ScavengerHUNT

Scott SmithSarah HuyckChantalle HannaAlexandra Aas

Online SectionFall 2010

826B O S T O N

826

MISSION STATEMENT826 Boston is a non-profit dedicated to helping students with their writing skills.

LOGOThe logo stands out because of its black background and prominent position.

TUTORINGTutoring is the main focus of 826 Boston. It is offered Mon-day through Thursday and again on Saturday.

WORKSHOPS/CAMPThe workshops and camps give writing and science a unique twist that gets students excited about learning when they are outside of school.

TEACHER SUPPORTIn school support brings tutors to the classroom to offer one-on-one support. Field trips to the center give classes the opportunity to do fun writing projects, such as bookmaking.

WEBSITE INFOWebsite info is included for those with questions after reading the flyer.

MAPA map is included to show the location of 826 Boston. It also mentions their store, the Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Institute.

VOLUNTEER/DONATEFor those interested in helping out, volunteer and donation information is included.

Our DocumentOur document is a flyer from 826 Boston. 826 Boston is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping students improve their writing skills.

Our flyer started out at 826 Boston. It traveled home with Chantalle. She then uploaded it onto the computer and sent it to the rest of the group to read and digest.

The Journey ofour Flyer

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826B O S T O N

826

MISSION STATEMENT826 Boston is a non-profit dedicated to helping students with their writing skills.

LOGOThe logo stands out because of its black background and prominent position.

TUTORINGTutoring is the main focus of 826 Boston. It is offered Mon-day through Thursday and again on Saturday.

WORKSHOPS/CAMPThe workshops and camps give writing and science a unique twist that gets students excited about learning when they are outside of school.

TEACHER SUPPORTIn school support brings tutors to the classroom to offer one-on-one support. Field trips to the center give classes the opportunity to do fun writing projects, such as bookmaking.

WEBSITE INFOWebsite info is included for those with questions after reading the flyer.

MAPA map is included to show the location of 826 Boston. It also mentions their store, the Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Institute.

VOLUNTEER/DONATEFor those interested in helping out, volunteer and donation information is included.

Our DocumentOur document is a flyer from 826 Boston. 826 Boston is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping students improve their writing skills.

Our flyer started out at 826 Boston. It traveled home with Chantalle. She then uploaded it onto the computer and sent it to the rest of the group to read and digest.

The Journey ofour Flyer

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826 Boston Scavenger HuntFrom the outset of this scavenger hunt, the four of us - Ali,

Chantalle, Sarah and Scott - intended to diligently carry out

the thirty-eight tasks we agreed were necessary to bring this

project to fruition. We grew acquainted to each other online

through reading each other’s introductions, exchanging

numbers via email, and posting our strengths, weaknesses

and pet peeves in our online workspace. By using search

engines and personal archives, each member of the group

was able to propose a public document suitable for use on

the assignment.

Within a few days, we had a short list and a conversation

surrounding the benefits and drawbacks of each option.

Scott proposed a petition about the five-year program at

Northeastern University. Sarah suggested a proposal for a

building, known as the Grand Marc, which was to take the

place of the YMCA. Chantalle submitted a “Declaration of

Intent to Become Citizen,” signed by her great grandfather.

Ali drew the group’s attention to the charter of a non-profit

organization, 826 National, founded by Dave Eggers. It

became very clear that the 826 National struck a chord

with the group. In fact, the discussion around the document

and what the organization stands for united us as a group.

Chantalle and Ali’s roommate both volunteer at the local

branch of the organization, 826 Boston. And Sarah had

coincidentally donated eight iMacs to 826 Boston through

her co-op. Ultimately, the document we decided to pursue

for this assignment was an informational flyer for 826

Boston; picked up at the Tutoring Center one day in late

September.

Our reasoning behind selecting 826 Boston was twofold.

First, it is a local organization that helps children improve

their writing skills through one-on-one tutoring and writing

workshops. We felt this was a good fit with the overall

objective of this class to improve our own writing skills.

Second, we felt that having exposure to the organiza-

tion beyond what we might find through online research

presented a unique opportunity and the best chance for our

team to deliver the highest quality assignment in the end.

