Attic After School Business Plan
Summer 2011
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary....................................................................................................................................... 4
Organizational Background ........................................................................................................................... 5
Mission Statement .................................................................................................................................... 5
Current Status ........................................................................................................................................... 5
Free Time .............................................................................................................................................. 5
Talk Time ............................................................................................................................................... 5
Group Game Time ................................................................................................................................. 5
Other Events and Activities ................................................................................................................... 5
History ....................................................................................................................................................... 6
Management Team ................................................................................................................................... 6
Executive Board .................................................................................................................................... 6
Director ................................................................................................................................................. 7
Volunteers ............................................................................................................................................. 7
The Need ....................................................................................................................................................... 8
Meeting the Need ......................................................................................................................................... 8
Mentoring ................................................................................................................................................. 8
Safe Environment...................................................................................................................................... 8
Relationship Building ................................................................................................................................ 9
Leadership Training ................................................................................................................................... 9
Impact ......................................................................................................................................................... 10
Students .................................................................................................................................................. 10
Wyoming Park Community ..................................................................................................................... 10
Our Volunteers ........................................................................................................................................ 10
Marketing Plan ............................................................................................................................................ 11
Web ......................................................................................................................................................... 11
Current ................................................................................................................................................ 11
Plan...................................................................................................................................................... 11
T-Shirts .................................................................................................................................................... 11
Current ................................................................................................................................................ 11
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Plan...................................................................................................................................................... 11
School Visits ............................................................................................................................................ 11
Current ................................................................................................................................................ 11
Plan...................................................................................................................................................... 11
Operational Plan ......................................................................................................................................... 12
Current .................................................................................................................................................... 12
One Year Goal ......................................................................................................................................... 12
3-5 Year Goals ......................................................................................................................................... 12
Financial Plan .............................................................................................................................................. 13
Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 13
Strategy ................................................................................................................................................... 13
Budgets ................................................................................................................................................... 13
Risk Analysis ................................................................................................................................................ 15
Testimonies ................................................................................................................................................. 17
Delando’s Story ....................................................................................................................................... 17
Ashlee’s Story .......................................................................................................................................... 17
Jenna’s Story ........................................................................................................................................... 17
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Executive Summary
Mission Statement
Provide a safe, positive, and fun place for students to experience the love of
Christ.
Overview
Attic After School is an after school program operating twice a week, Tuesday
and Wednesday afternoons, from 2:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. All students, grades 712, are invited to The Attic’s fun and safe environment to eat snacks, listen to
Talk Time, and play games.
History
Attic After School was established in 2008 by Wyoming Park Bible Fellowship.
The Need


A majority of juvenile crime takes place after school and before parents have
returned from work.
Students involved in extra-curricular group activities after school tend to
perform better behaviorally and academically.
Meeting the Need
Attic After School provides an after school program offered Tuesday and
Wednesday afternoons. At Attic After School, students have access to metoring,
homework help, Bible teaching, team building activities, fun games, and a free
snack.
Our Purpose






Short Term Goals
Long Term Goals


Help students make positive life choices
Train students to make and maintain quality relationships
Decrease juvenile crime
Lead students to Christ
Disciple students to become more involved in a local church
Strengthen leadership, teaching, and organizational skills of our volunteers

Increase the number of days Attic After School meets to 3 days/week
Increase the number of days our director and volunteers visit Wyoming Park
schools to 2 days/week
Increase the number of regularly attending students to 30 students/day




Increase the number of days Attic After School meets to 5 days/week
Increase the number of regularly attending students to 50 students/day
Expand Attic After School to provide activities on “half days”
Expand Attic After School to provide activities for 5th and 6th grade students
Estimated Budget Required for Short Term Goals: $15,000.00
Estimated Ideal Budget: $100,952.50
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Organizational Background
Mission Statement
Provide a safe, positive, and fun place for students to experience the love of Christ.
Current Status
Attic After School is an after school program operating twice a week, Tuesday and Wednesday
afternoons, from 2:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Attic After School meets in The Attic, the second floor of
Wyoming Park Bible Fellowship church. The building is located on Porter Street, less than 2 miles from
Wyoming Park High School, and less than 5 miles from both of the Wyoming Park middle schools.
