TNKR now has two main parts. Track 1, flexible tutoring. Track 2, speech coaching. About two years I told TNKR co-founder Eunkoo Lee about ways I would like to expand TNKR. We waited, however.
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Three key things have given us confidence to expand programming.
1) Tracks 1 and 2 are well-organized! It took some time, we had to establish a new culture and raise expectations. If the previous programs still had volunteers acting like free agents, how could we create Track 3?
--Track 1 (Flexible English tutoring) wasn't developed. We had started it, but it still seemed that too many tutors wanted to interview or get into the personal lives of students. Plus we had so many issues, especially about meeting locations, cost of study sessions, planning issues.
--Track 2 (speech coaching) needed more structure without stifling the refugees. We still had an issue with refugees not taking ownership of their speeches, being too willing to have speech coaches write speeches for them, and some speech coaches wanting their ideas to be included in speeches.
2) Our financial situation has gotten better. We were in a perilous situation, not even sure how we would cover the rent, and had people with good intentions recommending a long list of things we should do. We were a start-up that was viewed by outsiders as a stable organization.
3) Refugees have been asking me directly! I have been getting direct requests from refugees, enough so that I am ready to take action. We have had many people recommending things to us, but we don't set up projects and activities unless we are confident that refugees will join them. I have heard about organizations with brilliant ideas but no refugee participants.
***
I am now meeting North Korean refugees to figure out how to develop Track 3. I had a delightful interview with a North Korean refugee yesterday evening. She said that I asked her questions she had never considered and had never been asked before. I told TNKR co-founder Eunkoo Lee that we are going to design a unique program for the benefit of refugees.
www.lovetnkr.org/donate
www.lovetnkr.org/donate
Three key things have given us confidence to expand programming.
1) Tracks 1 and 2 are well-organized! It took some time, we had to establish a new culture and raise expectations. If the previous programs still had volunteers acting like free agents, how could we create Track 3?
--Track 1 (Flexible English tutoring) wasn't developed. We had started it, but it still seemed that too many tutors wanted to interview or get into the personal lives of students. Plus we had so many issues, especially about meeting locations, cost of study sessions, planning issues.
--Track 2 (speech coaching) needed more structure without stifling the refugees. We still had an issue with refugees not taking ownership of their speeches, being too willing to have speech coaches write speeches for them, and some speech coaches wanting their ideas to be included in speeches.
2) Our financial situation has gotten better. We were in a perilous situation, not even sure how we would cover the rent, and had people with good intentions recommending a long list of things we should do. We were a start-up that was viewed by outsiders as a stable organization.
3) Refugees have been asking me directly! I have been getting direct requests from refugees, enough so that I am ready to take action. We have had many people recommending things to us, but we don't set up projects and activities unless we are confident that refugees will join them. I have heard about organizations with brilliant ideas but no refugee participants.
***
I am now meeting North Korean refugees to figure out how to develop Track 3. I had a delightful interview with a North Korean refugee yesterday evening. She said that I asked her questions she had never considered and had never been asked before. I told TNKR co-founder Eunkoo Lee that we are going to design a unique program for the benefit of refugees.
www.lovetnkr.org/donate