APScholarshipSeniorProject

GiovanniCaal

APEnglish12
Period2
Mr.White
November2,2015


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Introduction
:
InmostAmericanHighSchoolsthereisaprogramcalledtheAdvancedPlacement
programwhichprovidesmoreadvancedclassesforhighachievingstudents.These
classesarebasedonatestwhichtakesplaceclosetotheendoftheyearcalledtheAP
testwhichtestsyouradeptnessonthatcertainAPsubject.Theproblemwiththesetests
istheyareveryexpensiveandthisiswhyformyseniorprojectIamcreatinganAPclub
whichhasthesolepurposeoffundraisingandcreatingscholarshipsforstudentswho
cantaffordtheAPtest.TheseAPtestsarebeneficialforstudentsandtheschoolasa
wholeandIwillbeaddressingthesebenefitswithinmypaper.Myresearchwillalso
containthefundamentalprincipleofScholarshipsandwhoshouldreceiveit.Iwillalso
touchuponhowIwillacquirethefundsthroughactssuchasdirectdonationsand
fundraisers.Formingconnectionswithdonorswillbeanessentiallearningprocessfor
methatIwillresearchaswell.AllthisprocesswillbetakingplacethroughmyAPclub
soIwillneedtoresearchhowtocontrolalargesumofmoneythroughmyclubandstill
abidebyschoolboardandASBrules.MyseniorprojectappliestomymajorIwould
liketostudyincollege(business),andmypassionforleavingbehindabrighterfuturefor
theworldbycombiningthebusinessaspectsoffundinganideathroughdonorsor
investorsandgivingbacktoworthystudentswhohavefinancialstrugglesbutarewilling
toputintheefforttotakethetest.


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Research:
Theroleofadvancedplacementistoprovidegiftedlearnersachancetoexcelata
certainsubjectandshowcollegesstudentsadeptnessatacertaintopic(Joyce).AP
courseshavebecomeanecessityratherthanachallengeforcollegeboundstudents
(Gold).Mostcollegesnowadayswillnotevenlookatastudent'sapplicationsifhe/she
hasnottakenAPcourses.ThismakesitbeneficialforallhighschoolstudentstotakeAP
classesinordertohaveachancetoattendaprestigiouscollege(Joyce).Programsthat
advancetheknowledgeofgiftedstudentsthroughchallengingcourseshelpeliminatethe
shadowthatpovertyplaysonhidingbrilliance(Gold).APclassesadvancethestudent's
knowledgeatafasterratethannormalclasses.Italsocreatesabackgroundandacrash
courseonthedifficultyofcollegeclasses(Henry).APclassesnotonlyprovidebenefits
forstudentsbutforschoolsaswell.ThebenefitofschoolshavingAPclassesisitcreates
aneliteacademicportfoliooftheschool.(Dr.Cheung,Presentation).Schoolsthatoffer
anabundanceofAPclasseshaveaneliteaurawhichstudentsandparentsflockto.The
districtfavorsandgivesmoremoneytoschoolswheremorestudentsaretakingtheAP
test(Joyce).
Thepurposeofmeritscholarshipsistoawardstudentsforachievementinacertain
fieldwithmoneytowardsthatpursuitinahigherlevel.Scholarshipsaremeanttohelp
thedisadvantagedwhoexcelatwhattheydoadvancetothenextlevel(Donaldand


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Marin).ManypeoplesgoalswhencreatingscholarshipsistocreateSystemof
educationextendingcomparableopportunitiestoallindividualsregardlessofrace,color,
creed,age,sex,socioeconomicclass,orability,(EqualEducation)TheConsofMerit
scholarshipsincludeadivisionbetweenracesandasocialandeconomicalimageofwhat
raceisthelessfortunate.Thiscreatesaneedforbalanceondecidingwhoreallydeserves
thescholarship(DonaldandMarin).Thosewhoexceedtheexpectationsandmanageto
keeptheirgoalsontrackaretheoneswhowillsucceedanddeservethetoolstogo
further.Thisdisregardsallstereotypesandlooksatthefactsandbackgroundinaholistic
approach(Dr.RennieCheung,Presentation).TheChoosingofrecipientsshouldbeina
mannerthatprovidesanequalopportunityforallthatapplywithanonbiasedoutlook
(EqualEducation).
Whenputtingtogetherfundsforsomethingtheamountgivennomatterhowbigor
smallisanecessity.Smalldonationscanleadtomoremoneythanbigdonationsand
moretimespentonsmalldonationscanactuallyprofitanorganizationmorethan
focusingonbigdonations(Brockner,Guzzi,etal).WhenorganizingaFundraiseryou
firstmustcreateaquotaforyouramountyouwanttoearnandamountyoucanspend.
Thiswillcreateanorganizedbaseforyourevent(Allen).Organizationandplanningare
thekeystocreatingasuccessfulfundraiserthatwillrunsmoothlythedayof(Brockner,
Guzzi,etal).Afterorganizingandcreatingaconceptforaneventtheactualvisualization
andplanningofhowitwillgotakesplace.Thisconsistsofcheckingbudgetplanningall


