Course: SPEA-V367 – Project Planning & Management
Role: Team Lead | Spring 2025

The Circle City Rhythms project was a team-based initiative to design a proejct of our choice. After thoughtful collaboration, we developed a proposal for a community-based youth summer music program serving Indianapolis students. As team lead, I coordinated meetings, built team project schedules, and maintained communication across the group to keep us on track.

One of my proudest contributions was creating templates for our program's communications management plan—an enhancement I added beyond the assignment requirements. The templates outlined how the program would share updates with guardians and stakeholders throughout the summer. I focused on building inclusion into the plan, such as using the word “guardian” to reflect diverse family structures and incorporating non-digital communication options to reach underserved populations.

This experience tested my ability to lead through uncertainty. When some team members struggled with participation or program alignment, I adapted by refocusing priorities, strengthening communication, and maintaining morale. It taught me that effective leadership balances structure with understanding—and that successful project management requires seeing both the plan and the people behind it.

This artifact demonstrates the COLS outcome Apply project management techniques to the completion of organizational initiatives and reflects the IU Indianapolis Profile of a Problem Solver, as I applied analysis, creativity, and collaboration to guide the team toward success.