Students solve nonprofit problems

Maddi Dawley helps her team solve the math worksheet given to them as an ice breaker at the Poweshiek Leadership Program Youth/Adult Conference. (Mrs. Wilson photo)

by Bryan Stanford & 

Alexa Wheaton

Local students formulated problem-solving ideas at the Poweshiek Leadership Program Conference in order to break the communication barrier between the youth and adults. 

Bob Mann, President of Grinnell’s United Way, presented information about the organization. The United Way is a volunteer-based organization which strives to improve people’s lives and advance the common good of the community by providing fundraising efforts to benefit human services in the Poweshiek County area. 

Four nonprofit agencies receive help from United Way presented problems they have encountered. 

The four agencies were: Big Brothers/Big Sisters Heart of Iowa, Galaxy Youth Center and STARS Programming, Domestic Violence Alternatives and the American Red Cross.

The students who attended the conference were asked to come up with solutions for the problems for each agency. For example, the problems the American Red Cross organization face every year are a lack of volunteers and the amount of funds available. 

The Big Brothers/Big Sisters Heart of Iowa organization has problems with advertising and marketing. The Domestic Violence Alternative also face problems with the number of community members’ knowledge of the organization. 

The Galaxy Youth Center and STARS Programming is in need of updated technology.  After each group of students thought of many ways to help each agency, they presented their ideas to the other groups of students. 

Most groups thought of various fundraising opportunities, while getting good publicity for each agency. One solution was getting local businesses to help with the printing of flyers, posters and the word of mouth. 

Montezuma, BGM and Grinnell students attended this conference at the Carmen Center, Mayflower Community in Grinnell on Thursday, Nov. 18. 

Montezuma students attending were: Shane Lyons, Breanna Johnson, Alexis Ferguson, Matt Armstrong, Connor Johnston, Maddi Dawley, Destiny Romberg, Spencer Roorda, Alexa Wheaton and Bryan Stanford.