The Alumni Challenge Project by Alison Moncrief Bromage

1. The Alumni Challenge Projectby Alison MoncriefBromage How I planned to create a Vermont Adult Learning alumni data base and network and failed (or at least stalled out for now).

2. My goals and motivations: • I wanted to look into ways that we can, as a learning center and as an organization, get in touch with our graduates. • The idea was that this information would ultimately generate a data base of contact information for our graduates. • Ultimately, I imagine this “evidence” to be used as marketing material on our web page.

3. How? • I imagined this taking place in survey form, and also through personal interviews which would take place on the telephone, or in recorded interviews. • We could also gauge a graduates interests in an alumni connection. • I anticipated asking questions in interviews and on the survey like: What does VAL mean to you now that you are a graduate? What were some of the effective teaching/guiding/learning practices for you as a student at VAL? In what ways could VAL serve students better?

4. And what else? • Then, I wanted to conduct the interviews in a sort of “Story Corps” fashion; which is to say, I wanted to set up an interview booth at Graduation 2011. This would allow students and the families of our students the privacy to talk freely about their experiences at VAL, and with adult learning as a whole. I anticipated using this audio (perhaps video) as a way to document the important work we do. (Of course, there is the issue of releases.)

5. Bryan works 40+ hours a week as a mechanic. He had one English credit left to earn his diploma.

6. Ira is 17 and didn’t “fit in” at his high school. He recently designed a multi-media history project for himself.

7. Carrie thought about dropping out of high school as a freshman. At VAL, she and her teacher, Don, worked on a four-chaptered Art History slide show.

8. Kristy spent two years at the Parent Child Center before coming to us. She is nearly done reading her first book ever.

9. Cody earned an Anthropology credit through VAL by researching the history of the bow drill. With help from his teacher (me), he built one too.

10. Why Story Corps? Why Alumni Networking? • We cannot underestimate the power of inspiring learning stories as a way to market ourselves and what we do. • We cannot underestimate the strength and vibrancy of an alumni network as a medium for ‘marketing’ ourselves and what we do.

11. So, the Project was essentially fourfold: • Get ahold of alumni and begin to generate a data base of contact information. • Gauge alumni interest in joining a network. • Survey recent graduates for ideas, opinions, and feedback about VAL. • Conduct a Story Corps state wide project.

12. (These are the clip art slides which came up when I searched for “ambitious!”)

13. And, I suppose the project was similar to Icarus’ flight…

14. Graduation Day was hectic, • And so, there was no time nor space to properly conduct interviews. • We did not have enough time in the venue (at Middlebury College) to set up and take down a Story Corps booth amid the ceremony preparation. • I did document the day by taking many photographs and as many short videos as I could.

15. Shortly thereafter, I sent out a survey to 27 of the 2011 graduates. • Each was sent with a self-addressed, stamped envelope so the survey could be returned easily. • Each survey had a deadline. • The survey contained the following questions:

16. The Survey • Overall, how was your experience with VAL? Please check as many of the boxes as are applicable. • Excellent, it changed my life. • It was okay, helped me get what I needed. • It was disappointing. • Other; please explain in the space below: • What made it hardest for you to do the work here at VAL; what were the barriers that you overcame to work with us? • Transportation • Family commitments/Childcare • Job commitments • Other; please specify in the space below:

17. Survey, cont. • What were some of the things (teaching strategies, teacher relationships, VAL culture) which worked best for you during your time here at VAL? • One-on-one tutoring • Flexible scheduling • The office culture • Other; please explain in the space below: • Overall, how was the course load for you? • Too challenging • Not challenging enough • Just right

18. Survey, cont. • We would like you to remain connected with Vermont Adult Learning and our community. How would you prefer to stay in contact with us? • In person • On a Facebook page • At a social event which we would host (For example, if we invited you back to VAL for an informal luncheon every now and then, would you come?) • Other ideas; please use space below:

19. Survey, cont. • We need more volunteers in our organization. Would you be interested in volunteering with us in the future in any of the following ways? • Event Planning, you would help plan and work at VAL fund raisers like Big Truck Day and the Craft Fair. • On the Student Advisory Board, this is a group who decides the important details about student affairs and events. (Each meeting usually involves pizza!) • By coming back to VAL to talk to other students about your experiences? • By contacting your state representatives in the Legislatureon our behalf? • By distributing flyers in your community? • Other volunteer ideas; please use space below:

20. Survey, cont. • Can you please give us your contact information, or the best way to get a hold of you? Phone number, cell phone, email address, or mailing address? • Are there any other comments or suggestions that you have?

21. Results • Roughly 30% of the surveys were returned. (9 people responded out of 27. We gave away a book of stamps!) • 100% of the respondents said their time with VAL was “excellent.” • Nearly half of respondents said that either transportation or job commitments were barriers to their attendance with VAL.

22. Results • 100% of respondents said that the 1 on 1 tutelage was integral to their success at VAL. • 97% said that the flexible schedule of the learning center contributed to their success. • 100% said that the work load was “just right” for them. • 80% said that they would like to keep in touch in person or over Facebook.

23. Results, cont. • And 87% said they would like to be in touch through an alumni event. • 100% offered to volunteer in some capacity. • An overwhelming majority of respondents indicated that they would be interested in coming back to VAL and talking to students about motivation and commitment.

24. What this means, the successes: • 30% of our graduates in 2011 reported having an “excellent” time at VAL. • Their class work and its delivery suited them well. • Most alumni want to be connected with each other and with current students. • Most would attend a “networking” function, if we were to host one.

25. What this means, the successes: • In combination with the Student Advisory Board data base, Addison County now has begun an alumni contact information data bank. • We have a general sense of how and when to tap into the recourses of alumni in our county. • We also have a small collection of photographs and video from Graduation 2011.

26. Work still to be done: • 70% of our graduates didn’t respond to our survey, Why? • How to get a hold of past alumni? • Organizing and hosting an event. • Using one of these events to delve in to interviewing alumni in Story Corps fashion. • Cultivating and monitoring more of an on-line presence.

27. Work still to be done, bigger picture: • How do we use this information to connect with the Student Advisory Board and promote more of a student network? • How do we contact our students in our demographics? In separate counties? Across the state? • What is it that keeps people connected to an institution?

28. Work still to be done, bigger picture: • How do we do this without creating a position for this work? (i.e.: How do I do this work and do my job at VAL?) • Do we need to communicate in new ways? Door to door? Word of mouth? • How do we advertise what we do? • What is meaningful to our alumni? • What programs can we develop to connect students and alumni?

29. Was it a failure? No, but there is work to be done on many fronts. Five months wasn’t enough time. The project continues…

30. AND… Please contact me if you have ideas or suggestions, or if you want to collaborate! • abromage@vtadultlearning.org • 388.4392