason not to be doing so now. The presence of these "seasoned" citizens in your students' lives can be a positive, two-way street.
	7.	Habitat for Humanity
	"Habitat for Humanity" is an organization that builds homes for people who cannot afford their own home through regular channels. All the work is done by volunteers. Former President Jimmy Carter participates in this program and has helped build several homes. What can be more satisfying than helping a family build their first home. A project such as this requires a wide diversity of talent so it offers many opportunities for young people to "show their skills." It's also a great opportunity learn new skills from the many volunteers from the community.
	8.	Adopt A Highway
	Students could pick up trash along a section of a local highway. This is a fun activity and a great way to get publicity!
	9.	Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund/Blood Drive
	Tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and fires all wreak havoc on our communities. The one organization that is always there is the American Red Cross. The Red Cross relies on donations to help people in need. Running a fund raiser for them is always satisfying. Chapters could volunteer to sponsor or work at blood drives.
	10.	Special Olympics
	If you are familiar with this organization, then you know the emotional rewards that your students will receive from getting involved. Your special education department or local sheltered workshop are good contacts.
	11.	"Make A Wish" Foundation
	This is a national and state foundation that raises funds to provide children with terminal illnesses a dream wish. They have sent children to Disneyland, to meet their favorite athlete or celebrity, or just provided a desired "toy." Maybe your students know of someone in the community and they want to raise money to help that child.
	12.	St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
	St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is known throughout the world for its clinical and scientific contributions to the fight against catastrophic childhood diseases. As a result, people throughout the world come to visit the hospital to learn about its remarkable history. For more information, visit the web site at http://www.stjude.org/
	13.	National HOSA Week
	National HOSA week presents an opportunity to promote the HOSA chapter and provide recognition to chapter members. For more information, visit the HOSA web site at http://www.hosa.org/natorg/sectb/cat-v/hw.doc

	Service Fund Raiser ... A-Thons
	An ...A-Thon is doing something for an abnormal amount of time and getting people to pay money for you to do it. Dance-a-thon, rock-a-thon, walk-a-thon, skip-a-thon, etc. The average ...A-Thon is 24 hours in length. They are not overly difficult to organize but can become more involved as you add things to the event. These fund raisers, when used to raise money for a "cause" can be highly successful and fun. The students get a great deal of satisfaction from doing them and they also have the side benefit of generating positive publicity and community awareness. These fund raisers extend beyond the career association and are wonderful opportunities to get other members of the school and/or community involved. Here are some brief explanations of some of the most common ones. Although most are done for 24 hours, many will also do well for 12 hours. At any ...A-Thon you should have plenty of food, drink, and a medical person. Usually participants get a 5-minute break each hour and cannot sleep until the A-Thon is over.
	1.	Dance-A-Thon
	Participants dance for the entire time. They need a large room, lots of tapes and CDs, sound system and clock. Pledges are made for each hour they dance. Admission can be charged for people to dance or watch.
	2.	Run- or Walk-A-Thon
	Participants form relay teams of 6, 8, 10 or 12 people. They each run/walk a ½ mile or mile at a time, fitting as many miles as they can into the 12 or 24 hour period. They get pledges for each mile run/walked. An indoor or outdoor track facility and clock are needed for this event.
	3.	Swim-A-Thon
	Participants form relay teams of 6-12 people. They each swim two or four laps of the pool, swimming as many laps as they can fit in the 12 or 24 hour period. A pool is needed.
	4.	Basketball/Baseball/Softball-A-Thon
	Get an all-star team of players and then invite other area teams to play against them for 12 or 24 hours. Teams pay an entrance fee to play and admission is charged fans. Facilities needed are: lighted baseball/softball field or basketball court, umpires, and equipment. It is a great event to televise over local channels. Local personalities can do a play-by-play.
	5.	Imagination-A-Thon
	Use your imagination to develop your own ...A-Thon. Chess, scrabble, monopoly, cribbage, bingo, karaoke, aerobics, rocking, laying coins end to end, reading, reciting poetry, counting from one to ..., miniature golf, bowling, tennis, ping pong, typing, etc.

	Miscellaneous Community Service or Fundraising Ideas

	•	Provide services--sponsor a work auction, conduct store inventories.
	•	Provide home services--clean windows, mow yards, walk animals, wash animals or cars, rake leaves, shovel walks.
	•	Provide holiday services--sponsor a Haunted House or Carnival on Halloween or sell ghost-o-grams, operate a gift wrapping station, sell shamrocks or shamrock-o-grams on St. Patrick's Day, sell flowers, valentines or sweetheart-o-grams on Valentine's Day, decorate store windows on major holidays, deliver singing telegrams and/or balloons.
	•	Provide food-related services--prepare and serve meals at service/civic meetings; sell snacks (popcorn, soda, cotton candy, etc.) at school and community functions, auction or raffle-off gourmet dinners or box lunches; run a food booth at a school or community function.
	•	Sell products--button pins, T-shirts, baked goods, candy, front-yard signs, logo watches, etc. (If selling products, be confident about your product and/or any companies that you deal with for the products.)
	•	Potpourri--home tours, ugliest leg contest, pie throwing contest, ad sales, turtle race, hold-ups (placing community leaders in jail until a "fine" is paid), film festival, dunking booth.
	•	Career preparation activities--Career Fair, company tour, scholarship workshops, post-secondary education tours, "dress for success" workshops or demonstrations, guest speakers from various occupational areas.
	•	Social activities--Valentine's Day Party, hay and sleigh rides, roller skating party, ski trip, parent/grandparent/teacher appreciation day, alumni party, homecoming party, masquerade dance, talent show, pizza party.
	•	Leadership activities--participation in school government/council, leadership workshops, state leadership conference, guest speakers, including alumni graduate "success stories."
	•	Civic development activities--visit to city hall, tour of the state legislature, tour of state offices, attendance at city government meeting, voter registration drive, public official guest speaker, Citizen of the Day, attend court session.

	Program of Work Planning Sheet & Monthly Plan

PROJECT IDEAS

Instruction-Connected Activities

Service Fund Raiser ... A-Thons

Miscellaneous Community Service or Fundraising Ideas