The relationship between the children, especially reading with them
What I wish was different
If only the company was more honest with transportation. Driving back 30 mins- back and forth was NOT worth the waste of gas. etc...
Advice
Create these relationships with the next generation!
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Summer Project Intern
June - August 2019 • Indianapolis, IN
What I liked
Have chances to work with children in different age groups and organize a summer camp in 2 months
What I wish was different
The number of kids that we needed to manage should be decreased
Advice
You need to be creative and well-prepared for all situations with kids
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Intern
June - August 2018 • Indianapolis, IN
What I liked
This organization's development of college-age interns and encouragement of holistic development in literacy and play for youth is truly fantastic. They really push reflection and growth to create the best possible experience for empowering both counselors and youth, ultimately giving the youth a safe and fun summer. Great program if you want to try something new and do some direct service. Paid stipend, plus housing and most of the meals are provided.
What I wish was different
The organization hadn't figured out how to do a good training on diversity awareness based on race, socioeconomic background, theological backgrounds, gender and sexuality, etc. There were a couple situations that arose during the summer where some of the counselors realized the need for effective training on this, both to help guide the counselors interactions amidst each other and with the youth we were serving.
Advice
Go into it ready to check your ego and embrace the feedback process. You will make mistakes, but the most successful interns are those that realize their mistakes and accept feedback for consideration when figuring out how to move forward.
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Intern
June - August 2018 • Indianapolis, IN
What I liked
-It was one of the most rewarding things I could have spent my summer doing. I felt like I had true purpose in mentoring, caring for, and growing with the kids at the Project Transformation day-camp!
What I wish was different
-I wish I had gone into the experience with more of an open mind, and been less standoffish to my coworkers at first. The sooner you build relationships with the small number of people you're spending all that time with, the better time you'll have overall.
Advice
-Get to know everyone RIGHT AWAY.
-Offer to help out with everything as much as possible- It's what it's all about.
-Don't waste time being stressed out at the camp-site. The bottom line is for everyone to have a safe, fun, productive environment to grow in, It's not supposed to be counselors vs. the kids.
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Reading Coordinator
May - August 2018 • Indianapolis, IN
What I liked
I liked seeing the kids I had at camp read and be excited by what they were reading. Many maintained their reading level throughout the summer which is huge for coming back to school.
What I wish was different
It was the first year for the program in Indiana, so there were a lot of challenges with how to run the camp, and it would have been a bit beneficial to get a little more guidance. We hit our stride within two weeks though.
Advice
The children you meet all have their own story and many will touch you. It’s key to remember that no matter how challenging or frustrating things get, that it’s the kids that really count. Hopefully, we’ll see the effects of our program in the coming years with kids going to college and having a love of reading that they would not have had without this camp.
