Project Management

Awareness & Understanding

Every big thing that gets built — a school play, a community garden, a new road in Salt Lake County — started as a project someone had to manage. Project management means breaking a goal into steps, figuring out who does what, and keeping everything on track when things go sideways. Start by watching a free beginner video on project management basics from the Project Management Institute (pmi.org has free student resources) or search "intro to project management" on YouTube. Think about a project you were part of — maybe a group assignment, a family move, or a fundraiser. What went well? What got chaotic? Write down your observations. You're ready for the next step when you can define project management in your own words and give one real example of a project you have been part of.

Research & Investigation

Dig into the main tools and frameworks people use to manage projects. Research three popular approaches: the simple to-do list method, Kanban boards (like Trello, which is free), and Gantt charts (free in Google Sheets templates). Look up how Salt Lake City's public works department or Utah nonprofit organizations like United Way of Salt Lake plan their community projects — their websites and annual reports often describe their processes. Ask a parent, teacher, or community volunteer how they keep a multi-step project organized. Compare what you find: when would each method work best? You're ready for the next step when you can explain the difference between at least two project management methods and give an example of a situation where each one fits.

Planning & Preparation

Choose a real project to plan from scratch — something meaningful to you, like organizing a school supply drive, planning a neighborhood cleanup, or launching a small community event in Salt Lake. Use a free Kanban board on Trello or a Google Sheets Gantt chart to lay out every task. Identify who is responsible for each piece, set deadlines, and list what resources you need. Write a simple one-page project brief: goal, timeline, team roles, and success measures. Share it with at least one other person and ask if anything seems missing or unclear. Revise based on their feedback. You're ready for the next step when you have a complete project plan with tasks, deadlines, roles, and at least one person who has reviewed and approved it.

Taking Action

Launch your project and start tracking it in real time. Hold a short kickoff meeting with your team or helpers — even if it is just two people. Check in on your Kanban board or Gantt chart every few days. When something falls behind or changes, update the plan and communicate the change to everyone involved. Keep a simple project log: date, what happened, what you decided. If your project involves a community goal, reach out to a local organization — United Way of Salt Lake, a neighborhood association, or a school club — to see if they want to partner or offer guidance. You're ready for the next step when your project has launched, at least half the tasks are complete, and you have a written log showing at least two decisions or adjustments you made along the way.

Leadership & Expansion

Complete your project and document what worked and what did not. Then use what you learned to help someone else plan their project. You might lead a short workshop for a school club or youth group on how to use a Kanban board or write a project brief. Create a simple "Project Starter Kit" — a one-page template others can use. Look into the free resources from PMI's "Project Management for Non-Profits" guide or the free Coursera course "Project Management Principles and Practices" (audit for free). Share your Starter Kit with a teacher, a community center, or a youth program in the Salt Lake Valley. You're ready for the next step when you have completed your project, written a lessons-learned summary, and helped at least one other person start their own project plan.

Impact & Reflection

Write a full project retrospective: What was your original goal? Did you hit it? What surprised you? What would you do differently? Measure your project's impact with real numbers — how many people participated, how much was collected or accomplished, what changed. Share your retrospective with a mentor, teacher, or community partner. Now look outward: identify one ongoing challenge in your school or Salt Lake community that could be solved with a well-managed project. Draft a project proposal for that challenge and present it to someone who could greenlight it. You're ready for the next step when you have a written retrospective with measurable outcomes and a new project proposal that a real stakeholder has read or heard.