Project-Planning Guide

It can be overwhelming to plan a project from scratch. But with a little planning, you can have a successful project that can have a positive impact on your school or community. Below is a list outlining the general steps to creating a project. You can also download our project-planning workbook to make the planning process a little easier!

Brainstorm

What problems in your school/community need to be addressed?
Which issue do you think is most important (which one means the most to you, or which one do you think affects youth the most?)

Come up with a Project

I. Reflect:

What are some other youth-run events you have participated in (fundraisers or other events at school, different community events, etc.)? If you’re stumped for inspiration, check out some of the projects in DEAL.org’s Youth Initiatives section!
What were some of the strengths of these projects?
What could have been improved about these projects?
Could elements of these projects be useful as inspiration for your project?

II. Develop your project:

What are some different ways you could address the issue you selected?
Which of these ideas do you think would be best to develop into your project (or maybe you could combine a few of them)?

Write it Down!

Create a general outline of your project. Things to include are:

The issue you’re addressing
The goal of the project
A brief summary of what you want your project to be
A short explanation of how your project will help you achieve your goal

Prepare for Obstacles

Every project is bound to come up against a few barriers. But planning for them ahead of time can save a lot of stress!

Name the three biggest barriers you’re likely to face (for example, lack of money, lack of support from teachers at school or lack of space to hold an event).
Come up with one or two strategies to address each barrier should it occur (for example, hold a bake sale to raise money, give a presentation to staff to outline why your project is important, approach community centres to see if you can use their space, etc).
Outline two or three steps you’ll need to take to implement each strategy (for example, recruit people to bake cookies for the bake sale, obtain permission from the school to hold a bake sale, advertise the bake sale).

Find Partners

There are many groups in your school or community that can help make your project great. Take some time to think about who it might be useful to approach. Here are some ideas of groups you may want to approach and some things to keep in mind:

I. Police

Would it be beneficial to partner with the police? How so?
Keep in mind that police are very busy, but most police forces have an element of community involvement and crime prevention in their mandate. If your project doesn’t require extra work on the part of the police, this may be a workable partnership – maybe they can help get the word out by telling other officers or young people they talk to!
Police are more likely to support your project if it relates to one of their priorities (for example, preventing or reducing crime.) Be creative in thinking about how your project relates to police priorities. At first glance, creating a youth group might not seem like it relates to the police at all. But by getting young people off the street and doing something constructive, youth groups can reduce the number of young people using drugs and alcohol, vandalizing public property, etc. This means there is less work for the police, and is a great reason for them to support such a project!

II. Community Resources

What are some of the community resources that may be useful to have as partners (think about individuals, businesses, charitable organizations, local Rotary Clubs, etc.)?
What do you hope to get out of partnering with these organizations (are you looking for a space to hold an event, someone to supply prizes, a company to donate food and beverages, etc.)?

III. School Resources

Do you need the support of teachers or your principal to carry out a project or event in your school? How will you approach them and convince them to support your plan?
Are there students with special talents, a club, or Student Council that might be interested in the area your project focuses on? If so, see if they’re interested in getting involved. Make a list of some key groups in your school you want to approach.
Spread the word and see if you can make an announcement or put up posters in your school. Enlist as many groups to help as you can! Write down some key messages you want to deliver in your announcement, on your posters or when you’re approaching groups to get involved.

Publicity

It’s great to have something planned, but you need to make sure people show up or get involved. A little publicity goes a long way!

See if you can make an announcement in your school or write a brief ad for your school newsletter.
If it’s an event in the community, see if a local radio station or newspaper is interested in covering the event. If you’re approaching media outlets, think of what you’ll say to get them interested in covering your project. Make sure you emphasize the creative elements of your project and outline what you’re trying to achieve.

Making your Project Sustainable

After all your hard work to make your project a success, make sure it’s sustainable. In other words, make sure that there is a way for the project to keep running once you’re not around anymore!

Once your project has been completed, reflect on what you’ve done. What went well? What could be improved for next time? This kind of reflection ensures that any future events will be even better!
Start planning for future events or set new goals to keep everyone interested.
Depending on the nature of your project, you may want to make sure that there are younger youth who are involved who can keep it going once you graduate or move on to a different school.
You may want to create a manual or step-by-step guide to help others start similar initiatives, or for people to keep the initiative running in case you are no longer involved in the future (when you move on to a different school, etc.)