This morning I took the el downtown to meet with the APA, American Planning Association, about some sort of collaboration for an upcoming issue of StudentsXpress. The initial plan was to have 2 issues per year. However, for the next issue, all of the submissions will be in by the end of March. That gives the students all of April and May to work on submissions for the new "back-to-school" issue that will come out in September (and that I can work on over the summer). That will be the "Living in the City" issue.
It was a really nice meeting. I learned a little more about Urban Planning, and they learned a little more about StudentsXpress. One of the best things to come out of it is the fact that we can get two issues out of it. The first one can be all about urban environments, transportation, neighborhoods etc., while the second one can focus more on nature in the city, a topic all by itself. I really think the kids will turn in some beautiful work for both of these.
As for planning ahead, here are the topics I have lined up:
• Courage
• Living in the City--Urban Environments
• Bullying
• The Humor Issue
• Living in the City--Nature in the City
I'm looking forward to all of them!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Time Management
I love having a lot of things going on. I work best when I have a lot to do in a little time. I had so much going on right before the holidays and the distribution date for StudentsXpress. Now, as I should be used to from having worked in the magazine business for so long, I'm in between deadlines. But there's still a lot to do. Because I have a lot of projects. I thought I'd use this blog post to organize my thoughts.
• Yesterday I had my first "Under the Influence....of Art!" after school class since last year. It was so nice. It's a small class (2 boys and 2 girls) and we're up in the art room (last year we were in a 1st grade classroom). The children are wonderful, and everyone worked well together and independently. It was just a really nice time. I'll be teaching that class every Tuesday after school.
• I relisted a few pieces in my raspberrykidz etsy shop today. I haven't been on that site in so long, I felt kind of lost. The set up changed, and I'm not sure how to do a few things, like where did the chat rooms go? Oh well. Sent an e-mail out to my sis, and I'm sure she'll update me. I'd love to get some orders going there, so maybe I'll hang a few ads up at school to drum up a little business.
• I Am Not A Nut. OK, I might be, but I have medication for that. I Am Not A Nut is actually the children's book my sister wrote and I started illustrating. I have not worked on it for a long time. It might be time to get that out again.
• StudentsXpress. Though I'm between issues, that doesn't mean there's nothing to do. I'm still looking for advertisers and sponsors, and I continue to work on publicity. And I have to keep my contacts informed about the upcoming issue, all about courage. I think I'll print out a reminder sheet to put in the teacher's mailboxes at Nettelhorst.
OK, I knew I had all that to do. Just wanted to get it out from being jumbled in my head and down on paper...or on the screen. Time to get back to work!
• Yesterday I had my first "Under the Influence....of Art!" after school class since last year. It was so nice. It's a small class (2 boys and 2 girls) and we're up in the art room (last year we were in a 1st grade classroom). The children are wonderful, and everyone worked well together and independently. It was just a really nice time. I'll be teaching that class every Tuesday after school.
• I relisted a few pieces in my raspberrykidz etsy shop today. I haven't been on that site in so long, I felt kind of lost. The set up changed, and I'm not sure how to do a few things, like where did the chat rooms go? Oh well. Sent an e-mail out to my sis, and I'm sure she'll update me. I'd love to get some orders going there, so maybe I'll hang a few ads up at school to drum up a little business.
• I Am Not A Nut. OK, I might be, but I have medication for that. I Am Not A Nut is actually the children's book my sister wrote and I started illustrating. I have not worked on it for a long time. It might be time to get that out again.
• StudentsXpress. Though I'm between issues, that doesn't mean there's nothing to do. I'm still looking for advertisers and sponsors, and I continue to work on publicity. And I have to keep my contacts informed about the upcoming issue, all about courage. I think I'll print out a reminder sheet to put in the teacher's mailboxes at Nettelhorst.
OK, I knew I had all that to do. Just wanted to get it out from being jumbled in my head and down on paper...or on the screen. Time to get back to work!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
New Year, New Opportunities (or Lights, Camera, Action!)
 |
| With Univision Reporter Paula Gomez and Nettelhorst student (and StudentsXpress contributor) Andrea Benetar |
"Are you speaking to Rick Kogan today?" he asked.
"Um, no."
I had been in touch with WGN radio host, Rick Kogan about appearing on his "Sunday Papers" program at some point, but we had never nailed down a date.
"Because he just mentioned your name," my dad told me. He was talking with Greg Jacobs of 'Louder than a Bomb' and he said "coming up he would be talking to Rachel Switall." My dad mentioned that he didn't know if Rick was referring to some time on a future show, but it sounded like he meant 'after this commercial break.'
"Well, I never heard from him," I said, "so he must be talking about some time in the future." I hung up with my dad and went back to flipping pancakes. About five minutes later the phone rang. Again, it was my dad. "I think you should call in the radio. Rick is asking for you to call in."
"Now?"
"Now."
