SRPYS
Program Overview
“The Santa Rosa Philharmonic Youth Symphony (SRPYS) is an organization which has developed plans to educate and advance the skills of young musicians. Their program planning and evaluation techniques are established, but always open to change as the students and musical tastes vary from year to year, says Burgess (2010) This organization comes along side students both in elementary and middle school and give them the opportunity to succeed in the musical world. Many of these students have no other opportunity to become involved in the musical arts because their families do not have the resources to provide such an advantage. About SRYPS the University of Phoenix (2010) says that their pursuit is to, “educate and advance the skills of young musicians, enabling them to reach their highest potential.” The youth symphony changes slightly as it’s faculty add new programs but some things will never change. SRPYS hopes that through their programs young people will be molded into young citizens with an education and love of music, who display appreciation and respect and are financially sound. SRYPS also encourages excellence in both musicianship and leadership training and opportunities. SRYPS’s target population is that of young students in the Santa Rosa area and especially those with musical talent. The community that it serves also includes anyone who will attend the performances of these young musicians, the musical community, colleges, universities, and private organizations which may later educate and employ these students. SRYPS has existed for many years , is a non-profit organization, and is currently fundraising so that it can continue its mission. This agency’s programs do not have a closed-ended timeline, because their goal is to thrive for years to come.
Assessment
SRYPS is a valuable program which strives to build up thriving musicians. They do this by focusing on young people that are just developing their musical love and talents. The program then supports these youth as it helps to build their love, passion, and ability for music. They mold these young people into strong leaders with the right connections that can help launch them into successful musical careers as their talents allow. SRYPS allows these budding musicians to follow their dreams and gives them access to a brighter future.
Program Needs and Problem Statement
Like all organizations, funding is a major hurtle for SRYPS. With the current economy funding is becoming harder to find. It takes a huge amount of focus and creativity in the organization’s staff to do this fundraising justice. Understanding exactly what partners and donors are looking for can be challenging but it is necessary in order to have the most effect in requesting funds from these entities. There is already plenty of interest and support in and for this program as well as a need for it in the community which will be the first deciding factor for future donors. The organizations willingness to strive toward making the program a success will also mean a lot to these investors. However, while SRYPS is set well for convincing such funding agencies, they still have financial need.
Perhaps one cause of this need lies in the fact that schools within the Santa Rosa area have begun to cut music programs from their budgets. These schools are refusing their students the opportunity to learn and grow in this area of arts. Everyone outside of the school staff has become very concerned. They fear that these students may get themselves into trouble as they begin to fill their time with less positive influences. Law enforcement even worries that the crime rate may rise as these students are influenced by negative outside forces. It is a shame that this could occur when a simple program to keep these children busy could make all the difference, a program just like SRYPS. Another worry parents have is that their students may not have an opportunity to experience the musical arts until high school or even college. By this time who knows if the student will still be interested, they may simply choose a different path. A very different future would be in store for students with or without this program, and especially for those students whose families cannot afford private lessons or tutoring.
A survey taken recently found that this, indeed, was a fear of the community members. It seemed that they saw the loss of this program as a crippling of Santa Rosa youth. They thought that without opportunities such as this that these students would be behind musically and would loose interest in musical arts all together. These people that were surveyed suggested a music program that would support low income families and their children. This, is exactly what the Santa Rosa Philharmonic Youth Symphony (SRPYS) does. Their mission, goals, and objectives help include students who have been left out from musical experiences, but they still need funding to operate within the community.
“While not all students will be talented enough to perform in the major Philharmonic events, some will gain entry to the Symphony proper through auditions which are held each June. Those who are not chosen will still be able to participate in education and appreciation programs; thus, keeping them interested and exposed to different types of music while also aspiring to be accepted to the Symphony through practice and individual learning opportunities,” said Burgess (2010)
Program Planning
Program planning is will be difficult, for sure, but building an effective plan for the daily operating of this program that also meets partners expectations is very important. The staff focused on this project will need to begin by outlining a clear and honest definition of the mission, goals, and objectives of the program. Then funding sources must be located, needs assessments formulated, and evaluation methods developed. This will help to make certain that the program stays on track and will help continue measuring how well this program meets participant needs. The program will fail if it is found wanting in any of these areas, regardless of the intentions of all involved.
