by Katie Grills, Community Relations AmeriCorps VISTA
Numbers became my adversary in middle school when algebra mounted new challenges that I couldn’t grasp as easily as words or historical analysis. I marched through college without using math much at all. It comes as a surprise to me that I’ve had so much fun calculating the straight numbers about the impact that our volunteers have had this year.
Later this summer, Theatre Action Project (TAP) will release volunteer statistics that demonstrate the impact our volunteers’ hard work has had on the organization. We’ve had a lot of fun figuring out who our average volunteer is, how many hours they work for us, how engaged they are in TAP’s larger community, and how the work they have done this year stacks up against the national average.
We’re big advocates of combining the arts with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) to create STEAM. I’m happy that we’re developing systems across the board to create a beautiful statistical painting of those who serve and are being served. Once we have all of our data collected, and if I’m feeling ambitious, I might attempt to create a TAPtastic info graphic to creatively unite art, service, and statistics.
If you’d like to join our volunteer ranks, email me at katie@theatreactionproject.org today. While we might calculate your impact on our programs, you will never feel like just another number in the system.
You’re an important fraction of our whole team. Join the TAP equation today.
