Set Goals, Perhaps Win $

It's the time of year for resolutions and goal-setting. Have you set goals for improving your reuse program in 2011? If not, allow us to help identify potential goals and perhaps earn your program a $50 gift certificate for the effort.

Try using the Indicators of Quality for AT Reuse (IQ-ATR) Online program Assessment Tool to evaluate how your program complies with promising practices. You'll find the link at the bottom of the Pass It On Center (PIOC) home page at http://www.passitoncenter.org/. It's an easy-to-use multiple choice instrument with key factors for consideration in determining whether the program complies with the indicator.

A thoughtful trip through the assessment tool will produce a report of areas that need improvement. You can work through all categories of indicators that apply to your program, or concentrate on one facet of the program -- marketing, for example. The categories can be taken in any order.

In the November Webinar, we suggested a variety of ways to use the tool with individuals or groups. If you missed the Webinar, you'll find the presentation under New to the Knowledge Base at http://www.passitoncenter.org/content. The audio and transcript are not available yet, but the slides provide adequate information to explore the options.

Download the form attached to the Webinar overview to give us some feeback on your experience using the online tool before Feb. 1 and your program will be in the drawing for one of three $50 Visa gift cards.

You'll want the goals you define to be less vague than my "bucket list" resolutions to learn Spanish and practice piano. Good goals are SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. That moves the process from goals to a plan. Use the online program assessment tool, download the feedback form and go for the $50!

Hey, I found a Spanish class that meets once a week just ten minutes from my office.

Con los mejores deseos para el neuvo ano...
With best wishes for the new year...