Using GradNation.org – A Guide for Communities
What is GradNation.org?
GradNation.org is the primary online destination for users seeking to learn about, connect into and act on behalf of the GradNation Movement. Whether it is finding information on core topics critical to increasing high school graduation rates; exploring ways to get involved in local efforts; engaging with a robust online community of stakeholders implementing dropout prevention efforts; or sharing stories through text and multimedia, users of GradNation.org will become better equipped to help move the country closer to achieving higher graduation rates.
All GradNation.org users can navigate the site by topic area, access resources and tools, view discussion boards and share success stories in print, photo or video. Community collaborative groups, local organizations, America’s Promise partners, individuals and more can customize their experience by creating a profile, engaging in discussion boards, connecting in an ecosystem of their peers and submitting and sharing their own best practices, resources and tools.
At the heart of GradNation.org are channels, groups, stories and the blog. Channels will take the users to a landing page of general information and an aggregate listing of all other related content within the site (research, reports, multimedia). Groups are designed to facilitate communication between GradNation.org users. Groups can be formed around channel areas, geographic locations, events, etc. Within groups users can engage in activities such as posting, commenting, taking a poll, or starting a wiki. Stories come from individuals and organizations and are linked to at least one of the Five Promises. GradNation.org users can share how they have seen the five promises in action, how their organization is bringing the five promises to communities and much more. The blog is a collection of commentary and posts from leaders in the field. The content is curated by America's Promise Alliance and users are encouraged to comment on blog posts.
Is there a group for GradNation Community Summit Conveners?
Yes! We have created a group specifically for the GradNation Community Summits. In this group you can find posts on past and future summits, connect with fellow conveners and participants, find new resources and get your questions answered, but you will need to sign up/join GradNation.org to access the group.
How do I join GradNation.org?
If you’d like the cliff notes version for how to join this online community, scroll down to the end of this document to use our GradNation.org cheat sheet to get started!
Creating an Individual Profile
An individual profile allows you to fully participate in GradNation.org. Individual profiles can include your website and social media links, a photo, and short biography. The more you fill out, the more people will connect with you and the topics that are most important to you.
Start your individual profilehereto create your login and once this is set up you will access to your User Dashboard where you can complete your profile.
Organization Profiles
Now that you have an individual profile, you can create your organization’s profile. The organization profile shows the following information:
· Channel areas that are important to your organization;
· The mission and purpose, or additional information you wish to share about your organization;
· Resources submitted to GradNation;
· Website;
· Social media links; and
· Organization point person through a linked individual profile.
Your organization’s name can also be linked to stories submitted under the Act section. To get started on your organization profile, starthere.Here's a helpful hint: use the full URLfor all social links – the handle alone does not get people to yourpages.
I’m all signed up, now what?
User Dashboard
Keep up with the people you follow on GradNation.org at your User Profile page. See what has been shared in posts, Q&A, Wikis and Polls from people and groups you follow. See who is following you, your profile information and your own community conversations board, as well as what is happening in the most active groups. Find out what is happening by reviewing your dashboard atgradnation.org/dashboard.
Groups
Again, groups can be formed around channel areas, geographic locations, events, etc. To join a group you can either click the green “Join Group” button, or simply join the conversation by commenting or asking a question. If you don’t see a group you want to join you can start your own! Under Connect, click on Groups at the top of the menu. Click the green “Create a Group” box in the upper right corner.
Stories
Stories come from individuals and organizations, and are linked to at least one of the Five Promises. Individuals have submitted stories about how they have seen one or more of the Five Promises in action, or experienced them first hand in their own lives. Organizations have shared stories showing how their work is not only fulfilling their mission, but also fulfilling one or more of the Five Promises through the impact on a community or individual.
Stories come in many varieties. Does you organization have videos on YouTube that tell the story of struggle or success? Upload them! Put your experience to paper so to speak and write your story. Include photos or tell your story through photos and just a few words. However you do decide to share your story,start here.
Still need some help? Here are a few examples:
· The Road to College: Kevin and Bart
· Three Lives Changed Through Mentor Relationships
· Even the Strongest Can Be Broken
GradNation.org Sign Up Cheat Sheet
To create an individual profile, follow this link: http://gradnation.org/user/register.
You’ll be asked for your first name, last name, and email address. Once inside, find your user dashboard under the connect tab. Through the dashboard you can create a profile that includes options such as:
· First and last name
· Bio
· Facebook URL
· LinkedIn URL
· Twitter URL
· Google URL
· Option to identify your organizations
· Phone number
· Website
An individual profile allows you join groups and discussion, ask and answer questions, or share a story.
Once you’ve signed up an organizational profile can be created. Go to your user dashboard, click on edit profile and create an organization.
Is there a group for GradNation Community Summit Conveners?
Yes! We have created a group specifically for the GradNation Community Summits. In this group you can find posts on past and future summits, connect with fellow conveners and participants, find new resources and get your questions answered, but you will need to sign up/join GradNation.org to access the group. Sign up for GradNation.org today to join the conversation.