Timeline

This timeline represents an example of how long it takes to get your ducks in a row for a Water Festival. This is a general timeline. If you have less time to plan, this will be compressed, if you have more, you can spread it out. (The earlier you start, the less busy you will be each month with Water Festival tasks.)

9 months ahead

DO

  • Organize a planning committee
  • Meet with schools to initiate interest
  • Determine purpose, location and time. You may want to consult the school district or loyal Water Festival teachers to help you determine the best date for schools.
  • If you need to choose a new site, contact officials at potential sites and arrange visits.

COMMUNICATE

  • Share your festival date and location with the Statewide Coordinator.
  • Tell us how your committee is shaping up, and how we can help you grow it!

THINK

  • Begin to practice delegating tasks. Ask one person to contact the school district, another the site, etc..

8-7 months ahead

DO

  • Call potential sponsors and volunteers to advise them of the location and date. Ask if you can count on their support (either in the form of donated money, donated in-kind contributions, and/or volunteers)
  • Keep track of all responses and do follow-up phone calls if necessary.

COMMUNICATE

  • Share festival dates and plans with previous sponsors and volunteers. They are likely to be your biggest, most reliable supporters.

THINK

  • Who haven’t I invited to participate in this great event?

7-6 months ahead

DO

  • Time to recruit teachers and classes! Send the teacher and principal recruiting materials to schools.
  • When you speak with teachers, encourage them to attend a Project WET workshop.

COMMUNICATE

  • Work with the statewide coordinator to set dates for teacher workshops.

THINK

  • Are there any small (charter, private, etc.) schools we have not invited yet?

6-5 months ahead

DO

  • Send more information (confirmation, etc) to teachers and schools that are attending.
  • If you are turning down classes due to space and budget limitations, you may want to make a policy that schools that are turned away this year receive priority for next year.
  • Remind teachers you haven’t heard from of the festival.

COMMUNICATE

  • Let the statewide coordinator know how many teachers are planning on attending each workshop. Plan additional dates if necessary.

5-4 months ahead

DO

  • Plan the volunteer training and call or send emails to all interested volunteers and presenters. Send out volunteer registration forms to all potential volunteers.
  • Use the potential sponsor packet to send out letters to request support from potential sponsors and in-kind contributors.
  • Begin to plan for festival-day logistics:
  • Begin by looking at materials needed on the “festival supplies” spreadsheet. Sort out what you have, what you can borrow, and what you would like to purchase or make this year.
  • Assemble a list of what consumable materials you need. From that list, decide what needs to be purchased and what can be donated in-kind (bring this list to Committee Meetings). Use your existing connections in the community to find funding and in-kind support.
  • Make a rough draft of your schedule for the festival day.

COMMUNICATE

  • Let everyone from whom you plan to borrow supplies know what you need and plan a method and time for delivery or pick-up.

4-3 months ahead

DO

  • Arrange for all materials:
  • Call for quotes: tent companies, port-a-pottty companies, catering companies, etc.
  • Double check with teachers about their plans to attend the Project WET workshop. Make sure to keep track of teachers who have already done the workshop and want to participate in festival again.
  • Invite sponsors to provide items for the teacher and student bags. Set a date for the items to be in about two weeks before the festival.

COMMUNICATE

  • Confer with the Statewide Coordinator about who will be covering which expenses and how expenses covered by Arizona Project WET will be paid for. (PO, P-Card, or other system…)
  • Provide estimates of your numbers of volunteers for the Statewide Coordinator so T-shirts can be ordered.

3-2 months ahead

DO

  • Finalize the schedule of the day (including bus pickup times, catering delivery times and tent installation times-arrange for security if needed)
  • Create a map and overall layout of the site
  • Conduct the Teacher Training Workshops
  • Send a “Teacher Packet” to each participating teacher. This packet includes class name forms, pre-festival activities, photo release forms, the water festival pre- and post-tests, and any other pertinent information (like date, times, buses, lunches, etc).

COMMUNICATE

  • Send all your number information to the Project WET office so official press releases can be drafted and mailed to newspapers.
  • Contact all participating teachers with a reminder about their commitment.
  • Share all of you sponsors and levels with the statewide office so that sponsors can be appropriately recognized on t-shirts and banners.

3 weeks ahead

DO

  • Call all vendors and make sure everything is on track.
  • Arrange for volunteer trainings (you may need more than one).
  • Send an email to all volunteers about the dates you have planned to conduct a volunteer training. Ask each volunteer to RSVP to you.
  • Make nametags for each class with the teacher’s name, the class name, and the appropriate color on it. (Also leave space for student names to be written on.)

COMMUNICATE

  • Arrange for Project WET staff to facilitate the volunteer training.

2 weeks ahead

DO

  • Send nametags and all final instructions to teachers.
  • Confirm with volunteers that they will be at the training.
  • Create any signs you need for restrooms, staging areas, or parking.
  • Copy off detailed instructions for presenters and other pertinent info for area coordinators and guides.
  • Collect all items for student and teacher bags.

COMMUNICATE

  • Let whoever is leading your volunteer training know how many participants to expect.

1 week ahead

DO

  • Breathe and go thru everything again with your planning committee. You are almost there!
  • Stuff teacher and student bags. Make plans to either deliver them directly to schools or load them onto the busses (in boxes) during the festival.

COMMUNICATE

  • Ask the statewide coordinator for help with any last minute concerns. Don’t fret about things alone! Just give a call.

A few days before

DO

  • At the volunteer training, finalize all volunteer assignments. Call volunteers who haven’t been given a final assignment with their task for the festival.
  • Double check your supply lists and make sure everything is ready to go for the big day.

COMMUNICATE

  • AZ WET staff will be calling to check in on things at this point. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

Day before event

DO

  • Arrange for tents, tables and chairs to be set up
  • Display signs to designate areas, restrooms and first aid
  • Make sure you have all material and supplies ready to go
  • Check and check again!

COMMUNICATE

  • Make sure that everyone knows where each activity will be set up. The more volunteers “in the know” the smoother the setup will run.

Day of Event (before arrival of classes)

  • Congratulations!

DO

  • Help registration volunteers get set up
  • Have extra copies of the schedule so volunteers can help lost students
  • Provide a fact sheet for each media representative attending
  • Make sure all presenters and other volunteers have all material needed

Day of Event (during Festival)

DO

  • Relax and watch your efforts unfold!
  • Help presenters who seem to be struggling.
  • Thank teachers for their participation.

COMMUNICATE

  • Talk with VIPs and media representatives that come to the festival.

Day of Event (after Festival)

DO

  • Serve lunch to your volunteers
  • Ask all volunteers to complete a Volunteer Evaluation

COMMUNICATE

  • Thank your volunteers and begin to plan together for next year!

Days after the Water Festival

DO

  • Create file of all newspaper/media clippings and other press received for Project WET staff
  • Fill out the forms in the “reporting” folder of the dropbox and get them to Project WET staff.

COMMUNICATE

  • Report to Project WET staff: What worked? What didn’t work? What are your completed and returned evaluations telling you?

Four weeks after the Water Festival

COMMUNICATE

  • Ask teachers to make sure that they have done the student assessment with their students and the teacher evaluation, and returned them appropriately.

Congratulations on a successful Arizona Water Festival!