The Attic is furnished with couches, chairs, and tables for playing games, working on homework, or
hanging out with friends. The Attic also has two Foos Ball tables, a Ping Pong table, a Bumper Pool table,
and an Air Hockey table. The Attic is stocked with board games, school supplies, and art supplies. Upon
arriving to Attic After School, all students receive a free snack and soft drink.
Free Time
From the start of Attic After School (2:45 p.m.) until about 4:00 p.m., students are encouraged to work
on homework, play board games, or just relax while music plays and snacks are provided. It is during this
Free Time that our staff seeks to build relationships with the students and get to know them better.
Talk Time
At 4:00, one of the staff gives a 5-10 minute talk about their life story or a verse from the Bible. The Talk
Time is given in a conversational tone, and often in discussion format.
Talk Time provides practical wisdom and applications from God’s Word while discussing what it means
to be a believer in Christ Jesus. The best way for students to lead a successful life is to have a
relationship with Jesus, and Talk Time is one of the ways we show students how they can do that.
Group Game Time
Following Talk Time, all of the students are organized to play a group game until 5:00 p.m. Group games
are different each day and mix the students with other students they might not otherwise get to know.
The games are intentionally planned to build teamwork and highlight various strengths so that every
student eventually gets the opportunity to lead. Group Game Time is a favorite activity at Attic After
School.
Other Events and Activities
Wyoming Park Bible Fellowship’s youth group meets in The Attic on Wednesday nights from 7:00 p.m. –
8:00 p.m. and Sunday mornings from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. In addition, there are regularly scheduled
special weekend events for the youth group. Attic After School students are invited to attend all youth
group meetings and weekend events.
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History
In 2008, Wyoming Park Bible Fellowship remodeled their second floor youth room in order to use the
facility to its fullest potential. Subsequently, Tim Bos’ involvement in the Wyoming City Youth Coalition
and a city-wide project known as ACTION (Assisting Challenged Teens In Our Neighborhood) led the
church to consider hosting an after school program for Wyoming Park High School students.
In August of 2008, Blair Compston and John Dubois met with Oogie La Mar, the principal of Newhall
Middle School at that time. After presenting their idea to Mr. La Mar, his response was overwhelmingly
positive: the school would allow Attic After School leaders to visit students during lunch, provide
background checks for all Attic After School volunteers, and even provide a bus to deliver students to
The Attic.
Energized with God’s strong leading for Attic After School, Wyoming Park Bible Fellowship’s team
started Attic After School on September 24, 2008. For the first year of operation, Attic After School was
open one day a week, on Wednesdays.
In the Fall of 2009, Wyoming Park Bible Fellowship took another step of faith and expanded the ministry
to two days a week and hired Katie Dubois as the Director of Attic After School. With Ms Dubois’
increased ability to visit the school for lunches and the addition of the second day, the weekly
attendance for Attic After School jumped from ten regularly attending students to twenty regularly
attending students per week (approximately 10 students on Tuesday, and 20 students on Wednesday).
Later that school year, on Wednesday, April 21, 2010, Attic After School had its biggest attendance of 30
students.
The winter of 2010 brought some unexpected financial burdens to Wyoming Park Bible Fellowship. A
malfunctioning boiler forced the church to alter its total budget significantly. The resulting drop in
financial resources forced Attic After School to delay its start date, postponed the planned expansion to
3 days a week, and limited the director’s hours so that she was not able to visit the schools.
Nevertheless, during the 2010-2011 school year, Attic After School attendance remained steady. On
average, 12 students attended on Tuesday and 20 attended on Wednesday. The Attic After School team
is now looking forward to regaining their funding so that they can get in the schools, and market Attic
After School more effectively.
Management Team
Executive Board
Attic After School is overseen by a executive board consisting of leaders from Wyoming Park Bible
Fellowship. This board includes:


John Dubois, Pastor
Steve Kopp, Pastor
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Blair Compston, Student Ministries Director
Tim Bos, Director of Outreach
Steve Persenaire, Deacon (Study Groups, Student Ministries, and Children’s Ministries)
Mart Timmer, Deacon (Global Missions, Local Missions, and Attic After School)
Director
The Director of Attic After School is Katie Dubois. She meets with and reports to the Executive Board of
Attic After School. She has extensive experience in camp and youth ministry. The duties of the Attic
After School Director include overseeing marketing, planning, operations, and volunteer management
and training.
