Site Coordinator Checklist

The following table is designed to provide guidance in your planning. These are the steps we believe will be necessary to complete for most CAW sites, but it may not be exhaustive for your site. Use the blank spaces for additional tasks necessary for planning your event. Remember, you don’t have to do all this work alone! Recruit volunteers and co-workers to assist.

Spring/Summer Status Due Date Task Notes

Recruit your core Oregon College Application Week implementation team and meet with them to determine the dates of your site’s College Application Week and which activities you plan to undertake.

Sign up to be an official site by completing the site application at http://oregongoestocollege.org

Facebook (http://facebook.com/OregongGoesToCollege), follow @ORGoesToCollege on Twitter, or sign up to receive updates via the RSS feed at http://oregongoestocollege.org.

September Status Due Date Task Notes

Review the Site Coordinator Handbook and the materials at (http://oregongoestocollege.org) and contact Oregon GEAR UP with any initial questions.

Reserve computer lab or other appropriate space for your CAW activities.

Add CAW activities to your school or organization’s calendar of events. Complete the Pre-event Information Survey on the website to inform the steering committee about your event dates and times and to order free promotional items (i.e. posters, stickers, etc.).

Consider “liking” the Oregon Goes to College Facebook page or following @ORGoesToCollege on Twitter so that you receive regular updates and ideas in your newsfeed.

Distribute the CAW Overview for Teachers and Staff handout (download from the website). Encourage them to brainstorm additional college awareness and readiness activities to be held during your event.

Send a notice about CAW home to parents and encourage them to talk with their students about the event and application process. (Download a Family Letter template on the website, where you’ll also find templates in the following languages: Spanish, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Russian, Somali, and Vietnamese)

Solicit door prizes from area colleges and businesses. It is a good idea to put someone on your committee in charge of this task. (Download a Donation Request Letter template on the website.) Request that your local governmental municipality proclaims your selected week as “College Application Week in [your town/city/county/etc.]” (Download a Proclamation Request template on the website.)

Participate in the #whyichose social media campaign and encourage colleagues to do the same. October

Status Due Date Task Notes Sign up for VolunteerSpot using the password provided by Oregon GEAR UP to recruit and manage volunteers.

Recruit any additional volunteers from your school and community to assist students in College Application Week labs and in planning and coordinating event activities. (Download a Volunteer Request Letter template on the website)

Work with your school counseling staff to determine which senior students have not yet applied to college, so that you can issue them a special invitation to participate in your CAW event. Create a detailed schedule of College Application Week activities and distribute it to teachers and school staff. Send a notice home to inform parents about your CAW events. Send a press release to your local media outlets. Consider inviting them to send a reporter cover the event. (Download a Pre-event Press Release template on the website.) Confirm the participation of your volunteers. (VolunteerSpot can help with this!) Hang posters and other signs around your building to advertise the event. (Color posters will arrive with your CAW swag; download B&W posters on the website.)

Print a comprehensive list of seniors (include full legal name and birth dates) that can be used as a sign- in sheet during your CAW event. Check computers to ensure that no pertinent websites are blocked by your school or district. Particularly critical are OregonGoesToCollege.org and college/university websites.

November

Status Due Date Task Notes

Hang School Information Posters in the computer labs or other areas where CAW will take place. (Download a template from the website.)

Print copies of Oregon Public University Fee Deferral Forms and NACAC Fee Waiver Forms to have on hand during your event.

Print copies of the “I Applied … Now What” handout to distribute to students during your event. (Download from the website.)

If students will not be able to use the online survey after they complete their applications, print copies of the Student Survey. (Download from the website.) We strongly urge you to use paper copies ONLY if your site does not have the technology to allow for your students to use the online survey.) Take photos of all pre-CAW and CAW events. Post those photos to the Oregon Goes To College Facebook page to share your event with the rest of the state! Remind students to complete the College Application Worksheet and bring it with them to your site’s CAW event. Host CAW at your site (See the Event Day Reminders in the coordinator’s handbook for a day-of checklist; download additional copies for your team from the website.)

After Oregon College Application Week

Status Due Date Task Notes

Work with your counseling office to complete the required College Application Week Coordinator’s Survey.

Send press releases and photos to your local newspaper and other media outlets. Share your photos and updates with Oregon Goes To College and/or your school/organization’s Facebook page (only if you have school media releases on file for students pictured). (Download a Post-Event Press Release template from the website.)

Send thank you notes to volunteers and donors who supported Oregon College Application Week. Consider sending handwritten notes from students! (Download a Volunteer Thank You Letter template from the website.)