INTRODUCTION TO GOAL WRITING
A goal is a precise, measurable statement of what you intend to achieve during a specified period of time toward a specific outcome. Goals should be S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and timely). A well-written goal includes the following components:
1. Description of activity 2. Expected result 3. Tool to measure impact of service 4. Standard of success you hope to achieve 5. Number of individuals who will benefit. "Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible." - Tony Robbins |
After taking notes on goal setting, students will review the "Volunteer Code of Ethics" and select a personal goal that they will monitor progress on during the first semester.
ASSIGNMENT: SHOW. DON'T TELL.
Highlighting Your Organization's Goals and Your Own Goals with Infographics
The growth of infographics was fueled by consumer demand for visual content that combines information and graphics. Infographics can be shared via social media, web pages, email, or hard copy to convey important information in a form that is both succinct and visually appealing. Your goals and the goals of the organization you serve can take pages of copy to explain, but you convey them in less time with visuals.
The infographic you create for this assignment may
The infographic you create for this assignment may
- be shared with your volunteer supervisors to make them aware of your personal goal this semester
- serve as the basis for one of the questions we discuss during your midterm conference
- be featured in the student spotlight section on the PSL home page
- be featured on the PSL Facebook and Twitter accounts
- be featured on the PSL bulletin board at PHS during in January and February
- be shared with future PSL students prior to site selection next year
1. Select a personal S.M.A.R.T. goal
After reviewing the "Volunteer Code of Ethics" think about what you hope to gain from your volunteer experience and choose one of the personal goals below to focus on during the first semester. You will copy and paste this goal into your infographic soon.
- By the end of the first semester, I will learn and use the names of 12 people that I serve and initiate conversations with them in order to find out what we have in common and learn something new about them. At the end of each week, I will document the name of one new person and relevant details in my PSL notebook.
- By the end of the first semester, I will develop empathy by truly listening and being aware of the feelings of 12 people that I serve and record relevant details about them in my PSL notebook. I will use this information to better engage in conversation with them the next time I see them to show them I was present and listening.
- By the end of the first semester, I will learn to listen actively to the people I serve and ask good questions to show interest in their lives. At the end of each week, I will identify who I interacted with in my PSL notebook, record the strategies I employed to show interest, document the questions I asked, and brainstorm new ways to ask follow-up questions.
- By the end of the first semester, I will show strong cultural awareness towards the people I serve and determine how they like to be treated. At the end of each week, I will document their preferences as well as my own new understandings in my PSL notebook. My entries will demonstrate my ability to check my own assumptions about those who may seem different as well as considerations of other peoples' world views, frames of reference, and beliefs.
- By the end of the first semester, I will improve my ability to reflect on my service experiences and deepen my understanding of others. At the end of each week, I will compose a reflection in my PSL notebook answering the questions: "What?" "So what?" and "Now what?" to demonstrate what I have learned from my service experience, why it is important, and what I can do to better serve the needs that exist in the community.
2. Review volunteer job description
- Go to the PSL partner agency page and locate the volunteer description. You will copy and paste this into your infographic soon.
3. Research the organization you serve
- Find the organization's mission statement. You will copy and paste this into your infographic soon.
- Find the organization's logo. Save it to your desktop so that you can upload it into your infographic soon.
- NOTE: If you volunteer with more than one organization, select the one where you volunteer the most hours.
4. Identify the Global Goals that your organization addresses
- Although some organizations address many Global Goals, for this assignment focus on 1 or 2 that are most important.
- Save the image(s) for Global Goal(s) that best align with your organization's mission state to your desktop so that you can upload into your infographic soon.
5. Identify the Global Goal target(s) that your organization addresses
- Go to https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/ and click on the Global Goal(s) that your organization addresses.
- Click on "Read More About Goal #" and find the "Goal # Targets" tab.
- You will copy and paste the target(s) that most closely align with the mission of the organization you serve into your infographic.
6. Create an account on canva.com
- Go to canva.com
- Create an account. It's free. You may opt to sign in with Google, Facebook, or your email.
- After you login, click "Create a Design." Then click "Infographics."
- Select a template that will enable you to succinctly communicate the following info in a visually appealing way:
- Name of the organization you serve
- Logo of the organization you serve
- Mission statement of the organization you serve
- Global Goal(s) and Target(s) addressed by the organization you serve
- Your name and PSL head shot photo
- Your volunteer job description
- Your personal S.M.A.R.T. goal