Dropout Awareness and Youth Engagement Initiative Public Media Community Hubs
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can you please provide a budget range for Public Media Community Hubs?
Each Community Hub market will have a unique plan. Therefore budgets will differ across markets. CPB anticipates that Community Hub grants will be in the range of $200,000, dependent upon the plan and its components. Total project budgets may be much greater depending upon each Hub’s ability to raise additional funds, secure support from the various partners, and the activities that will be conducted.
2. Our station is considering a 4 county plan which may require our proposal to be $800,000+, what is your advice?
CPB intends to fund 12 markets as part of this Initiative. Based upon the availability of resources, we expect that each grant will be around $200,000. Depending upon each Hub’s ability to raise additional funds, secure support from various partners, and the activities that will be conducted, total project budgets will vary. Stations should view funding from CPB as a foundation from which to attract additional funding to scale the initiative to meet the needs in your community and to sustain this Initiative over time to achieve measurable outcomes.
3. What is CPB’s payment timeline should a station be selected to be a Community Hub? Is it a reimbursement model or a quarterly plan or some other model?
It depends on the nature and structure of the project. Payment and deliverable schedule will be determined during contract negotiation.
4. Is there a particular percentage of in-kind dollars that CPB would like to see from stations relative to total grant amount ask?
The response to question 1 and 2 above should give an indication of how stations should consider funding options for this initiative. We believe that meaningful station and community partner investment is essential, but the level of in-kind is dependent on the nature of the Initiative.
5. Can we make changes or add lines to the budget template?
Yes.
6. Should the budget be created for the 18 months of CPB funding or for the 30 months of the sustained project?
The budget submitted with Hub applications should be for the 18 months of CPB funding; during the course of the project, Stations will be required to deliver a sustainability plan for the additional 12 month time period.
7. Can you clarify how Stations are expected to sustain the Initiative in the 12 month period following CPB funding?
We expect that Stations applying to be Community Hubs will commit to sustaining the Initiative – in some fashion – for 12 months following the 18 month period of CPB funding. We realize that Stations are not yet in a position to declare specifically how, or at what level, they would sustain their local efforts, and we expect that Stations will more fully develop their plans during the course of the Initiative. CPB does not expect Stations to guarantee an actual dollar amount; by committing to sustain the Initiative, we are looking for a commitment from Stations to sustain and/or raise funds to be able to keep some facet(s) of the Initiative going in some way for at least a 12 month period after CPB funding ends.
As stated in the RFP, Stations will be required to deliver a sustainability plan prior to receiving final payments. However, we expect that most Stations, in conjunction with their partners, will be able to sustain the Initiative at some level for less than the amount of CPB funding. There will be costs associated with starting up the Initiative that will occur during the period of CPB funding. Stations may choose to, but will not be required to conduct a second Teacher Town Hall as part of the Station-sustained part of this Initiative.
8. We are proposing that this is a pilot project – in targeted zip coded communities – and are proposing a pilot with a wider reach in years beyond the 18 months within the proposal guidelines. Please advise.
The funding from CPB is not considered a planning grant. This Initiative seeks to highlight best practices in addressing the dropout crisis, so the pilot approach is interesting. You will need to consider if this approach and your alignment with community partners can reasonably achieve the outcomes and scale intended with this Initiative. It will be important to briefly outline how this pilot will achieve this intended impact and scale. It will also be important to begin considering funding strategy for the scale of the pilot.
9. Can you describe specifically the national programming Stations will be required to broadcast?
The scope and quantity of national programming has yet to be determined; national broadcast will occur in a subsequent phase of this Initiative; consequently, we are not yet in a position to provide more specifics.
10. Who is producing interactive learning experiences and what do they look like?
The roster of interactive learning experiences is still being determined; however, examples include Roadtrip Nation and accompanying curriculum, the PBS NewsHour Student Report Labs, StoryCorps University, and others.
11. Can we budget for the PBS Digital Learning Library (DLL) as part of the online teacher resources offered through this Initiative?
If use of the resources in the DLL is a major part of your plan to reach and engage at-risk youth and help keep them in the school, then you will need to provide evidence that this is a sound approach and will achieve the intended impacts for this Initiative.
12. Can you provide more detail on the description and cost for the professional development resources that are part of this Initiative?
Community Hub Stations will be expected to create and execute professional development plans for local educators in close collaboration with partner schools and youth-service organizations. It is likely that the professional development efforts at each station will vary widely in content, models of delivery, frequency, etc. Participating Stations will be asked to work with their partner organizations to institute an interactive curriculum or project, based on existing public media resources and models. Stations should be advised that this will most likely not be a stand-alone “workshop” or institute, but rather an ongoing process throughout the course of the project, including school visits, hands-on training sessions, culminating events, etc. Stations should budget sufficient staff time for sustained involvement in educator professional development activities and projects, as well as budget for supplies, resources and equipment needs. We recommend budgeting a minimum of $15-$20K for professional development activities.
