As you begin your club service year, do a little training with your officers using your new K-Kids Service Guide. It’s a great way to get to know IDEA, the four steps of high-impact service. Start with the basic explanation of IDEA on page 4. After that, members can see what the four IDEA steps look like: 

  • Identifying the Need (pages 5-6). Members find out the real needs of your school and community and then choose a need for the next service project.  
  • Develop the Understanding (pages 11-12). Members research that need and discover community places and groups that can be partners for your service project.  
  • Execute the Plan (pages 17-18). Members find activities to help them create and carry out a plan for a service project.  
  • Aim for Impact (pages 37-38). Members think about and share how they felt about the project, what worked and what to improve in future service. They also report project results to partners.   

Incorporate activities from each step. The activities are easy to use, with step-by-step instructions and a list of necessary supplies. Do a few essential activities once a year, including mapping the community and brainstorming service projects. Do other activities as needed, depending on your chosen project — planning a fundraiser, for example, or planning a donation drive. 

You will also find many useful worksheets for the IDEA steps. These include: 

  • Service Needs Interview Notes. 
  • Investigating Places Helping the Need. 
  • Project Task List and Calendar. 
  • Project Budget. 
  • Hands-on Service Plan. 
  • Fundraising Plan. 
  • Marketing Plan.  
  • Donation Drive Plan. 
  • Day of Service Plan. 
  • Service Project Evaluation.