Update

This document expects to clarify two focus areas for the Sprout Fund: The career readiness skills and learning outcomes within the line-up of Digital Badges AND the relationships among other organizations.

This grant will be formally approved once Sprout and the grantee agree that the following conditions have been met: (1) revise scope of work to focus on career readiness skills and learning outcomes associated with the lifeguard programming being offered as part of Learn & Earn and (2) clarify the relationship between this project and the activities of partner organizations.

In reverse order: Part 1 clarifies the organizational relationships. Part 2 addresses the career readiness skills and learning outcomes, with not only Digital Badges/Swimming/Pre Lifeguard, but also a number of other badges which were not fully developed nor explained in the original grant applications on May 14, 2015.

Part 1:

Distinct efforts with Digital Badges with the BGC program at Summer Dreamers with Swim & Water Polo Camp

Mark Rauterkus is the executive coach for the BGC and has had a multi-year contract to serve as an activity partner for Summer Dreamers, a summer-school program of Pittsburgh Public Schools.

In 2015, 150 students at three school sites get to enjoy the swimming, water polo, fitness, running, literacy efforts and Digital Badges as participants in Swim & Water Polo Camp.
Plus, about 30 additional participants in 2015 Learn & Earn Youth Job Program with the city are working with the BGC and have a placement with Swim & Water Polo Camp.
Plus, morning water polo is slated for twice per week at three sites for youngsters beyond Summer Dreamers.
Plus, evening water polo is slated for five dives at three sites.
Plus, events in August 2015 are expected but still pending.
- Session dates, times and locations are at CLOH.org Google calendar.

Efforts with Digital Badges came as a result of encouragement from Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Summer Dreamers. The BGC and its leadership have a long history of supporting the local children, students, programs and playing our roles to help the community and its institutions.

Other organizations

Mindful Pittsburgh has a distinct website, events, Digital Badges and campers in Mindful Eating in Summer Dreamers -- different and beyond this proposal with Swim & Water Polo Camp.
Allegheny County's 4-H, operated by Penn State Extension, has its own mission, leadership and Digital Badges -- different and beyond this proposal with Swim & Water Polo Camp.

Summary

BGC's Swim & Water Polo Camp students and staff have an opportunity to earn the following 20 Digital Badges. These are distinct tools created for this grant without overlap with other organizations:

Digital Badges/Swimming/Pre Lifeguard
Digital Badges/Tech Literacy
Digital Badges/Goals/Level 1
Digital Badges/Goals/Level 2
Digital Badges/Goals/Level 3
Digital Badges/Goals/Level 4
Digital Badges/Goals/Level 5
Digital Badges/Goals/Level Masters
Digital Badges/Exercises/Routines
Digital Badges/SKWIM/Level 1
Digital Badges/SKWIM/Level 2
Digital Badges/SKWIM/Level 3
Digital Badges/SKWIM/Level 4
Digital Badges/SKWIM/Level 5
Digital Badges/Water Polo = fully knowledge based with test and tutorials.
Digital Badges/Sportsmanship
Digital Badges/Teamwork
Digital Badges/Swimming/Deep Water
Digital Badges/Exercises/Liberty Mile
Digital Badges/Exercises/Pull Your Own Weight

Part 2

Focus on career readiness and learning outcomes

Let's fly over the sport skills hurdle first.

Rest assured, much of these 20 digital badges go far beyond sports skills of catching, throwing, swimming. I've put the above list in a specific order with the top hitting high on both career readiness and learning outcomes. Yet, I am a sports coach, so I'll begin with sports skils, at the bottom of the list.

Pull Your Own Weight digital badge covers the skill of doing a pull up, an exercise that battles the nation's number one public health concern, obesity.

Liberty Mile digital badge is for running a 1-mile road race. Running is a human sports skill and also a performance, preparation, self-knowledge and mob behavior challenge.

Deep water digital badge rewards a simple sports skill of swimming. Plus it marks a time of great personal empowerment and shows a youngster how he or she can conquering a major fear while side-step the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, accounting for 7% of all injury related deaths. Children, males and individuals with increased access to water are most at risk of drowning.

Sports skills are not a factor, or at best, a marginal consideration, for the other 17.

Slam Dunks for Career Readiness

Career readiness for Summer Dreamers raises a skeptical concern but fits well into a four of the digital badges: SKWIM Level 5, Pre Lifeguard, Tech Literacy and Routines.

Getting a lifeguard job is possible with SKWIM Level 5 as that set of badges, aligned to standards, caps itself with lifeguard certification. Getting to Level 4 and Level 5 with the Summer Dreamers isn't expected, but it could be achieved in the summer with Learn & Earn staffers.

The Pre Lifeguard digital badge tests students in questions of fitness, health, safety, plus physical skills. Those that get the Pre Lifeguard stage are ready to sign-up for a lifeguard class with a water park, such as Sandcastle, and Citiparks. Sadly, many of the youth in Pittsburgh can't swim well enough to become lifeguards. Swim skill and strength in the water is a limiting factor for many. A season in the program can widen the gateway to jobs.

With Tech Literacy comes on-line communication, and a load of wiki page edits including links to online resumes. Students building digital profiles and expressing themselves, researching and handling media occurs in efforts with Tech Literacy as well as Routines.

Getting the Routines badge includes research, creative content publishing, following directions and the final milestone is leading an exercise routine. Being an aerobic dance instructor and physical trainer is a logical future step.

Social Values

Badges on Spoortsmanship and Teamwork speak for themselves as to workplace behaviors. Throughout the days of camp the students from all the teams huddle with coaches and come to concensus as to who gets the nods for those honors. At the end of the camp, each staff member gives out the honors based upon the traits seen throughout the weeks.

Six Goal Setting Badges

The goals digital badges offer a process of positive self-development for individuals of every age and experience.

At Level 1, select daily goals for one's focus.
At Level 2, knowledge is gained about the personal goal achievement style. Kids take a standardized, validated, 96 question inventory, the Goal Orientation Index, GOI. Results are calculated immediately and displayed for the individual.
At Level 3, an attitude of accountability is developed with help from peers, friends, mentors, and teachers as a goal support team is formed.
At Levels 4 and 5, the skill of striving and working toward goals on a daily process is put into place. Specific attention is paid toward identifying and mitigating distractions and stressors that typically derail goal achievement. The duration for Level 4 is one week. For Level 5 it is one month.
At Level 6, the whole process is contextualized for the earner. Goals Masters describe the big picture that they have acted out in the previous levels. Individuals write a "term paper" on the conation cycle. Their story of selecting, striving towards, and reflecting on specific goals gets written. Inspiration and reflections from others in their goal setting shapes this personal homework. Specific examples of the cycle at work are written.

Strength of Digital Badges/Goals is:

Each Level is realistic so badges can be completed.
Levels build traits needed to effectively perform the discussion about the conation cycle towards goal achievement.
Levels build on each other in a logical way that transitions from building knowledge, to skill, and finally disposition.
Of course, the final disposition can help athletes and non-athletes. All can benefit.

With Goals, students are shown by their own actions that they are capable of accomplishments. Being one who can set, work to and reach goals comes with a distinctly positive mindset. These tools enables students to become more than just a product of their environment, and become a positive force capable of changing their environments. The goals platform offers more than just a way to achieve sports, fitness, and career goals. It offers the hope and path to accomplishing any goal, small or grand.