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thenecessitiesfortheeventandvisualizinghowyouwishittogothedayofwhichwill
helpwithplanning(Allen).Amajorstepintheprocessaftereverythingisplannedisto
market.(Stephen).Adaptingtothecommunityandmanagingtoputtheinnovativeidea
mustcomefirst.Whoevercanadapttomarketwillrulethatspace(Stringer).Marketing
forafundraisermustcontainthepurposeandultimategoalofthefundraiserand
backgroundknowledgeofthecauseororganizationthatisputtingittogether(Stephen).
Whenfundraisingyoushouldnotlookatthisasabusinessforthesakeofmakingmoney
butforhelpingyourcauseandtodothisyouhavetostayorganizedandmanagefunds
likeabusiness(Burnette).Therearemanytypesoffundraisersbutonethatconsistently
makesmoneyforalowcostarephysicalactivityevents(HigginsandLauzon).Data
werecollectedbymeansofparticipantobservationat12eventsandinterviewswith12
participantsand12hostingorganisations.Usingasocialmarketingframeworkand
diffusionofinnovationstheoryasanapproachtomakingsenseofthedata,theresults
suggestthateventsservetwomainpurposes:celebratingacauseandofferinganevent
thatsatisfiesthephysicalactivityinterestsofparticipants,andthateventsappropriately
actasfundraisingandpublicitytools.(HigginsandLauzon).Directdonationsfrom
donorscreateagreatsenseofawarenessforcauseatlittletonoexpensetothe
organization(Sergeant).
Smallercompaniesandsmallerdonationscancreateroomformoreofabondand
connectionandinnovationcanthrive(Sargeant).Whenaskingfordonationsfromdonors


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everypennycountsandyoushouldnotviewadonor'sworthbasedoffofamountgiven
(Burnett).Donorsarenecessarywhenaskingfordonationsandnomatterhowsmallthe
amountgiven,aconstantrelationshipshouldbekept(Sargeant).Afacetoface
relationshipshouldbemaintainedwithdonor.Theheadoftheorganizationshouldtryto
maintaincontactwithalldonors(Burnett).Insteadofthesedonorsbecominginvestorsin
theconceptanddonatingonce,thisfriendlinesscreatesasenseofurgencyfromdonorto
donatemoreandtobuyintotheorganizationevenmorecausingthedonortobecomea
consumer(Mcquarrie).Whendonorsfeelmoreincontactwithanorganizationtheybuild
atrustandaremorelikelytogobacktothatorganizationandbecomearegulardonor
insteadofaonetimedonor(Burnett).Employingapostalsurveyoftenthousanddonors
tocausesinavarietyofcategories,theauthorconcludesthatalthoughapproximatelyone
infivedonorsmightlapsebecauseofachangeinfinancialcircumstances,asimilar
numbersimplyelecttoswitchtheirsupporttootherorganizations.Theroleofthequality
ofserviceofferedtothedonorinenhancingretentionisalsohighlighted,asaredonor
perceptionsofthefeedbacktheyreceiveandtheimpacttheybelievetheirgiftmighthave
onthecause,(Sargeant).Thisdonorperception(Sargeant)canbeswayedbysending
thankyounotes,constantlysendingupdatesontheorganizationandcause,andpersonal
interactionsthroughgratitudedinnersetc.(Burnette).
Inanonprofitorganizationorclubitisimportanttorunitlikeabusinessthathas
asetagendabasedoffofthecharitablecausethattheorganizationwasfoundedon


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(Stephen).Whenpresentedwithanideaorinnovation,organizationandvisualizationof
goalsmustbefirstpriorityinordertoimplementaplanandmakethisideaintoareality
(Stringer).Organizationsthatspecifyinnonprofitthatarerunlikebusinessbutmaintain
thecoremessageofwhattheyaretryingtotellpeopleorcharitablegoaltoaremore
usefulbecausetheorganizationandhierarchyarethereandpromoteasmoothlyrun
organization(Burnett).Corporatesizeisinverselycorrelatedtogrowththrough
innovation...recentstudyofthegrowthrecordsoftheFortune50sponsoredby
HewlettPackardandtheCorporateStrategyBoardconcludedthatthesingle
biggestgrowthinhibitorforlargecompanieswas"mismanagementoftheinnovation
process.",(Stringer).Innovationwhenturnedintoacompanymusthaveboardmembers
whohaveasimilarpassionandgoalfortheinnovationturnedcomapny(Stephen).The
qualityofthemarketinganddeliveringthemessagetotheintendedaudienceiswhat
causespeopletobackthecauseororganizationandbecomeabiggerpartofit(Sargeant).

