When your school's jogging path is worn out, there's litter in the park and the animal shelter needs new doghouses, someone should do something. That someone could be you. You, your family or your class can carry out service projects to solve problems in your community. But before you begin, you need a good action plan. An action plan is a detailed plan of your project from beginning to end. A good plan helps you decide exactly what needs to be done and how to do it, so there won't be any unpleasant surprises. Whenever you face a big project, you can follow these steps to create your action plan. First, brainstorm ideas for your project and decide on something that you want to do. Then, find out whom you need to call for permission to carry out the project. Write down exactly what needs to be done, making sure everyone understands. Decide how many people you will need to recruit as volunteers for the project. By Karen Bledsoe, Cricket Media, adapted by Newsela staff on 11.11.19 Word Count 353 Level MAX This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. List any materials you will need, then find