Volunteers
The rest of the staff at Attic After School is comprised of college students and older adult volunteers that
have submitted to a background check and have shared their testimony as a believer in the Lord Jesus.
Volunteers are trained and monitored to provide healthy role model relationships and wise counsel to
the students that attend Attic After School.
Volunteers enthusiastically participate in Attic After School activities, share at Talk Time, serve as
positive role models, and stay current with the each of the students’ lives.
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The Need
It is reported that a majority of juvenile crime takes place after school and before parents have returned
from work. In response to needs expressed by city officials and the Wyoming Park school district, Attic
After School endeavors to provide a safe positive environment for students during this time.
Furthermore, Wyoming Park school district officials have data that indicates that students involved in
extra-curricular group activities after school tend to perform better in both behavioral and academic
areas1.
It is also true that Wyoming Park is a uniquely diverse neighborhood. It is reported that there are
peoples from 57 different language groups within the Wyoming Park area2. It is important that positive
relationships are encouraged and supported between students from these varied ethnic groups.
Meeting the Need
Mentoring
High cost programming or an entertainment driven focus will not impact students in the long run.
Students need real relationships with trusted role models, relationships that are stable and authentic
beyond a particular moment or the climax of a special program event. The students that attend Attic
After School build relationships with responsible, caring adults. These adults are long term friends and
resources when the students have questions or problems about schoolwork, friendships, life, and their
future.
Furthermore, a relationship with Jesus Christ is important to the social and spiritual development of
each person. Jesus teaches us to love God and neighbor, so Attic After School volunteers take the
opportunity to share the gospel with the students that attend Attic After School. In this manner, Attic
After School continues to provide an environment where both leaders and students grow personally and
spiritually.
Safe Environment
Instead of spending the after school hours at an empty house, students can interact with their peers in a
safe environment, monitored by qualified adult leaders. Attic After School is a positive alternative to
boredom, loneliness, excessive entertainment (internet, video games, television), and by definition
prevents students from exposure to negative or criminal activities.
And, while cross gender interactions occur as part of Free Time and Group Games during Attic After
School sessions, any other communications outside of the context of Wyoming Park Bible Fellowship or
Attic After School between a male leader and a female student or a female leader and a male student
1
2
Oogie Lamar, in conversations with Blair Compston and John Dubois in 2008.
Research conducted by David Drake, Pastor, Crosswinds Community Church.
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are prohibited. Attic After School is committed to assuring the safety of all persons involved with this
ministries - both leaders and students alike.
Never are any of the leaders ever entirely alone with any students, nor is a student to leader ratio ever
greater than 8 to 1.
In addition, every volunteer submits to extensive background checks. And, as with any ministry
connected with Wyoming Park Bible Fellowship, Child Protection Policies are communicated and
enforced3.
Relationship Building
Attic After School attracts a wide variety of students. Students have the opportunity to interact with
other students who are not already their friends at school. Therefore, a student not skilled in making
new friends gains opportunities to practice meeting and interacting with new people. Since Attic After
School is a safe environment for all, ridicule or other anti-social behaviors are addressed quickly and
students are encouraged to treat others with respect and tolerance.
Students that attend Attic After School learn social skills and thus learn how to build relationships with
other students. The relationships built at Attic After School carry over into relationships at school.
Leadership Training
The Attic After School volunteers learn leadership skills through serving at Attic After School. Individuals
pursuing a career in youth ministry gain valuable experience working with students, planning activities,
and observing the operation of Attic After School.
3
See Wyoming Park Bible Fellowship Child Protection Policies documentation.
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Impact
Students
The goal is that the students that regularly attend Attic After School will become strong leaders and
successful adults.
Students that attend Attic After School learn social skills and thus learn how to build relationships with
other students. The relationships built at Attic After School carry over into relationships at school.
Attic After School is thankful for its strong connection to Wyoming Park Bible Fellowship. To date,
through the ministry of Attic After School, six students have made professions of faith, and many of the
students have begun attending youth group activities in The Attic and even weekly worship services at
Wyoming Park Bible Fellowship on a weekly basis. We want more students to accept Christ and become
involved in a local church.
