Description of the Project

Distributing weekly text message updates to the families serviced by an organization, within the Globalhood Potential Family, called Bushwick Impact. The organization provides services to families in the neighborhood from all different ethnic and cultural backgrounds: Puerto Rican, Indian, Haitian and Dominican, among others. The organizations services parents with children up to 8 years in the areas of childcare, literacy and orientations and referrals regarding housing and health issues.

The Organization seeks to provide updates to the families regarding activities and events at the Center. In addition, they’re interested in gathering information from the families regarding the quality of their services and if they require additional services.

Challenges

1. Costs

The organization is concerned that most of their members have pre-paid phones and will be charged up to almost a dollar per text message.

2. Technology

The organization’s online information manager does not have the capabilities to handle mobile.

Status

1. Content

Regarding content, the Organization has provided us with the calendar of events that would potentially be distributed to a core group of parents that the organization will identify that have mobile phone contracts that allow them to receive text messages without additional costs.

2. Technology

Investigating with mobile management company called 5thfinger.com and are waiting for further input, but have identified several options that might offer

services that would fulfill the organization’s needs.

• http://www.3jam.com/index.php
• http://www.xpesms.com/
• http://www.pombity.com/default.aspx

3. Costs

Investigating software companies that allow sending messages from a computer, which could potentially allow for tracking and reimbursing this may work. As it is manually handled, it would require the organization to identify a volunteer that could manage it.

Bushwick Impact (BI) Mobile Updating System

1. What has been accomplished so far?

After meeting with BI, we realized that discovering an adequate distribution model was/is the primary goal and difficulty. We are in the process of devising a system that reimburses the target audience for SMS updates.
2. What will be accomplished by the end of this semester?

We have come across a couple marginally okay options. If BI wants to work with these then this can be done by the end of class but maximizing participants will take time.
3. If in order to realize all the project objectives, you may need to extend the deadline, then what goals will be reached by the end of the semester and what goals will need to be extended?

The simple updates might be done by the end of the semester but we also discussed producing surveys. That is very long term.
4. What platforms has your group utilized to communicate and collaborate with each other and with the other groups? What has and hasn’t worked, and why?

Our group is pretty old school. Email, text, and face-to-face.
5. How have you been documenting and sharing project work?

Blog. Email.
6. What resources have you tapped into, to achieve your goals?

Online research and tapping into contacts with more experience.
7. What would help to realize your group’s project?

Money. Not a lot. But some.

Originally from http://domrepmobiletxt.wordpress.com/2008/07/11/update-friday-711/