PLANNING CALENDAR - 8 Weeks Prior

 
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  1. Three to Six Months Before Power Lab
  2. Two to Three Months Before Power Lab
  3. Eight Weeks Before Power Lab
  4. Four Weeks Before Power Lab
  5. Two Weeks Before Power Lab
  6. One Week Before Power Lab
  7. During Power Lab
  8. After Power Lab

Eight Weeks Before Power Lab

Begin recruiting Lab Crew Leaders.

Lab Crew Leaders are the backbone of your program, so choose them with special care. Not just anybody can be a crew leader. You need people who are well grounded in their faith and have an ability to work with children. You may want to draw from your parish catechists to fill this important role. Crew leaders work with the children to help them understand the concepts being presented and guide them in applying the Gospel message to their lives. For more information on recruiting, see the "Recruiting" section of your Director Manual.

Begin publicity.

Fill in your program's dates and times on the Power Lab outdoor banner (available from Harcourt Religion). Display the banner in a prominent outdoor location. Hang Power Lab publicity posters (available from Harcourt Religion) in your parish and community.

Show the promotional segment of the Aha! DVD after Mass on Sunday or after a religious education gathering. This brief segment gives people a glimpse of how Power Lab works and what kids will learn at this awesome VBS. You'll find that the video helps build enthusiasm, recruit volunteers, and promote attendance for your program. Be sure to follow up the video by sharing with everyone how excited you are about the program!

Begin gathering supplies.

Refer to the master supply list in the "Power Lab Daily Supplies" section of your Director Manual. (Note: Some stations may not require all the supplies listed, since station leaders can choose which activities they would like to do.) Consult with station leaders to inform them of how you'll handle supply collection. Will you gather all supplies, or will each leader gather his or her own supplies? You may want to ask parishioners to donate food supplies or easy-to-find items, such as decorations.

Plan your Power Lab schedule.

The average VBS program runs for up to three hours each day. Harcourt Religion's Catholic VBS materials have been developed with these parameters in mind. For a three-hour program, Sonic Sing & Play and Faith Fusion Finale should last 25 minutes each, and every other station should last 20 minutes. See the daily schedules in the Director Manual to see how this works. If your program will meet for more or less time than three hours each day, you'll need to adapt these times accordingly.

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