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The aforementioned public document from 826 Boston

is classified as an informational flyer. Its attributes hold

consistent with the characteristics of a good informational

flyer as stated by Karen Saunders (2006). Our flyer consists

of important, eye-catching tidbits of information about the

organization arranged in easily digestible blocks of text.

This flyer stands out from the crowd with its deep forest

green coloring, which was used in place of standard white.

Additionally, 826 Boston made sure to include their logo

– placing it prominently on the page – and their contact

information with a map of their location.

It is important to be able to catch the audience’s eye quickly

and effectively when constructing an informational flyer

because attention spans are shortening at a rapid rate,

especially in contemporary American society. This is partly

due to the impact of technology on society (Digital Nation,

2010), and it is also a part of a natural evolutionary trait

that pushes people to focus on what they instantly deem

important. They are taught from a young age to be con-

nected and in contact with the world at all times. This trend

creates the need for brightly colored and bold graphics to

draw our attention to an informational flyer. After the audi-

ence is drawn in, they read what on the flyer and if they’re

interested, they will contact the organization to learn more.

Genre

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Purpose Intended Audience

The purpose of our document is to promote 826 Boston. It

captures the essence of the organization by including only

the main goals and distinctive programs on this informa-

tional flyer. At the top of the page, the organization is

described as a non-profit that is “dedicated to supporting

students age 6 to 18 with their creative and expository

writing skills.” This helps the reader quickly identify that the

organization’s primary objective is to help students with their

writing skills.

The flyer aims to appeal to multiple demographics, includ-

ing students, teachers, parents, and potential volunteers. By

limiting the amount of background information, the docu-

ment is able to reach a wider variety of readers. A parent

may be interested in the main goal of tutoring children, but if

a student were given this document, there is a good chance

the Summer Science Camp would catch their eye.

There are many organizations throughout Boston that offer

tutoring to students, but this flyer draws attention to the

unique details of 826 Boston. The document delicately

balances the details pertaining to tutoring, reading, and

writing by offsetting them with activities like camping, field

trips, and storytelling. For example, the map shows parents

that this organization is local and accessible; whereas the

student may be attracted to the section about the Greater

Boston Bigfoot Research Institute, where you can pick up

camping gear and all-weather tools.

Our informative flyer serves more than one purpose; ele-

ments of its design illuminate them. Our flyer was designed

for people who, first and foremost, are curious about what

826 Boston does. That is why the one-sided sheet of paper

lists the five services it provides to the community of Roxbury

down the left side of the page. Each program has its own

heading and mentions the intended age groups for easy

targeting. The green color of the paper is meant to stand

out and signify ‘readiness’ for potential volunteers, donors,

or educators or parents in need of the Center’s services.

Its color would catch the eye of a parent going through

a child’s folder as well as an attendee at a volunteer fair.

Beyond that, the target audience resides in or is familiar

with Roxbury. This is evident as the flyer includes a graphic

of a map that covers only the Center’s immediate surround-

ings. Finally, it is intended for people apt to visit the Center’s

virtual as well as physical home. It contains three web

addresses, where the person reading the flyer can go to do

activities such as signing up to volunteer or obtaining more

information about a particular program.

Our document does not utilize an elevated vocabulary

to maximize its audience. However, it is written entirely

in English, which limits its audience. In reality, the Center

serves a very diverse population that it accommodates with

a bilingual staff. But, for the purpose of introducing the Writ-

ing Center to someone entirely unfamiliar with it, presenting

a message entirely in the language of instruction serves to

prevent unnecessary confusion.

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Content and Context

The green flyer for 826 Boston is primarily comprised of

a short introduction to the organization. It gives context by

breaking down the specific program offerings with details

of how they are able to help students and teachers. The

introduction designates the organization as a non-profit,

states an age target for appropriate attendees, and shares

the basic mission to improve writing skills. It is also fol-

lowed with bold text that directs users to their website,

www.826boston.org, for up to date information on their

programs. This acts as a preface to the printed information

below and gives the reader the chance to pursue informa-

tion that may not exist on this particular flyer.