13. Will there be Spanish language materials or translations and/or culturally-relevant materials for Hispanics and Native Americans?
None have been identified as yet; however, the menu of materials that stations can choose from is in the early stages of development, and we expect that additional materials will be added as they are sourced/developed. We are open to and welcome suggestions from Stations.
14. Can Stations budget for the Initiative Manager to visit the local Station rather than the Station team travelling to meetings?
The RFP states that Stations will be required to attend two meetings. The Initiative Manager’s budget will include costs for one meeting; Stations should budget for and plan on attending another meeting. It is expected that 2-3 principal Station staff working on this project would attend these meetings; not a larger team. It is important that Stations attend these meetings and benefit from interactions with the Initiative Manager and with their peers at all Community Hubs.
15. Are you looking for a mix in media engagement activities, i.e. PSAs, Programming, Community Events; and can we budget for staff?
We are looking for a mix of activities that meet the needs of your community and achieve the greatest result. It is expected that, once selected, each Station will more fully develop its specific Action Plan in conjunction with the Initiative Manager. Stations may include staff costs in their budgets, provided that such costs are itemized.
16. Please describe further the anticipated role of General Managers in a station’s dropout project?
The General Manager’s role is crucial to the success of this Initiative. GMs should be deeply involved in all aspects of this Initiative, including helping to reach out to partners and build the community coalition. General Managers will also be critical to ensuring that this initiative is widely understood by the civic, philanthropic and leadership organizations in a given region. The GM should be supportive of and champion a cross-departmental station team to participate in this effort. GMs should also be prepared to contact the Station Board to make sure your Board is aware of this work and can also champion it wherever possible.
17. Our Station CEO may not be able to attend a CPB launch event for this Initiative due to the current status of our State appropriation to fund the Station, and the fact that this situation requires all of our CEO’s attention. Is it possible to send another member of the Station leadership in place of our CEO?
Yes it is possible to send a member of the Station leadership in place of your CEO. While we would prefer to have Station GMs attend the launch event, we, of course, completely understand that the status of State funding is of critical importance to the future of the Station and takes precedence. [Please note, however, that the date of the CPB launch event is currently in flux, and we will update and confirm the new date as soon as possible.]
18. Can Community Hubs work with specific selected high-need middle and/or high schools within their markets, or are Community Hubs required to work with entire school districts?
Community Hubs may identify specific middle schools that feed into low-performing high schools within their local communities and choose to build their plan around those specific schools and other partners. Other Stations responding to this RFP may choose to target and work with an entire school district. Stations must make these decisions being mindful that the Community Hub must reasonably achieve the outcomes and scale intended with this Initiative.
19. Can our proposal target specific populations such as Latino or African-American youth, or are we required to identify and work through specific schools?
You can certainly target specific populations where the dropout rate is high; we would encourage you, however, to identify schools attended by the target population and specify how you would work with those schools and other partners as part of your action plan. To be certain, targeting those communities where the problem is most prevalent is a strong approach.
20. The RFP defines middle school as grades 7-9. In our area middle school is grades 5-8 or 6-8 with high school as grades 9-12. How should we deal with this in the context of partner schools for this grant?
You should define middle and high school as they are in your area, and specify that information in your grant proposal.
21. Which graduation rates should be considered – some districts have diplomas and certificates of attendance (for students who may not meet graduation requirements in 4 years)?
While we are aware that there are other types of diplomas – high school equivalencies, GED etc., the focus of this Initiative is to provide incentives for youth to stay in school and graduate from 12th grade.
22. How do you define interactive activities for youth (i.e. Facebook, games, in-person events, mobile apps, video, or all of the above?)
Some or all of these tools may be deployed depending on what is appropriate for the target audience. A menu of interactive, educational resources will be approved for this Initiative in collaboration with the Initiative Manager and CPB. While Stations will submit a preliminary plan with this proposal, further planning will take place once Stations are selected.
23. Can you expand on how you expect Stations to ‘create and foster mentorship opportunities?’
There are several ways in which a Station could create mentorship opportunities, including conducting a ‘volunteerathon,’ offering internships at the Station and have Station staff mentor students, and/or partner with the business community or youth-serving organizations to provide mentorships. Again, we expect this part of the plan will be more fully developed in conjunction with the Initiative Manager.
24. Will Stations be provided assistance in how to raise awareness within the format of a Town Hall Meeting”
Yes, the Initiative Manager and others will coach stations on how to effectively design, promote and conduct a Teacher Town Hall Meeting.
25. Will Stations be permitted to use funds for cable buys or, are Stations required to disseminate materials only on Station air?
This is designed to be a public media Initiative demonstrating the power and impact of public media in addressing a critical need. However, if you believe that purchasing cable buys is the most effective way of reaching at-risk youth in your community, then you should provide justification in your application.
