Page History

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We face many obstacles in refining and updating our website.  Our complete guide to utilizing and improving the site can be found at the Website Resources page.

In  Fall 2010, several changes were made to the website, including its translation to Spanish.  We are currently working to improve the aesthetic appearance of the site and its accessibility.In Fall 2010, several changes were made to the website, including its translation into Spanish. Aguaclara used had been using the Google translator toolkit to reach to the Spanish speaking community. However, it was crucial to have an independent website designed specifically for people interested in Aguaclara but with no knowledge of English. Since Aguaclara's technology was designed for and it is expected to reach the Latin American communities, this made the website translation a priority task for the outreach community. The outreach team worked with a native speaker, and the website is complete and running since early December. The translated site can be accessed at Spanish Websiteor from the original AguaClara website, under the link en espanol.

Having an independent website in Spanish is a great step further in the process of being built. We expect to have it completed by the end of the Fall 2010 semester. This website can be accessed at Spanish Website.finding ways to reach to prospective partners. However, it also brings some disadvantages. New outreach members should be careful with the content of the translated website. Since it is independent it either needs to be continuously updated by a native speaker, who is willing to incorporate the new information from the original website into the translated version; or try to adapt the content of the Spanish website to cover things that do not need to be constantly updated (such as news, student spotlights, etc).

In addition to its translation Moreover, the website has been updated with new student blurbs, new donors and partners, and Aguaclara courses have been added to it.a new section under Get Involved was created: Aguaclara course credits. Since a large percentage of the inquiries we get from the website are related to student participation in the project, the outreach team thought it would be convenient to have class information in the web to be accessed directly.

AguaClara on Facebook

During Fall 2010, the outreach team spent most of the time on public relation materials. The team created a new brochure, a alumni newsletter, updated and translated the website, and also tried to get the AguaClara Facebook page updated so new members can join and it could be used to advertise outreach events, such as the concert. Old officers need to be contacted by new members, so that they can pass on their role and future outreach teams can update new information on Facebook. The Facebook page can be accessed here

Benefit Concert

In the past, the outreach team has organized benefit concerts at The Nines in Collegetown. The best way to do this is to call George, the music coordinator at The Nines, at 607-272-1888. The best time to reach him is 12-5 PM on Tuesday. During the event, The Nines will donate a percentage of sales to AguaClara, and we can decide to charge an admission fee which goes directly to AguaClara. In the past the admission fee has been $5. The Nines charges $120 to hire a sound guy for the concert which can be paid out of revenues at the event. All other expenses should be incurred by outreach team members out-of-pocket to be reimbursed after revenues have been collected. (AguaClara's proceeds) = (percentage of sales) + (admissions) - ($120 sound charge) - (reimbursements for out-of-pocket expenses).

Book the event for a weekend night well in advance. Try to book student talent (bands from JAM Program House tend to work well) because student performers will help promote and bring their friends. You should not have to pay the talent; find people who will play for free for a good cause. Work with the promotional staff of The Nines to print flyers and quarter-cards. If necessary, pay for printing out-of-pocket and reimburse yourself from the proceeds. Promote online and organize volunteers from AguaClara or elsewhere to promote. Post flyers around campus and Collegetown, and distribute quarter-cards on Ho Plaza and elsewhere. Be sure to let people know that AguaClara will receive some of the proceeds from food and drink sales will benefit AguaClara as well. It might be a good idea to sell advance tickets. The Spring 2010 flyer is attached to this page.

The Latino Studies Program may co-sponsor the event. They are interested in what Aguaclara does, and they can provide a graphic designer, free color printing, and more importantly, they will advertise the event through several listservs. For more information about it, contact Marti Dense at mfd1@cornell.edu, the LSP program coordinator.