Conclusion:
UsingmyresearchIcannowmakemyseniorprojectareality.Therearemany
benefitstotakingtheAPtestforstudentsandtheschoolingeneral.Thestudentswho
taketheAPtestwillbenefitbybeingchallengedbyadifficulttopicandbeingrewarded
bygainingcollegecreditiftheypass.PassedAPtestsalsolookgoodoncollege
applicationswhichwillhelpthestudentsinwhenapplyingtocolleges.Iwillpresent


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theseideaswhenIamtalkingtostudentsinmyclubandmarketingforthescholarship
andwhytheyshouldapply.TheseAPtestsalsolookgoodontheschoolbecausethe
morepeoplewhotakethetestmeansmorepeoplepassingitandifalotofstudentspass
theAPtesttheschoolsacademicsareapplauded.ThemoreAPclassesofferedata
schoolthemoreeliteaschoollooks.Theimageoftheschoolisveryimportantfor
parentswhosendtheirkidstotheschoolandforfundingforthatschool.Iwillpresent
theseideastotheseniorprojectboardandadministrationtolegitimizemygoalofraising
moneyforscholarships.BeforeIcanstartpresentingmyideatotheworldhoweverI
havetohaveasetgoalandvisionformyproject.ThisiswhyIresearchedthepurposeof
scholarshipssincethisisthemaingoalofmyprojectanditalsogivesmebackgroundon
whoIshouldchooseastherecipientofthescholarship.Iwillcreateafairsystemthat
willallowthehardestworkertoreceivethescholarship.Thisprocesswillmostlikely
consistofanessayprocess,interviewprocess,etc.BeforeIcancreatethescholarship
howeverIneedtoraisemoneyfirst.ThisiswhyIresearchedhowtoorganizefundraisers
andhowtodealwithdonors.Thebasesofmyresearchforfundraisingconsistedofthe
sameidea,havesetgoalsandasetbudgetforthefundraiserandmakesureitis
organized.WhenIamsettingupdatesandtimesformyfundraisersIwillmakesureto
keepaplannerandhaveasetgoalandbudgetforallthefundraisers.Anothertypeof
fundraisingthatfallsmoreonthelineofbusinessisgettingdirectdonationsfromdonors.
WhenIresearchedthistopicthemainconceptonalltheresearchwastomaintaina


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strongrelationshipwithdonorsandtreatalldonorsthesameregardlessofamount
donated.IwillcreatedonornightsanddirectdonationcampaignsandattheseeventsI
willtrytoconveywhatAPis,whyitsimportant,mygoal,andwhyIneedtheirmoney.I
willalsotrytostayincontactwithalldonorsandgivefeedbackonthesuccessofthe
studentstakingtheAPtest.AllthisprocesswilltakeplaceinmyAPclub.My
establishedboardandIwilltrytorunallthefundsandideasthroughtheclubsowecan
abidebyschoolrulesanddistrictrules.Wewillmaintainminutesofeachmeetingto
abidebyASBrulesaswell.Clubmeetingswillservetoinformmembersofdeadlines
andnewscholarshipsavailable.Itwillsalsoserveasawayformetoorganizethewhole
processandhavehelponitthroughdedicatedboardmembersandmyadvisor.Through
myresearchaloneIhavelearnedalotofconceptsandskillslikeorganization,talkingto
donors,etc.thatwillhelpmeinlifeandinmyfuturestudiesandcareerinbusiness.I
nowhaveasetplanandgoalsformyprojectandwillimplementthem.Throughthis
projectIhopetoachievemygoalofcreatingascholarshipthatwillhelpstudentswho
wanttochallengethemselvesbytakingtheAPtestbutcantaffordit.


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""FindingtheFundsinFunRuns:ExploringPhysicalActivityEventsasFundraising
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.Wiley,12July2006.Web
Heller,DonaldE.""WhoShouldWeHelp?TheNegativeSocialConsequencesofMerit
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