External Tasks
Scheduling Visits
*We use the same method for scheduling visits. It is important to keep track of your visits so that in your following years you can draw on your contacts and schedule presentations every year.*
We use a database in Microsoft Access to keep track of scheduling visits. In the first year of a program, you may not have many visits on the schedule. Therefore it's important to work with your presenters and your contacts to find a time that works for both. You may need to adapt and be flexible with your schedule because you want to acquire more visits. In following years, you may have a high demand of visits and be able to be more rigid and selective, choosing visits that work more ideally with your schedule.
Different types of visits that we have found effective are:
- In-class, all-female visits
- A school-wide session in the library, where interested girls have been excused from class
- An afterschool visit, combining girls from similar grades and classes
- Girl Scout Meeting
Visits we have found difficult and try to avoid:
- Science Fairs
- Open community events without an RSVP system
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We like events where we can know we have the girls' attention, can deliver our presentation and activity in the time given, and know how many girls will be in attendance. It is always helpful to go through a school or a specific contact where they can advertise your visit internally. |
Schools, especially for an in-class visit, will want to schedule far in advance. This can be difficult when you are working with presenters who are on a quarter system. Towards the end of each quarter, the presenters should turn in their availability for the following quarter since they should know their new schedules. You can then start to work with schools to give them the maximum amount of time to plan. They may want to schedule you 3-4 months out. Having a few graduate students with flexible schedules is incredibly helpful because they can predict their availability further out, and you can at least guarantee that a group of presenters will be available for a visit. In addition, PhD students stay in school for a while which will bring continuity to your program.
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