[mpw-staff] Fwd: planning a python workshop

[Jessica McKellar]

Here's a planning e-mail I worked up for PyStar Philly.

-Jessica


===

Hi Dana,

Here's a stab at what planning looks like:

The main areas of concern:
* space
* food
* attendees
* volunteers
* curriculum

Space
- We now use MIT space, and we request rooms at least 1 month in advance.
This is about the timeline we had for Google, HubSpot, and MS NERD as well
- The venue has to have good wifi that can handle everyone being on the
network
- The venue needs at least one projector. We also use projectors for the
projects, so we end up having 3 rooms with projectors in use simultaneously
- Where can people park? What are the public transportation options? Put
all that info on the wiki.

Food
- We have had space and food sponsored together, and space and food
arranged separately. If they are sponsored together the timeline for
knowing about food becomes roughly the 1 month timeline for arranging space.
- Ask for dietary restrictions with the event announcement
- Ask local restaurants / coffee shops if they'll donate food or drinks
- the Python Software Foundation has both sprint funding (
http://pythonsprints.com/) and grants (http://www.python.org/psf/grants/),
and the Outreach and Education Committee (
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/outreach-and-education) does
outreach-specific grants

Attendees
- decide on an event size. Plan for some attrition.
- advertise the event through the local user group, local universities,
local women in tech groups, etc. Dana has my advertising list.
- send out stern reminders about people un-RSVP'ing if they can no longer
make it

Curriculum
- having material on a wiki means constant tiny improvements
- make sure projects still work before every event
- assign project leads to projects
- assign a lecturer
- have handouts and a way to print large quantities of them for the event
- have follow up material (including an exit survey, RSVP link for next
meetup event, e-mail address for getting in touch with staff, and other
next steps) ready *before* the workshop and in wrap-up slides that then go
online and are e-mailed to attendees

Volunteers
- shoot for between a 4:1 ad 6:1 ratio of students to volunteers
- always try to get new volunteers when you can. You never know when people
are going to flake out or burn out
- arrange a pre-event staff training session for some time the week before
the event, where you review material and do dry runs of projects
- arrange a staff event post-mortem where you dissect all parts of the event

Timeline
- 7 weeks out: decide that you are going to run an event, how expenses are
going to be covered, and roughly where and when
- 6 weeks out: send a poll to the staff list about when the event should be
- 6 weeks out: nail down a venue
- 6 weeks out: if you don't have money to pay for everything, get it
- 4 weeks out: if you don't have enough staff, ask more people to help
- 4 weeks out: decide if you are going to make major curriculum changes,
and if you are, do them well ahead of time so they can get tested at the
training session
- 3 weeks out: send out a poll to the staff list about training session
availability
- 3 weeks out: open RSVPs for the event
- 1 week out: send out an event reminder to RSVPs
- 1 week out: make sure the projects still work
- week of: hold your training session
- 1 day out: send out an event reminder to RSVPs
- 1 day out if you can, else morning of: check out space and make sure
wireless works
- morning of: print all the handouts
- morning of: put up signs
- morning of: double check that food is on its way for lunch
- day of: take pictures
- day of: make sure people take a break every hour
- day after: send out poll to decide on date for staff post-mortem
- week after: have staff post-mortem as soon after the workshop as you can
- week after: send notes and highlights to events at lists.openhatch.org
- week after: do any wrap-up promo you wanted to do
- 4 weeks after: send check-in e-mail to workshop alums
- 12 weeks after: send check-in e-mail to workshop alums

Supplies checklist:
- dongles / adapters for hooking up laptops to projectors
- as many multiple outlet strips / extension cords as you can find
- nametags
- paper for signs
- pens for signs
- tape for putting up signs
- phone numbers for staffers it would be a disaster to not have show up
- USB sticks, in case someone shows up without working wireless
- extra laptop + power cord
- camera
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