So, I called in and had my first radio interview:
http://www.wgnradio.com/shows/sundaypapers/wgnam-kogan-120101-rachel-switall-studentsxpress,0,5587964.mp3file
Though my voice was definitely shaky at first, I did manage to get through it ok. I know me, and my voice can shake in front of a small room of people, so I was pretty proud of it overall. I must say, Rick was wonderful (as was his producer Casey). He said such nice things, he asked some great questions, and when he read the entries from the magazine, he made them sound so professional. After the interview, Casey immediately sent me the podcast link, which I proceeded to send out to anyone and everyone I could think of. As I mentioned, I'm still looking for a major sponsor for the magazine, and I hope Rick's endorsement might help people see what a great thing that could be.
On Jan. 2, a segment I worked on for Univision aired on their 5:00 news. Though I meant to write about the experience at the time, I never did get around to it. I'm planning to be better at tracking each step of this whole process in this blog. In the meantime, here is the Univision link:
And here's looking forward to new adventures and opportunities in the new year....
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Did Someone Say Party?
So much has happened since my last post. I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to do any updates, but I thought I would now as a way to sort everything out....though there's no way I'll cover everything now. Let's see, my last post was when I decided to contact local advertisers, since I was having difficulty getting a grant or a major sponsor. This turned out to be a great thing. I love being in touch with the small businesses in the community, and I hope this is one way to help them, as they are helping support us. I've gotten enough advertisers to print the magazine; and speaking of printing that has changed as well.
I'm no longer with the printer I thought I'd be with, and I'm working in a new format: newsprint. a larger page size. and color. The Chicago Tribune directed me to their Freedom Center Press, who introduced me to Litho Type in Lansing. They've been wonderful. I've sent them a few proofs to make sure we're "on the same page," and they've been helping me with the format. The deadline is Friday December 9, and I'm hoping to get it to them before then, so there is room for revisions if need be. I'm pretty much done with everything but the letter from me page and a few ads....oh, and the word search. I like to put those in since I like doing them myself so much. I think the kids will like it too.
Another component is the online version. That will include everything from the printed version, along with additional pages that didn't make it due to space constraints. I've designed those pages, but I still need to proof them. Then I have to work on the web site, to make sure it's up and running by the time of the Launch Party.
Did someone say Party? Yes, I'm planning a Launch Party/Fundraiser to be held at Chicago's Pizza, one of our advertisers. I've invited Blanca Paloma (founder of Children of Color) along as well. She'll be showing her [award-winning] film and photographing the children. There will also be a raffle for a bike helmet from On the Route Bicycles and a book from You're In It Stories. And I'm going to get posters made up to give away. I'm hoping for a real good time with some great people.
I'm no longer with the printer I thought I'd be with, and I'm working in a new format: newsprint. a larger page size. and color. The Chicago Tribune directed me to their Freedom Center Press, who introduced me to Litho Type in Lansing. They've been wonderful. I've sent them a few proofs to make sure we're "on the same page," and they've been helping me with the format. The deadline is Friday December 9, and I'm hoping to get it to them before then, so there is room for revisions if need be. I'm pretty much done with everything but the letter from me page and a few ads....oh, and the word search. I like to put those in since I like doing them myself so much. I think the kids will like it too.
Another component is the online version. That will include everything from the printed version, along with additional pages that didn't make it due to space constraints. I've designed those pages, but I still need to proof them. Then I have to work on the web site, to make sure it's up and running by the time of the Launch Party.
Did someone say Party? Yes, I'm planning a Launch Party/Fundraiser to be held at Chicago's Pizza, one of our advertisers. I've invited Blanca Paloma (founder of Children of Color) along as well. She'll be showing her [award-winning] film and photographing the children. There will also be a raffle for a bike helmet from On the Route Bicycles and a book from You're In It Stories. And I'm going to get posters made up to give away. I'm hoping for a real good time with some great people.
So, I've been busy with the layout, ads, planning the party....and trying to get the word out about it all. OK, that's it for now....time to get back to work.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Trying
It's been a trying few weeks for me. I have not been able to secure a sponsor for the magazine, and I have been unsuccessful in getting a grant to fund it. I was down, but only for a moment. It actually made me even more determined to find a way to make StudensXpress a success.
I did, however, meet with a great company, InnerWorkings. They took a look at my past issues, and they are coming up with some quotes for me, which I should get tomorrow. They are well aware of my lack of funds, and they're doing what they can to get me the lowest price. I'm hoping for some good news tomorrow. Then I can move on from there.
Moving on means recontacting my advertisers and (hopefully) letting them know I can now offer them an ad at a lower price. I met with my friend Maureen last week, and she suggested a sponsor page that has logos of companies that donate to the cause (for less than it costs to place an ad). So I'll be offering that, along with ads (which will include a logo on the donor page as well). I also have to make contact with the schools again. It's been a long time since I checked in, and it never hurts to remind them of the deadline.
