THE PROBLEMS: IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM

An organization tackling a project of this sort must first have a clear sense of what challenges it faces and what plans it is willing and able to implement. So, as an institution crafts its initial proposal, it must undertake a period of self-evaluation to identify areas most in need of improvement and most likely to be solved by following the guidelines of the grant.

Each of the two pilot organizations encountered particular challenges as they evaluated themselves and their options for improvement. The Friends of Arrow Rock, as a well-established organization with a long history, found that it needed to be searching for a newer means of interpreting its historic structures. Participating in a Humanities Council charette helped the organization to think about possibilities for its exhibit and the changes that involving more volunteers, interns, and staff would necessitate. Then, as Sue Stubbs, President of Friends of Arrow Rock, explains, it "applied for the [Millennial Visions] grant on the heels of the charette."

The Black World History Museum, as a relatively new institution, faced different challenges as it assessed its needs. Unlike the FAR, the museum was still in the process of building its collections and earning recognition within its community. Therefore, as the museum crafted its initial proposal, it needed to consider ways to strengthen its role within the community without overstretching its resources. In addition, since the involvement of the community's youth is a major component of the Black World History Museum's mission, it endeavored to figure out a way to design the intern program as the centerpiece of its project.