On Monday, JFS welcomed Columbus City Schools teachers in the Korda Institute’s fellowship program. The teachers were given a presentation about JFS’ resettlement programs and the subsequent challenges refugees face after coming to the United States. Topics ranged from difficulties accessing transportation, adequate and affordable housing, troubles gaining employment, and language barriers. After the presentation, the teachers were given a task: pick one of the areas discussed and try to solve it. The meeting was a success. The teachers were eager and attentive, and JFS staff were given the opportunity to share their stories and insights. Tomorrow (Friday), JFS, other stakeholders, and the teachers will convene to see what solutions the teachers came up with. I’m excited for the presentations – I’m a believer in collaboration and am eager to see how these new ideas can help us better serve our neighbors.

The rest of this week has been me conducting research for my project. For the summer, I will be putting together a marketing and engagement plan for JFS. I’m currently spending my time researching best practices for different methods of communication – email, social media, in-person events, direct mailers, etc. But that’s only one piece of the puzzle – as I go over each portion, I have to make sure the best practices are reasonable and achievable given organizational capacity. Which brings me to what I spent my time doing when I wasn’t combing through articles: I was in meetings. Researching strategies and best practices is only one part of my learning – the other is talking to those who have expertise and absorbing their knowledge.

The first meeting I had was with my supervisor. I check in with her semi-frequently to make sure that I am always moving towards what she, and JFS, are looking for out of this project. We also discussed the communications goals that had been set in a meeting that morning – I followed up with another director, who helps with communications, and then began weaving them into my plan. At the end of the day today, I got to meet with a colleague of mine who works at another nonprofit in Columbus. She specializes in donor stewardship, fundraising, and does communications work. She and I met through a project I did this past spring semester. I spent the hour hearing about her tips and tricks for recognition and retention of different stakeholders. I’m very grateful that she was able to meet with me – I received much guidance.

All in all, I spent this week sharpening my skills in collaboration and research. I’m excited to see what the rest of the summer has in store and how I will continue to grow as a professional.