Four Weeks Before Power Lab

Recruit additional volunteers.

In addition to station leaders and Lab Crew Leaders, you may want to recruit volunteers to help with registration, transportation, and child care for the staff. Refer to the "Recruiting" section for more ideas.

Get your parish excited about Operation Kid-to-KidT.

Check out the Operation Kid-to-Kid section of the Director Manual to find easy ways to get everyone involved with this hands-on project.

Determine how you will close Power Lab Catholic VBS.

An ideal way to close your Power Lab week is by having a closing Mass. Parents and families can all be a part of the celebration. Using your Power Lab decorations as well as the crafts that the kids made can set the tone for a grand finale. This is a great time for kids to have their Operation-Kid-to-Kid projects they worked on all week blessed. You’ll find the complete Eucharistic liturgy as well as a Prayer Service for Power Lab in the Freebies & Updates section of this web site.

Continue publicity.

Mail Power Lab invitation postcards to children in your parish and community. Distribute Power Lab doorknob danglers in your community. Write your parish's name and when Power Lab will begin. (Invitation Postcards and Doorknob Danglers are available from Harcourt Religion.) Be sure to direct people to your Power Lab Web site for easy registration.

Continue preregistration.

Photocopy the "Power Lab Registration Form" from the Director Manual. Insert copies in your parish bulletins, distribute copies in your religious education classes, and keep a supply in your parish office. Encourage parents from your parish to preregister their children. (Remember, when families register online, they'll automatically be put into crews, making your job even easier.) This will make your first day more manageable.

Preregistration really does make things run more smoothly. To get more kids preregistered, you might offer incentives. For example, provide a Power Lab T-shirt or a Sonic Sing & Play Music CD for each child who registers early. Or fill a large jar with Atomic Fireballs candy. Children who preregister can submit a "guess" as to how many candies are in the jar. (The winner gets to keep the entire jar of candy! Yum!) These incentives will build enthusiasm for your VBS, too.

Hold the scheduled leader training meeting.

Plan to meet in a large room where you'll be able to try out some Power Lab snacks and activities. Before the meeting, set up a TV and DVD player, and decorate the room using the suggestions provided in the staff training outline. Bring the station leader manuals, Crew Leader Pocket Guides, and photocopies of the "For Lab Crew Leaders Only" handouts.

Meet with each station leader.

It's a good idea to touch base with each station leader on a one-on-one basis. Take each person to lunch or out for ice cream, or simply go for a walk together as you discuss what supplies the leader needs, what concerns he or she may have, or any aspects of the program that are not clear. This will not only prevents miscommunication but also help your volunteers know how much you appreciate them.

Provide Power Lab information to your parish office.

Fill in your parish's information on the community flier in the Director Manual, and photocopy a stack of completed fliers on brightly colored paper to put in your parish office. Someone in the office can refer to the fliers if people call with questions about your program and can distribute fliers to people who stop by the office. If your parish has a phone answering machine, you may also want to include Power Lab information in your recorded message. If your parish has its own Web site, be sure to add Power Lab information there, too.

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