This web-site gives a few tips that can help speed up the process of creating an Asha Stars Project.  It assumes that
(1) A good project with a concrete proposal and dedicated group in India has been identified
(2) There is an Asha Stars Project Co-ordinator (ASPC) for this project
 

Getting Approval by an Asha Chapter

The first step is to initiate the process to approve this project by one of the chapters of Asha for Education.  You may start off by contacting the chapter nearest to your geographic location.  Inform the project co-ordinator of that chapter that you are interested to start an Asha Stars Project.

The chapter project co-ordinator should guide you with the procedure or he/she will assign someone to do so.  The ASPC or his/her representative might be asked to present the Asha Star Project to the chapter projects group.  The Asha chapter projects group will deliberate on the proposal and the plans and examine it critically.  They might seek clarification and/or give feedback based on their collective wisdom and experience.

Creating a Web-Page

Effective publicity for a project is helpful, especially for the initiation of Asha Stars Projects.  One of the most efficient way to do this would be through the internet.  The ASPC should get a web-page created for this prospective Stars Project using the standardised Asha template.  The icon for the state or union territory where this project is located may be used in this standardised web-template.  The standardised template helps bring out the key quantitative information about the project for the benefit of the Asha members reviewing the project, prospective Asha Stars for this project and others who might be interested in the project.  The location of the web-site initially can be according to the convenience ASPC.  There are free web-site locations that are available: geocities, netfirms. ... where the website may be placed.  Once the project is approved by a chapter, the web-site may be linked to the projects page for that chapter.

For further information on the projects web-page design, the ASPC may contact Pradeep Das.
 

Forming an eGroup

Effective communication and archiving of the progress of the project is key to the success of an Asha Stars Project.  Fortunately in this age of the internet, there are a convenient ways of doing this.  The ASPC is recommended to  create an eGroups, where he/she could add all interested persons in the project as members.  All emails sent to this eGroup gets distributed to the members.  At the same time, all the sent-mail remains archived in the eGroup web-page related to the eGroup.  This web page may be kept accessible only to the eGroup member for privacy.  The eGroup also provides file space and calander facilities for future use by the Asha Stars to effectively manage their project.  By this way, the information about the project is at hand, wherever there there is internet access.

Canvassing with cultural and ethnic groups

One might want to recruit new Asha Stars and raise funds as well as make the general public about the good work being done by the project by reaching out to the community by canvassing and tabling information about the project at cultural and ethnic gathering.  A simple, but informative pamphlet about the project can be very handy at such occasions.  Besides having a wholesome effect on the gathering, there is also a good chance of attracting interested persons as Asha Star volunteers and raise funds for the project.

Such publicity and canvassing on other eGroups, mailing lists and newsgroups are also recommended (provided posting information about Asha Star Project is not contrary to the purpose of the forum).
 
 

Hope these suggestions are helpful in getting the Asha Star Project off the ground.  The members of the Asha Stars Projects eGroups members will be happy to assist in any way they can.
 

S. Sundar Kumar Iyer
last edited 25th October, 2000