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3/7/08
WIDEMAN EDUCATION FOUNDATION
ANNUAL REPORT
2007
Message from the Chair
The
Wideman Education Foundation has made good progress during the year. In
April, the PMI Canadian West Coast Chapter passed along the $53,000
that it received from PMI as a result of its sales of Max's Project
Risk Management handbook, and we invested it at VanCity. We have
partnered with Simon Fraser University, Surrey campus, and welcomed Dr.
Andrew Gemino as a member of the Board. With him, we have established a
competition framework and expect to conduct our first competition
project to bring project management to high school students in
March-April, 2008. The Board is very excited about this and especially
appreciates the work of Dr. Gemino's SFU team: Jennifer Ashton as
project manager, and her assistants Andrew Drinkwater and Bhaveena
Goradia.
I am very grateful to the members of the WEF Board
for their strong support and hard work and look forward to continuing
our relationship with SFU and to expanding our work to include other
institutions in the future.
Vijay K. Verma, President
Introduction
In
1991 long-time Project Management Institute ("PMI") member Max Wideman
wrote a book, published by PMI®, and very kindly donated the net
proceeds to the PMI Canadian West Coast Chapter. In 2004, PMI HQ ceased
selling the book, and the Chapter received further royalties from PMI
in the amount of CAD $51,000. At a General Meeting of the Chapter's
members held on November 23, 2004, it was proposed and approved that
the Chapter should establish an independent education foundation to
which this money should be assigned as seed money. The foundation later
became known as the Wideman Education Foundation, or "WEF".
The
WEF is a non-profit organization of volunteers dedicated to advancing
the practice of project management and founded in January 2007. As
such, it is devoted to helping those involved in education, training or
undertaking early project work to better understand and apply
successful project management. The intent is to develop learning
opportunities through promoting workshops or similar sessions, and
fostering practice, ethics and standards for young people.
Members of the WEF Board
Current members of the WEF Board are:
Vijay K. Verma, P.Eng., PMP – President
R. Max Wideman, P.Eng., FPMI – Secretary
Li Yang – Treasurer
Joan Vincent – Director, Promotion
Dr. Andrew Gemino – Director, SFU liaison
Why this work is important
Through
workshops, presentations and simple projects of value, the goal of the
Wideman Education Foundation (WEF) is to introduce students to basic
project management skills through learning opportunities, starting at
the high school level.
In WEF's view, the basic skills of
project management are general skills of value to all. Skills such as
planning, teamwork, communication and leadership will help every
individual with their education, recreation and career progression.
Team exercises will also facilitate networking, an asset in searching
for employment.
During the Year
The WEF received
BC provincial approval of its constitution and Bylaws and its
Certificate of Incorporation under the Society Act in January 2007. The
WEF is currently seeking registration under the federal Income Tax Act
as a charity in 2008.
The WEF's first venture is to partner with
Simon Fraser University, Surrey campus, to reach selected high schools
and their teachers and work with them to form small project teams and
compete in a project of WEF's choice. Winners will receive an award
certificate and cash prize. This WEF project is currently ongoing and
is being managed by Ms. Jennifer Ashton, SFU Surrey Campus.
The
plan is to recruit participants in January and February, and conduct
instruction sessions and final presentations in March and April 2008.
The student's competition project is to develop a logo and an idea for
a web site for the WEF's own use. Winners of the competition will be
determined based on predetermined Award Selection Criteria.
The test for WEF will be to see if this project model achieves the WEF's mission and purpose.
Future Plans
This
first WEF venture in Surrey is a major test of the concept of voluntary
education at the high school level. The response rate and success of
the competition will determine whether to pursue this particular
avenue. It may take a while to catch on. However, if it is successful,
WEF plans to extend the work to other areas in the BC lower mainland.
Assuming
Federal Charity Status is achieved, WEF will commence a program of
soliciting funding to extend the WEF's work. A promotional brochure for
this purpose is being prepared.
For more, go:
Back to WEF Home Page
WEF Mission
WEF Action Plan
WEF Logo
WEF Brochure
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