Mid Term Evaluation

 Objective of the evaluation is to focus on progress made in terms of process.  How the action plan have been operationalized  What is the sequence of the task/actions carried out  How are the resources optimized  Half Marathon Check  Progress report to take stock of the implementation plan  Be a reflective SL practitioner (ie focus on reflective process)

 SLF style  Allocated a timeslot to present, arrive 10 minutes before your given time.  Elevator Pitch (Verbal Presentation): 2 min  Service process report: 5 min  Clarification: 5 min

 An elevator pitch, elevator speech or elevator statement is a short summary used to quickly and simply define a process, product, service, organization, or event and its value proposition  The name 'elevator pitch' reflects the idea that it should be possible to deliver the summary in the time span of an elevator ride, or approximately thirty seconds to two minutes  The term itself comes from a scenario of an accidental meeting with someone important in the elevator. If the conversation inside the elevator in those few seconds is interesting and value adding, the conversation will either continue after the elevator ride, or end in exchange of business cards or a scheduled meeting

 Identify your Area of concern/UP  Explain your service objective  Explain what you do  Engage with a question  Put it all together  Practise

 Start by thinking about your area of concern/UP.  For instance, do you want to tell the assessors your reflection? Do you have a great new idea that you want to pitch to the assessors? Or do you want a simple and engaging speech to explain what your group is doing?

 Start your pitch by describing what your group does. Focus on the problems that you solve and how you help people. If you can, add information or a statistic that shows the value in what you do.  Ask yourself this question as you start writing: what do you want your audience to remember most about project?  Keep in mind that your pitch should excite you first; after all, if you don't get excited about what you're saying, neither will your audience. Your pitch should bring a smile to your face and quicken your heartbeat. People may not remember everything that you say, but they will likely remember your enthusiasm.  Example:  Imagine that you're creating an elevator pitch that describes what your project does. You could say, "My project helps the poor in redhill estate”  A better explanation would be, “My project aims to better the lives of the socially immobile resident of redhill to by teaching them skills that will help them better their lives.  That's much more interesting, and shows the value that you provide to your beneficiaries.

 Your elevator pitch also need to communicate your UP  Identify what makes you, your project, or your idea, unique. You'll want to communicate your UP after you've talked about what you do.  Example:  To highlight what makes your project unique, you could say, "We use a novel approach because unlike most other projects, we visit each family to find out exactly what people need or lack. Although this takes a bit more time, it means that on average, 95 percent of out target group is able to benefit from the project”

 After you communicate your USP, you need to engage your audience. To do this, prepare open-ended questions (questions that can't be answered with a "yes" or "no" answer) to involve them in the conversation.  Make sure that you're able to answer any questions that he or she may have.  Example:  You might ask "So, what do you think of our project? Are there any areas you feel we should enhance?"

 When you've completed each section of your pitch, put it all together.  Then, read it aloud and use a stopwatch to time how long it takes. It should be no longer than 2 minutes. Otherwise you risk losing the person's interest, or monopolizing the conversation.  Then, try to cut out anything doesn't absolutely need to be there. Remember, your pitch needs to be snappy and compelling, so the shorter it is, the better!  Example:  Here's how your pitch could come together:  “My project aims to better the lives of the socially immobile resident of redhill to by teaching them skills that will help them better their lives.  “We use a novel approach because unlike most other projects, we visit each family to find out exactly what people need or lack. Although this takes a bit more time, it means that on average, 95 percent of out target group is able to benefit from the project”  “So, what do you think of our project? Are there any areas you feel we should enhance?"

 Like anything else, practice makes perfect. Remember, how you say it is just as important as what you say. If you don't practice, it's likely that you'll talk too fast, sound unnatural, or forget important elements of your pitch.  Set a goal to practice your pitch regularly. The more you practice, the more natural your pitch will become. You want it to sound like a smooth conversation, not an aggressive sales pitch.  Make sure you are aware of your body language as you talk, which conveys just as much information to the listener as your words do. Practice in front of a mirror or, better yet, in front of friends until the pitch feels natural.  As you get used to delivering your pitch, it's fine to vary it a little – the idea is that it doesn't sound too formulaic or like it's pre-prepared, even though it is!

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 The mirror  The microscope  The binoculars

 Reflection as a mirror helps you understand yourself, your values. It helps you begin to see how the service experience has helped you learn more about these aspects of yourself.  What have I learned about myself from this service experience?  How has the experience affected my understanding of the group I’m working with? of the community? of my own role in the community?  How has this experience challenged my assumptions or biases?  How has it challenged me physically?  How will these experiences change the way I act or think in the future?

 Reflection as a microscope helps you understand the impact of individual activities on the people or community served, on yourself, and on the project as a whole. It allows you to reflect on events that occurred, your role in them, and their impact.  What happened today?  What would I change about the situation if I were in charge, and why?  What have I learned about the people I work with?  Were there moments of failure, success, indecision, humor, happiness, sadness?  Do I feel my actions had an impact? On whom?  Does my experience complement or contrast to what I’m learning class?  Has the learning I’ve gained from this experience taught me more, less, or the same as in class? In what ways?

 Reflections as binoculars helps you identify larger issues that surround the service project in which you’re engaged. It can expand your vision and understanding of causes, effects, and impacts, and help you envision future developments.  Are there underlying or over-arching issues that influence the problem or need our service project is addressing?  What are they? How did I identify them?  What could be done to change the situation?  How will this realization change my future behaviors and decisions?  How have others in the community addressed and impacted these issues at larger levels (politically or socially)?  What does the future hold? What can be done?

 Evaluators will look out for:  Progress  Process  Presentation