basic guiding precepts
of the key players project
Supporting community assets
Men of Color play a critical role in the lives of children. But it is a contribution that is often overlooked or ignored. Men of Color are rarely depicted in the popular media as nurturing and caring people. As such one aspect of the project is to get images of Key Players into the media. The Key Player Project buys air time for a commercial/PSA featuring images of Key Players. The commercial is aimed at young people encouraging them to nominate key players.
In addition to the main event, the class also facilitates a search of Springfield community for the “Hero Among Us.” The “Hero Among Us” is an honor the Celtics give at each game to someone how has gone above and beyond and honored at the beginning of the game by the star spangled banner singer.
By extension, Key Players Project tries to use community assets as much as possible. This year, for example, The commercial is produced by young people in Holyoke, the reception will be catered by local diner, and an amateur photographer from the community will hired to document the events.
The selection process is a way to honor community assets. By reaching to community centers, churches and other organizations for support Key Players is honoring community assets. The class helps to support these organizations through student volunteer labor. Each year the UMass students in the class put in over 500 hours of volunteer service in the Springfield community. This work directly with those in the community also gives legitimacy to the project on both sides – the Key Players Project student volunteers coming from Amherst to actually invest their time and energy in the Springfield community and by working in the community, the students see firsthand the important contribution made to children by the Key Players Project Ambassadors.
Community relations is an organization-wide effort
The course attempts to mirror the Celtics best practices to incorporate all departments of that organization into their community relations efforts. As such, students engage in fundraising, grant writing, public relations, marketing, event operations, and even sales to get a sense of every aspect of a good community relations effort.
For example, students created opportunities for local businesses, non-profits, and unions to be involved. Through sponsorships and donations students raised over 4 thousand dollars for the Key Players Project. At the Celtics games students assist Celtics staff with the ceremony and at the Springfield reception made all the arrangements for the event. One student had the assignment of advising the young people who made the commercial
In addition, because the course is part of a larger institution, this fall’s class attempted to increase organizational buy-in. This past year’s edition of key players received financial help from Dean Tom O’Brien in the Isenberg School of Management, the university outreach office, the alumni association, and even sought, and received access to the Chancellor’s truck for a prop in a raffle. It also meant bringing the university to the community. In that regard students helped to arrange two trips to campus for two different groups of young people of color – one to visit ISOM and another to a hockey game.
Following leadership of people of color
From the start the project was shaped by people of color within the community. Outside of the original concept, every advancement or change in the project has been suggested by people of color. At the end of the second year, leadership for the direction of the project has been passed from the founders to past honorees. Seven honorees from last year participated in the reception. Plans are underway for a Key Players planning breakfast.
All students put in 30 hours volunteer service at city of Springfield community centers in which they report directly to people of color. Their end of the year reports reflect how rare and important these relationships with mentors of color can be.
Fostering community building
One of the opportunities working with the Celtics offers us is our ability to convene disparate groups. In the selection process we bring together representatives from community groups and churches from across the city. Through the selection process we bring people together that would not have met otherwise. And through the reception and game, men that do good work in the community, but who would not have met otherwise, build bonds and begin to work together.
Developing trust between UMass and Springfield community members
Often college and university staff and faculty come into communities of color and leave the perception that they are taking more than they give. The guiding principles outlined above help to counter that perception and help to build trust between Springfield’s communities of color and the University. It was also essential that the students and the community view the project as long term - establishing that we can be “counted on.” As such, we made a three-year agreement with the Celtics. And students mirror this, by being hyper-responsible in their community service – making only those commitments they can keep, being where they say they are going to be, and exiting the community centers well.