I feel like I can do all this once I know for sure what the printing costs will be, and what that will get me as the final product. I'm hoping to print a reasonably-priced magazine, so I'll do what it takes, like make the page count lower. Then I'll still have all of the "overflow" available on the digital version. As always, I'm just anxious and excited for the next step.
I did, however, meet with a great company, InnerWorkings. They took a look at my past issues, and they are coming up with some quotes for me, which I should get tomorrow. They are well aware of my lack of funds, and they're doing what they can to get me the lowest price. I'm hoping for some good news tomorrow. Then I can move on from there.
Moving on means recontacting my advertisers and (hopefully) letting them know I can now offer them an ad at a lower price. I met with my friend Maureen last week, and she suggested a sponsor page that has logos of companies that donate to the cause (for less than it costs to place an ad). So I'll be offering that, along with ads (which will include a logo on the donor page as well). I also have to make contact with the schools again. It's been a long time since I checked in, and it never hurts to remind them of the deadline.
I feel like I can do all this once I know for sure what the printing costs will be, and what that will get me as the final product. I'm hoping to print a reasonably-priced magazine, so I'll do what it takes, like make the page count lower. Then I'll still have all of the "overflow" available on the digital version. As always, I'm just anxious and excited for the next step.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Introducing.....for today anyway
I haven't heard anything from CPS yet, but I decided to go ahead and start working on a new logo. I worked on CS-xpress for a while yesterday. This evening, as I was talking to my husband, he suggested I stay away from the letters and do something like "StudentsXpress." I like it. I'm working on that logo now. It will have no mention of Chicago Public Schools, so it should be fine.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
It's All in the Name
Over the summer I e-mailed Jean-Claude Brizzard, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, to show him the magazine and get his feedback. He liked it and asked if there was anything he could do to assist me. I asked that he put me in touch with someone from CPS who could talk to me about the magazine.
On July 13, I went downtown to the CPS headquarters and met with two women. I showed them the magazines I have done in the past and explained what I was doing and where I planned to go with it. They were very nice and helpful. Though they couldn't assist me directly, they gave me some good ideas of which directions to try. This was mostly about funding. I know there are no extra funds in CPS, and that is one of the benefits of the magazine. Once it is funded (by advertisers or what have you), it is a free publication for the students.
At the end of the meeting, I was told that the name "CPSxpress" might be a problem, which I understood. They were worried that, with that name and only a limited number of schools involved, those that are not involved might feel excluded. That cannot be associated with CPS. So, they were going to run it by "legal."
Now I'm in the process of getting everything ready for the first issue this year, and that includes social media, a web site, this blog.... I e-mailed my CPS contacts to let them know and ask what has been decided about the name. They have still not heard from the Board, and without written permission, I cannot use CPS in the title or in subhead (Connecting Chicago Public Schools through words and art). It was also mentioned that I might not even be able to mention individual schools by name. I'm not sure about this last one, since I feel like the schools can do what they want with individuals and outside companies, but I might be wrong about that.
Hopefully I will speak with someone today. I really believe in this project, and I hope to move forward. My son came up with the title "NSxpress" (meaning North/South xpress), and I like that. I also like CKxpress (Chicago Kids), CYxpress (Chicago Youth) and CSxpress (Chicago Students). Perhaps this last one is the best, since it is the closest to CPS, which I have been using. The tagline could read: Connecting Chicago Students from the North to the South Sides...or something like that.
I'm happy to go in a different direction. I'm just ready to start moving.
On July 13, I went downtown to the CPS headquarters and met with two women. I showed them the magazines I have done in the past and explained what I was doing and where I planned to go with it. They were very nice and helpful. Though they couldn't assist me directly, they gave me some good ideas of which directions to try. This was mostly about funding. I know there are no extra funds in CPS, and that is one of the benefits of the magazine. Once it is funded (by advertisers or what have you), it is a free publication for the students.
At the end of the meeting, I was told that the name "CPSxpress" might be a problem, which I understood. They were worried that, with that name and only a limited number of schools involved, those that are not involved might feel excluded. That cannot be associated with CPS. So, they were going to run it by "legal."
Now I'm in the process of getting everything ready for the first issue this year, and that includes social media, a web site, this blog.... I e-mailed my CPS contacts to let them know and ask what has been decided about the name. They have still not heard from the Board, and without written permission, I cannot use CPS in the title or in subhead (Connecting Chicago Public Schools through words and art). It was also mentioned that I might not even be able to mention individual schools by name. I'm not sure about this last one, since I feel like the schools can do what they want with individuals and outside companies, but I might be wrong about that.
Hopefully I will speak with someone today. I really believe in this project, and I hope to move forward. My son came up with the title "NSxpress" (meaning North/South xpress), and I like that. I also like CKxpress (Chicago Kids), CYxpress (Chicago Youth) and CSxpress (Chicago Students). Perhaps this last one is the best, since it is the closest to CPS, which I have been using. The tagline could read: Connecting Chicago Students from the North to the South Sides...or something like that.
I'm happy to go in a different direction. I'm just ready to start moving.
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