Jasmaine Price - Capstone Project Proposal

Salvation Army - Community Center

According to The Salvation Army’s website, the Community Center offers educational and
recreational programs for participants from ages 8-19 years. Scheduled programs are listed as
tutoring, Karate, Basketball, Youth clubs, weightlifting, aerobics, arts & crafts, bowling, skating,
and field trips throughout the year. The Community Center is also listed as having an outreach
program for at-risk teens that focuses on improving life skills, community involvement, and how to
be a contributing member of society. Unfortunately, throughout the years the once thriving
community center has lost its drive and focus. The center’s programming has fallen apart
extensively; so much so that it’s almost none existent. These days, The Salvation Army’s
Community Center is lovingly referred to by staff as “glorified babysitting”; which is a stark
contrast to the once energetic active program of years past.

The biggest and most pressing issue for the community center right now is that they do not
have a Program Director in position. The program does not have anyone driving it forward; it’s just
barely staying afloat.

Issues to be addressed:
-Community center does not currently have a system to track participants or program attendance.
-Community center does not currently have a system of tracking the financial commitments of its
participants.
-Community center programming has drastically dwindled down to 3 programs, of which no one is
really monitoring.
-Participants are not being engaged in activities, mostly just an open gym atmosphere.
-There are currently no program manuals so no one knows what the program expectations are.
-Community center has an outdated, practically nonexistent, participant recruiting and application
process.

Goals of Capstone project:

-Develop program manuals.
-Evaluate current programing.
-Develop a system for member tracking.
-Develop a system for attendance tracking.
-Develop a system for maintaining and tracking member dues.
-Develop a system to collect participant demographics.
-Reinstate previous successful programs/Develop new programs.
-Conduct program research & participant surveys.
-Develop team building events to facilitate team cohesiveness among staff.
-Locate community partners/volunteers that will assist with offering programs for center
participants.

Tasks to achieve these goals:

-Planning and evaluating program services.
-Research and develop programs and program budgets.
-Conducting presentations in an effort to locate potential community partnerships.
-Recruiting and managing volunteers.
-Marketing and community outreach.
Benefit to host agency:
The Salvation Army will benefit from this project because my work will assist them with:
-Establishing the current state of their program through evaluations, participant surveys, and
employee interviews.
-Creating much needed checks and balances systems.
-Research that details the current need and market for services provided and proposed services.
-Providing the organization with ideals and direction for moving the program forward.
-Locating community partners that will assist them in providing services for their participants.
-Assist the organization in changing the culture of the program in a way that will cultivate its
success.
- Design programs that will assist the community center in its efforts of providing physical fitness
and educational programs that meet the needs of its current population.

Target population that will benefit from project:

-All participants that attend the community center.
-All staff that work with the community center.

Duration of project:
-Project will run the length of the course.

Site Supervisor:
Major Paul Cain – State Coordinator
302-472-0720
Paul.cain@use.salvationarmy.org

Collaboration:
-Collaboration with other staff members will be a valuable tool in uncovering program challenges
and potential.
-Collaboration with other community resources will assist with providing needed services for
participants.

Site Location:
Salvation Army – Community Center
400 N Orange Street, Wilmington, DE 19801