Reach Out! is accomplishing all that we had hoped and more. It continues to grow in programs and partnerships, to the great benefit of both the children we serve and the UM volunteers who provide the service. Funding from the PNCFD has allowed and encouraged this progress and we are very grateful for that. We are also, naturally, worried about how to carry on without that funding
We have pursued support through many other avenues, with modest success. The EECS Department allows our CCoG science club volunteers to use a car in the evening. The church itself also pays for rental of a university 15-passenger van. (Our volunteer numbers usually require both.) OAMI has supported our George science clubs with use of a university car. Still, transportation is a continuing problem for students, especially since we often work on the south and east sides of Ypsilanti. We would very much like to have more access to university vans, if we could afford it. The Chapelle mentoring program, in particular, would benefit greatly from more secure transportation arrangements than the current carpooling.
OAMI has also paid for some science club materials and for some staff time for record-keeping and evaluation. CUOS continues to provide office and lab space (for science kit storage and training); three computers, a printer, a scanner, copying and other office supplies; and continuing staff support for oversight, evaluation, Web work, publications, and so forth.
We could never have expanded our hands-on science clubs so dramatically without PNCFD and OAMI funding for durable and expendable experiment materials. In an attempt to make the most of these, we have largely abandoned our system of self-contained kits for each experiment; which required too much duplication of supplies such as scissors and tape and rulers. Also, since many clubs are into their third year at the same site, we need to be constantly adding new experiments to avoid repetition. This means more preparation time for lesson selection and kit assembly, with materials shopping time necessary nearly every week. We have no idea how we will be able to continue without a substantial, dedicated materials budget.
We have found it very difficult to secure organizational support for our programs, since we are not identified with or contained by any college or department. We are convinced that we must continue to deny "credit" for our activities to any organization or department in order to remain successful. Our volunteers come from many groups, who are only too happy to be hooked up to opportunities and sites for outreach work, but who do not want Reach Out! or anyone else taking credit for their efforts. We are matchmakers and a support system but our volunteers come from anywhere and everywhere.
W are planning to try next to obtain support from alumni donors who may wish to dedicate their gifts to a specific program. We believe this may be a fruitful pursuit, since such giving would be good for us and for the donors who can visit our sites or track, through our Web site, just how their gifts are being put to use.
We also, of course, welcome any assistance or suggestions the Office of the President can provide on how we should proceed.