SAMPLE BUDGET FOR THE SOAR PROJECT
March 3, 2004
Please note that this is an estimate of the likely expenses your chapter will incur in order to run the SOAR program. You can change these figures to fit the needs of your program.
SOME DETAILS OF THE PROGRAM:
The SOAR program was originally developed for use in a classroom environment. Written by teachers for teachers, each book was designed to be offered over the course of one school semester. Each student workbook covers separate, though complementary, topics:
o Book One examines Learning and Learning Disabilities.
o Book Two looks at Study Skills for school success.
o Book Three delves into the choices and paths students will have to select as they move into high school and beyond.
Depending on the make up of the group and the needs of the students within the group, different workshops can be developed utilizing different combinations and permutations of the materials. The strength of the SOAR materials lies in the discussions and conversations it elicits. Ample time needs to be allotted for discussions based on topics that SOAR presents and for addressing associated issues that may surface. Facilitators should be adept at working with groups of youth and soliciting their opinions and feedback. SOAR’s goal is to assist students with developing self-awareness and self-advocacy skills, which are difficult for everyone and especially challenging to youth with LD. Empathy for their situation is a must, as is the ability to normalize their experiences, decreasing anxiety and sense of isolation.
An 8-10 week program is suggested to ensure that enough material is covered and students are provided with the opportunity to practice the skills and vocabulary they develop. On-task time of at least an hour each meeting is encouraged. Each student should own their own workbook and be encouraged to treat it as their own learning portfolio, reviewing its contents on a regular basis. It is not necessary for the facilitator to review student workbooks. If the student wishes to treat the content as private, they should be allowed to do so. Students not willing to share the content of their workbook with others should be encouraged to join in group conversations and demonstrate their understanding of the materials in other ways.
LDAO will provide the Chapters with SOAR advertising materials, such as postcards and place information on our website for Chapters to use in marketing their SOAR workshops to their communities. While each pilot site will receive one complimentary set of materials for the use of the facilitator, chapters will be required to purchase all SOAR materials through Curriculum Services Canada’s on Pdstore. Student workbooks can be purchased individually for $6.35 or as a package of 3 for $16.15. A complete set with Teacher’s guide sells for $21.00, plus all applicable taxes.
Beyond providing the workbooks and physical space for the program, Chapters may also wish to provide students with materials to practice their study skills as outlined in Book Two. Students will be asked to prepare a “fake assignment” and present it to their classmates. Materials relevant to this presentation would be helpful, for example, bristle board, paper, scissors, magazines pictures, access to the Internet and/or library.
WHAT DOES LDAO SUGGEST THE PROGRAM LOOK LIKE
· The program should run for about 10 weeks, with no more than 2 hours of class time per week (the students may not be able to focus for more than 1 hour so the facilitator needs to monitor the level of energy in the session and make decisions accordingly.
· Class sizes should be kept relatively small with a suggested number of 10 to 12 students. More experienced facilitators may be capable of moderating a larger group and the final decision will be left to the individual Chapter’s discretion.
· Experience tells us that you will likely need 1 hour per week as preparation time for the facilitator.
· The facilitator should have 10 hours to do preparation work before the program begins. We estimate that 40 hours should be allocated for the facilitator. This may necessitate the chapter paying the preparation time up front with chapter funds and replacing it through the fees brought in from the program.
· Each participant will be responsible for covering the costs of the materials. The $16.15 fee for the materials should be included in the total fee charged.. Each student is required to have his or her own SOAR student manuals.) While there are 3 workbooks available, the number required by the student will vary depending on the make up of the program.
· LDAO suggest that the Facilitators Salary be at least $20 per hour. This may vary with the experience of the facilitator and should be built into the fees for the program.
LDAO WILL PROVIDE:
· A general job description for the facilitator
· LDAO will provide marketing materials (postcards and posters) and ideas but the chapter will be responsible for marketing locally
· LDAO will produce the evaluation forms for this project and set a timetable for chapters to forward to LDAO for product evaluation
· Administration costs will be associated with the marketing of this project.
CHAPTERS WILL PROVIDE
· All related administrative costs:
v the administration time associated with recruiting, hiring, and supervising the program i.e.
1. Program Set-up: (estimate 10 hours)
· Posting, hiring, and orientation of staff.
· Finding a room for the program.
· Purchasing material for the program (to be recouped through program fee
2. Program Marketing and Intake: (estimate 5 hours with some being done by the new program facilitator)
· Putting the LDAO marketing materials into the community
· Doing the intake of students for this program.
v Chapters will provide the physical space to run the program. Some chapters will get this space free of charge and others will have to pay for space. Please adjust the budget accordingly.
SAMPLE BUDGET
Facilitator Salary: $920.00
Room Rental Costs (if applicable):
Estimated Administration Costs: (36 hrs @ $25 hr) $900.00
SOAR Teachers Guide: (1 Guide) $24.15
Student SOAR Manuals: (Based on 10 students) $185.70 Total $2,029.85
BUDGET NOTES:
1. Estimated Administration Costs: to have staff get the program up and running = 15 hours plus any additional admin costs i.e. percentage of general overhead costs you may wish to charge (total of this line shouldn’t exceed $500) .
2. Facilitator Costs: Initial 10 hours of prep time to get the program ready. Over a proposed 10 week program 1 hour of prep time plus 1-2 hours per session per week for a total of 30 hours.: Calculations: 40 hrs * $20 per hour = $800 * 15% mandatory benefits = $920.00:
3. Costs to Rent a Location: Please fill in this blank as needed.
PLEASE NOTE: You will formulate your fees for this program based on your costs associated with running the program. Please feel free to seek funding to offset some of the costs associated with running the program. Just inform LDAO if you are approaching funders to offset any costs.