Wyoming Park Community
Attic After School has a profoundly positive impact on the students involved, and by extension on the
community of Wyoming Park itself. Attic After School seeks to cooperate with other community
organizations to decrease juvenile crime, and minister to students when they need it most. We also
hope that the students that attend Attic After School will grow to be strong leaders, even further
impacting our community.
Attic After School has a great opportunity to love and minister to the Wyoming Park neighborhood in an
accessible, tangible way. We want to make the most of this opportunity by providing the best quality
after school program possible. So, our goal is to minister to the students that attend Attic After School
holistically – we want to meet their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. We believe this is best
accomplished through the consistent relationships with caring adult leaders they encounter at Attic
After School.
Our Volunteers
While serving at Attic After School, we hope that our volunteers become better teachers, organizers,
and counselors.
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Marketing Plan
Web
Current
Attic After School understands that web-based marketing will be extremely effective in reaching junior
and senior high school students. For this reason, Attic After School plans to continue to grow an already
strong social-media presence. Attic After School has an established following on both Facebook (Attic
After School) and Twitter (@AtticAfterSkool), and does a majority of its communication with students in
this fashion. The Attic After School website (www.atticafterschool.org) is also an effective resource.
Plan
Attic After School will expand its web presence by providing more interactive marketing campaigns via
social media. The target audience will be more engaged with Attic After School if they are interacting
with Attic After School on a regular basis and it becomes a part of their daily life.
T-Shirts
Current
Attic After School T-shirts have been made available for students in the fall of 2008 and 2009, but were
cut from the budget in 2010. The power of T-shirt marketing is powerful for three reasons. First, T-shirts
provide a way for Attic After School to welcome new students into the group, and for those students to
feel included immediately. Second, when students wear their Attic After School T-shirts to school, they
are spreading word-of-mouth advertising to other students. Third, T-shirts allow students to personally
identify with Attic After School, which in turn increases their connection to Attic After School.
Plan
Attic After School T-shirts are available to all students. T-shirts will be in a variety of colors and styles,
but maintain the branding and image that has been established by past Attic After School marketing.
School Visits
Current
Currently, no Attic After School representative visits Wyoming Park’s high schools or middle schools.
Attic After School understands this on campus presence and activity is crucial. Personally visiting the
schools builds an relationship of goodwill between students and Attic After School. It also gives students
that already attend Attic After School an opportunity to identify themselves with Attic After School
leaders who visit them at school. And, frequent visits to the schools keeps the communication lines
open with school officials.
Plan
An Attic After School representative will visit Wyoming Park schools at least twice a week.
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Operational Plan
Current
Attic After School currently runs two afternoons a week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) from 2:45p.m. –
5:00 p.m. On average, there are 15 regularly attending students.
One Year Goal
By September 2011, Attic After School would like to expand its operation to three days a week (Tuesday,
Wednesday, and Thursday). In addition, Attic After School leadership plans to visit the Wyoming Park
Schools two days per week. We anticipate that these steps will result in an increased attendance at
Attic After School, up to an average of 30 students regularly attending students per day.
These expansions would require an additional 10-20 volunteers per week, and related budget increases.
3-5 Year Goals
In the next 3-5 years, Attic After School would increase the number of days Attic After School is open to
all five days of the school week, with a target attendance number of 50 regularly attending students per
day.
These increases would translate to an additional 30 volunteers, and again related budget increases.
Additionally, Attic After School would like to expand to include activities on days when the school
district has “half days” and also begin to provide accommodations for a separate after school program
for 5th and 6th grade students.
These expansions would more labor intensive, requiring 20 volunteers per day, and proportionate
increases in operating budget.
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Financial Plan
Overview
The Attic After School budget will be overseen by the Executive Committee. Individual line item
decisions will be managed by the Director. Because of the uncertainty of fund raising levels the
Executive Committee has proposed multiple levels of budgets based on how much money is raised.
Strategy
The budgets below represent the strategy of Attic After School. Funds will be directed in order to give
the Director more hours to run Attic After School more days/week and to spend more time working
directly in and with the schools. Funds will also be directed to improve the overall quality of the After
School experience including more appealing facilities, better snacks, and decorations. Finally, funds will
be directed toward promotional material that will allow us to inform more students about Attic After
School.
Budgets
The budget below represents a budget that will enable Attic After School to achieve its short term goals
of providing a quality After School experience three days a week.