After the basic activities, evaluative forms, and budgets are expressed, the needs for staff recruitment, hiring, and training needs to be addressed. Some staff members that are already involved with the program may have the experience, talents, and passion to help structure, design, and implement the program expansion if they receive concurrent raises in their pay, and it would be best to use this staff first, before taking applications from outsiders. During the process of developing the program functions it is important to consider opinion of the current staff members and giving a survey or even talking openly with this staff may prove useful. Their satisfaction is important for both directing the program in the present and in the future. Most of the information collected from these evaluations was done so through student participation and input from school staff. While they know what they want their target population to be, they may need to alter it to allow more students into lower skill-level programs.
Outreach to the clientele should not be difficult, since the program is already working within the community. Some students need to be recruited; mainly ones who have not been exposed to these programs previously, but this should be easy as well. SRYPS can advertise through encouraging school staff, fliers put in key areas, and even charity performances that build excitement and inspire the public to get involved.
SYPS’s programs will be documented through log-in sheets, progress charts filled out by staff members, records of students who are accepted and perform with the troupe, and evaluations by all individuals involved. Lastly, assessments will be executed bi-annually and reviewed by everyone involved to make sure they are continuing to meet the mission, goals, and objectives of the program and agency.
Alternative Funding
Funding, again, will always be an obstacle for any organization and while this organization has several current contributors, money has become scarce because of the current economic conditions, closure of some of the current partners’ businesses, and reduced giving by donors. It is reasonable to believe that some of the previous partners will continue supporting their program, but it can not be assumed that hey will all do so or that any would without first receiving a firm commitment of some kind. SYPS will apply for some corporate and government grants but it will be necessary to consider alternative funding as well. Some options include benefit concerts, selling promotional items, distributing flyers to community members, and approaching local vendors for monetary donations. This would allow the agency to survive, but requesting funding from large and well endowed agencies, universities, and other non-traditional sources might just be the best way to fund the programs SYPS desires to continue. They can also approach musical instrument makers, sellers, and other musical organizations to obtain new and used instruments. This could help provide a solution to a significant problem students have in not being able to afford their own instruments. Whatever their plan of action, it will certainly take creative and legal financial planning and management to budget these funds well and invest them in a way that they will accumulate interest and do the organization the most good.
Implementation
Challenges and obstacles spurn growth and the wisdom to overcome any barriers that may present themselves. It is no different in organizations. If problems arise within the program staff will simply make changes as necessary. However, it is unlikely that it will be more than SYPS can handle. The staff members already involved in the program can obtain additional training so that they are well suited to educate students, not already in music programs and are new to the idea. Communication which is key in any relationship will become vital if SYPS intends to match the needs of the client, the program, and the local community. The largest challenge this agency faces is raising enough money to continue their programs. Without the resources to operate, the organization could collapse because of demands on its finances. Nonetheless, SYPS is not stressed over implementing this program. They have been doing this for years and are just hoping to reach a new group with different needs.
Evaluation
The evaluation of this organization needs to be able to produce; reports, further needs assessments, and a consistent stream of information from all parties. The information from this evaluation should be available for all involved in the project. Clear and open communication must be kept within all staff members. Surveys, checklists, focus groups, and feedback sessions should take place regularly. Proper personnel must be notified so they can address any issues or challenges the program may face. They may also make the decision to change the goals and objectives, if needed, to meet the needs of the target population. If problems arise, they should be dealt with quickly and with respect. The program and staff handbooks will clarify the procedures and consequences if negative action is required. Project and outcome evaluations which are self-administered and viewed from objective third parties will help to clarify the success or failure of this program.
Summary
The Santa Rosa Philharmonic Youth Symphony offers many chances for young musicians and also profits the surrounding communities. They do this by opening the doors for budding musicians, especially those who may have little means. They allow these students to be involved in a rich music program that will impact them greatly. They support not only students, but also all who truly love music. Performances will be enjoyed by many and those who choose to participate will reap great rewards. SYPS is well on their way to success as they implement a strategy to continue forward. They will continually review budgetary status, needs of clientele, desires of the community, financial resources which may need to be tapped, and the effectiveness of the program. They will measure this effectiveness by how well they meet the mission, goals, and objectives of the organization. If SYPS continues to take full advantage of their current programs and remains open to new, innovative technology, teaching, and performance methods, they should succeed. Beyond that, however, they should be able to assist in molding and changing many youth into thriving citizens for many years to come.
References
Burgess, M. (2010).Program Planning and Evaluation Paper. Retrieved from: University of Phoenix coursework.
Terao, K., Terao, K.L. & Yuen. (2003) Practical Grant Writing and Program Evaluation. Brooks and Cole/Cengage Learning, Florence, KY.