26. What types of outcome measurement is expected (i.e. survey, statistical change in a targeted zip code population, attendance, partnerships, other), and should Stations budget for an evaluator for this work?
A comprehensive evaluation plan will be developed for this Initiative that measures impact continuously through the Initiative. While it will be important to align the proposal to intended outcomes that have been published for the Initiative, the specific measurement of those outcomes will be developed in collaboration with Community Hubs as the Initiative develops. CPB will issue a separate RFP for an Initiative Evaluator to work with all selected Stations.
27. What outcome models should we be reviewing as we put together the proposal (i.e. Raising Readers)?
Once Stations are selected the outcomes model will be developed in conjunction with the Initiative Manager and CPB.
28. Can a Station responding to this RFP use additional identifiers for low-performing schools in addition to or instead of graduation rate? Will my Station be disqualified from applying to be a Public Media Community Hub if it is not located in one of the 200 communities with two or more low-performing schools or identified on the Alliance for Excellent Education website?
Stations may use additional identifiers for low-performing schools in addition to or instead of graduation rates, and will not be disqualified if you are not in an area that has two or more low-performing schools. We expect that any Station responding to this RFP is in the best position to know your local community, and will be able to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the impact of the dropout crisis within your community. In identifying low-performing schools that you propose to work with, please provide specific data and information to demonstrate why those schools are considered low-performing; also, in identifying schools, please keep in mind the overall goals of this Initiative.
29. We identified low-performing schools in our area using the Alliance for Excellent Education website; however, when we approached those schools to partner with us on this Initiative, the data that the schools provided on their own graduation rates showed much better graduation rates than the Alliance site, effectively removing them from the ‘low-performing’ category. Should we continue with our application?
As mentioned above, Stations may use additional identifiers for low-performing schools, and should be able to make a case for inclusion of particular schools.
30. Where can I find information specific to my state/local area on the Alliance for Education website?
a. Go to the Alliance website
b. Click on the link to Lowest Performing Hi Schools – middle link in olive green bar at top of page
c. Click on link to “Find Lowest Performing High School in your State” (immediately above cartoon)
d. Scroll down and you have the option to enter your State, Congressional District or Zip Code; then press Go
e. Scroll down to access your results. (Any school with less than a 60% graduation rate is considered to be a low-performing school.)
31. Can a public radio station partner with a local Community Access television station to submit an application?
Public radio stations considering applying for this grant should partner with a local CSG-qualified public television station in their market.
32. Our radio station expects to be on-air in spring 2011. Are all non-commercial/educational radio stations eligible to apply or must we gain CPB status to be eligible?
Only CPB CSG-qualified stations with an established service presence in their communities and that meet the criteria outlined in the RFP should apply for this grant.
33. Could a public radio station be awarded a grant to do this work without a partner public television station?
As the larger Initiative will include broadcast television content, a partner public television station is an essential element in any application from a public radio entity.
[Please note that once the work of the Community Hubs is underway, we expect that there will be additional, perhaps smaller, grant opportunities for both public radio and television stations. Such grants may be made available through NCME or directly from CPB.]
34. Are rural radio stations serving small populations in a competitive position for this grant, or should we partner with other radio stations? Is this grant contemplated only for large stations in urban markets?
Rural stations serving small populations are not disqualified from applying. Although the dropout crisis obviously affects inner city schools, we are aware that many rural areas are similarly affected, and therefore anticipate receiving proposals from stations in rural areas. Stations must be able to meet the criteria in the RFP, and be able to demonstrate that you can partner with at least one middle school that feeds into a low-performing high school in addition to a youth-serving organization.
As stipulated above, radio stations considering applying for this grant should partner with a local public television station that serves the same market.
35. If separate organizations are planning to collaborate as Public Media Community Hubs, should they submit one joint proposal or separate proposals?
Public media organizations collaborating on proposals should submit one joint proposal, and identify one organization to be the lead and fiscal agent.
36. Although the RFP guidelines state that we should not submit additional materials, will you accept letters of commitment or support from officials such as a State Governor, Senator or Secretary of Education?
It would be preferable and sufficient to state the level of commitment from civic leaders in your application answers.
37. What is the role of NCME in this Initiative?
NCME will work closely with CPB and the Initiative Manager on both the national and community efforts of this Initiative. As part of the Initiative, NCME will issue a grant program, open to all stations, in Spring 2011. These grants will provide support for stations to address a particular dropout-related issue in their local communities. The Initiative Manager and NCME will collaborate closely to capture and showcase best practices and stories of impact across all phases of the Initiative. Note that these grants will be outside of the 12 Community Hubs, and are intended to extend the Initiative beyond the 12 Hub markets.
38. Will the Webinar on February 16 be archived for future reference?
Yes, the Webinar has been recorded and is available on the NCME website for future reference.