Director
8,600.00
Snacks
3,000.00
Promotion and Advertising
1,334.70
Facility Improvement & Supplies
957.40
FICA/Medicare
657.90
Administrative Assistant
450.00
Total
15,000.00
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The budget below represents an ideal operating budget and it will enable After School to have its
maximum impact. The budget includes enough funds for a full-time Director, for significant facilities
improvements, and funding for other important programs. If Attic After School receives funds between
the $15,000 budget and the budget below the Executive Team will make a budget based on the actual
funds present in alignment with the overall Attic After School strategy.
Director
30,000.00
Administrative Assistant
15,000.00
Assistant/Intern
3,000.00
Snacks
7,000.00
Building Use
6,510.00
Promotion and Advertising
10,000.00
Facility Improvement & Supplies
20,000.00
Camp Scholarship Fund
4,000.00
Bibles and Devotional Materials
2,000.00
FICA/Medicare
3,442.50
Total
100,952.50
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Risk Analysis
Every organization faces an element of risk. This section identifies potential risks to Attic After School’s
success, and the plan for managing such risks.
Risk
Management Plan
Attic After School does not
receive additional funding
through donors.
Currently, Wyoming Park Bible Fellowship has committed funding for
Attic After School needed to sustain the minimum cost of running Attic
After School at its current capacity (i.e. two days a week, limited payroll
hours, facility costs, etc.). In the event that Attic After School is unable to
obtain additional donated funding needed to meet its 3-5 year goals,
Attic After School will continue as it is currently and postpone expansion
to when the adequate funding has been raised.
Wyoming Park School
District Ceases to Support
Attic After School
If the Wyoming Park School District does not continue to allow Attic
After School the freedom to visit the school buildings, the marketing of
Attic After School will be at a disadvantage. For this reason, other
avenues of promotion are important for Attic After School to invest in.
Attic After School Fails to
Obtain Adequate Number of
Volunteers.
Attic After School hopes to recruit volunteers from area colleges –
especially Grace Bible College, a nearby Bible school.
Attic After School holds the safety and quality of each student’s
experience very highly. For this reason, Attic After School will not exceed
an 8:1 student-leader ratio. If an inadequate number of volunteers can
be procured, Attic After School will not proceed with expansion until the
minimum volunteers are met.
Additionally, it may be beneficial to consider hiring additional paid staff
as Attic After School continues to grow.
Director / leader turnover
A key role of the Attic After School Executive Committee is to establish
procedures and policies with the intent of maintaining a long term
presence in the community and a consistent set of operating values.
Part of this activity involves continually recruiting and training leaders
and volunteers to deal with a growing ministry.
A Leader is Accused of
Abuse
Attic After School’s plan for guarding against abuse from volunteers is
two-fold. First, all volunteers must submit to a background check, and
are screened and trained for fostering safe, healthy relationships with
students. Second, strict conduct guidelines prevent students to being
vulnerable to abuse. Interactions between students and volunteers are
always public and monitored.
In the event that an accusation or incident does occur, there is an
“Incident Management Procedure” (See “Attic After School Policy &
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Procedures Handbook”)
Severe weather - building
destruction or loss
We would just say "no attic after school" today.
If it happened while students were here, we would dial 911
Practice fire drills, assure that we do not exceed building capacity, etc.
Students active with gangs
begin attending or other
unsafe or dangerous
situations occur.
We would immediately contact local law enforcement officials for
counsel and support.
Our purpose would be to at the same time provide an alternative for
students prone to or already involved in negative anti-social behaviors,
while at the same time protecting the entire group of students from any
known dangers.
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Testimonies
Delando’s Story
I love The Attic After School because I love knowing that I can’t be made fun of there like at school.
Some of my best friends go there and hang out with me. Plus I’ve made new friends that I really come to
care for.
(March, 2011)
Ashlee’s Story
I love the attic because it is a place where you can have fun and just about be able to walk right into
Narnia! (Jenna came up with this). Lol. Also, I love The Attic because of all the *awesome* people that
go there. It is also a place I can go to be my really random and crazy self. Another thing is that the snacks
are totally off the hook! But then again, how could you not love The Attic!!
(March, 2011)
Jenna’s Story
I love the Attic because I get to hang with friends and be completely crazy and random! I’ve been going
since Day Uno (one). Plus the snacks? Dude—they’re awesome. Of course, what’s not to love?
(March, 2011)