Following the introduction, the core programs of the orga-

nization are listed. After School and Saturday Tutoring is

described as one-on-one sessions to help with homework,

reading, and creative writing. As the lead program, this

is the most commonly utilized service of the organiza-

tion. Workshops are indicated as Saturday-only programs

designed around specific projects that vary in subject and

scope. The Summer Camp and Field Trip offerings are both

hosted by 826 Boston and aim to bring fun into the writing

process. The In-School Support is a community outreach

service that sends the tutors from the center out into the sur-

rounding public schools at the teacher’s request. The docu-

ment uses brief blurbs of text accented by punctuation, such

as a question mark and two exclamation points to directly

engage potential volunteers and solicit donations. The main

visual element to the flyer is a practical map that gives a

relatively simple depiction of the writing center’s location. All

of these things are done to enhance the flyer’s usefulness to

its intended circulation.

As the flyer can be found within the Writing Center itself,

the audience is likely interested in the organization, or at

least curious about it. This handout allows volunteers to give

visitors information quickly and without significant disruption

to any learning sessions.

At the beginning of this project, we were exploring the

online charter of 826 National. Eventually we settled on

the flyer specific to Boston acquired by Chantalle. Utilizing

this particular flyer seemed appropriate because it was cre-

ated for our local 826 chapter and by it being a physical

object, made it more tangible. Additionally, the back-story

of finding the flyer is much more interesting than that of the

website.

Everyday, we are bombarded with a variety of flyers. Most

of these flyers are quickly disposed of, but a select few exist

that get a second glace or are rescued from the ground

by an interested party. Although this flyer was acquired at

our local 826 chapter, it may have eventually been passed

onto other hands. In every community, intercepting flyers is a

simple way to learn about on-goings in the community. The

mode of transportation of this information is directly linked to

the audience.

If an elementary student is told about 826 Boston at school,

they may quickly forget the name of the organization. But if

they are given a flyer describing the organization, a parent

may eventually intercept it. Flyers have an amazing way of

circulating and dispensing information to a wide audience.

The same mom that finds the flyer may eventually pass it on

to another parent. Since the purpose of this document is to

reach a wide variety of audience, the flyer is a perfect way

to access individuals, who may have never heard about this

organization through word of mouth. Although the informa-

tion on the flyer is limited, it provides enough information

to garner interest and then offers the website for those who

wish to delve further into the program details. This flyer may

not be as immense as a website, but it reaches those who

would never even learn that a website or this organization

existed. And since 826 Boston’s goal is to acquire more

students, teachers, and volunteers, the flyer allows them to

share their dream with the community.

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Postscript

For all of its strengths, this document does downplay certain

information about 826 Boston. The flyer does not make it

apparent that all of the Center’s programming is provided

free of cost, nor does it adequately expose the overwhelm-

ing creativity housed in the Center. Yet, anyone who

has ever entered the door of the Greater Boston Bigfoot

Research Institute that serves as a retail facade for the Tutor-

ing and Writing Center will attest to the palpable creativity

one feels flowing there. The quality publications that come

out of 826 Boston amplify the voices of the students the

Center serves and are really a tour de force attributable to

the children, volunteer force and passionate, talented staff

that breathe life into the center. The place that our docu-

ment introduces and directs you to is the cornerstone of a

budding community of readers and writers, and if we were

posting a picture of our document to a social media sight,

that is exactly what we would say.

Bibliography

"826 Boston." Picasa Web Albums. 11 Aug. 2008. Web. 11 Oct. 2010. <http://picasaweb. google.com/lh/photo/oymbTM_Im_ ShnC7kEC_MWw>.

Digital Nation. "YouTube - Digital Nation Trailer." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 2 Feb. 2010. Web. 4 Oct. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=- 6PRIGW6pqA>.

Saunders, Karen. "10 Easy Ways to Make Your Flyer Stand Out in the Crowd." Business Ideas for Small Business and Home Business. Advice, Start-up, Marketing and Management Information and Resources from Business Know-How. Business Know- How, 2006. Web. 4 Oct. 2010. <http://www. businessknowhow.com /marketing/flyer.htm>.