Claire+Hamilton

**__Project Description__**__:__
===**Communication, I’ve come to believe, is almost everything when one is working in a parish setting. The success of a given program or an event can rise or fall on how effectively it has been promoted and implemented. That effectiveness seems to rest a good deal on the method of delivery used. Today the internet, social media, is the premier avenue that people, youth in particular, use to stay in touch, to gather information, to form opinions, and in some respects, build relationships. The Church has not been unmindful of this shift in communications patterns and behaviors, issuing positive statements regarding role of digital technology in developing meaningful dialogue between individuals, evangelizing, and building community. Recognizing that we must operate within this existent culture, we are creating this website as our first step in incorporating digital technology into our mission to form strong, faith-filled, Christian youth and to follow Christ’s directive to spread his teachings throughout the world. By placing pertinent program information online, where it is easily accessible and can’t be lost in the wash or eaten by the dog, we will facilitate timely, clearer communication with our families. By providing for interactive communication between parents and catechists by means of limited-access wikis, we hope to open lines of communication that ultimately will cause the parents to develop deeper involvement in their children’s faith formation. Linked to the parish website, the Children’s Faith Formation website also will offer higher visibility for the program and for what the children are accomplishing within the program’s framework. Finally, once our Blog and group Facebook are operational, we can encourage our parishioners to take the opportunity to evangelize by sharing their own faith stories with other bloggers while expanding and strengthening their own faith by critically considering what other bloggers share of their faith.**===

v Create a website that will offer our children, their parents, and the community-at-large easy access to:

 * ====information regarding available Faith Formation programs, sacramental preparation, program calendar, and special events====
 * ====links to sources outside our own community that provide family-and-faith-related information and services====
 * ====forums that offer them opportunities to dialogue with others regarding their faith experiences====

**__Project Objectives__**:

 * ====Secure approval for developing an interactive website from our pastor====
 * ====Develop the website following our diocesan guidelines====
 * ====Make a presentation to our pastoral council and to our CFF parents to promote the new website and explain how it can be accessed and used.====
 * ====Use our October and November staff meetings to acquaint our Catechetical Staff with the interactive workings of our new website and the diocesan guidelines for developing and using it..====
 * ====Advertise the website in our bulletin and in our weekly pre-Mass, Special Events slide show.====
 * Schedule classes to acquaint the CFF students with the USCCB Social Media Guidelines.
 * Once the initial website is developed, add a blog feature to it, encouraging both adult and student parishioners to share their faith experiences with the greater community,

====The website created during this project will impact members of Children’s Faith Formation and their parents, the parish members who will be able to access it through a link to our parish website, and those individuals in the community outside our parish who access its components on line through Facebook and our blog.====


 * ====July 26, 2013--Secure pastor’s permission to develop interactive website for Children’s Faith Formation====
 * ====July 26 to October 3, 2013--Develop website in preparation for publishing it. ====
 * October 3 to October 15, 2013
 * Submit Capstone Project proposal to Digital Disciple Boot Camp staff
 * Secure pastor’s approval to publish website.
 * Meet with CFF parents to explain new website, how to access it and how to use the protected sites.
 * Include presentation regarding website in the agenda of the Catechetical Staff meeting
 * ====October 15 to October 29, 2013--Advertise the website in bulletin and weekly pre-Mass slideshow and acquaint CFF students with the USCCB Social Media Guidelines. ====
 * ====October 29, 2013--Make presentation to the Pastoral Council meeting regarding Children’s Faith Formation website====
 * ====November 12, 2013--Include continuing presentation regarding website in the agenda of the Catechetical Staff meeting====
 * ====October 3 to November 3, 2013 ====
 * Work on developing the blog and Facebook elements of the website
 * Create and implement a survey to judge the parish perception of the new website
 * ====November 14, 2013--Capstone Project Due date====
 * ====December 1, 2013--Essay and Article for Publication Due Date====


 * __Technology Tools__**:
 * ====Parish website====
 * ====I Page.com as host for website====
 * ====Wiki for parents====
 * ====Wiki for teachers====
 * ====Wiki for students====
 * ====Bulletin board on Padlets.com====
 * ====Blog====
 * ====Animoto====
 * ====Wordpress====
 * ====Facebook====

====Our pastor gave approval for developing the website and will need to approve the final form before it can be published. I will need to schedule the presentation in church through the office secretary and the presentation before the Pastoral Council through the council’s chairperson.====


 * __Website Design:__**

Using the Weebly “Drag and Drop” design feature of our website host IPage.com, the following is the outline I currently plan to use in its initial construction:

 * ====Home Page:====
 * Logo
 * Vision statement presented using Animoto.com
 * Basic Program Information
 * Links to other sites of interest
 * ====Information and Contacts:====
 * Sacramental Preparation Schedules and Sacramental Celebration Dates
 * Retreat Dates
 * Program Calendar
 * Parish Catechists’ Directory and links to individual catechists for parents and for students
 * ====Picture Gallery:====
 * Slide shows of youngsters participating in various CFF activities
 * ====Children’s Faith Formation On-line Registration Form====
 * ====Blog Link====
 * ====Facebook Link====

Link to Claire Hamilton Essay

Link to Claire Hamilton Article