Columbus Foundation Fellowship Programs

At our community carnival this past Tuesday, I was responsible for doing the face painting. I grossly underestimated how popular this activity would be, and over the course of a couple hours painted the face of what seemed like almost every child who lived in a five-mile radius. As I painted spiders and hearts and turtles and peace signs I got to talk to almost every kid I’ve worked with this summer. It felt so good to experience in my final week having so many of the families together in one place, enjoying an event that I helped to put on.

At the end of this week I’ll start recharging my batteries until my final year of grad school gets into full swing on August 23^rd. This fellowship has helped me to think with more nuance about what I see in my future career as a social worker. My second year field placement (fancy term for internship) will be at The Buckeye Ranch, an agency that is near and dear to my heart. I will be in their community based programs, learning a best practice model for family therapy. With the training I received in my first year, I’ll be looking at having my own clients as early as late fall.

Part of the reason I chose social work over other disciplines is its holistic focus on the person in their environment. Working with the teens and families at Southpoint has reminded me that helping any individual requires not just considering them, not just considering their family, but considering their whole community. My fellowship experience as reminded me that the field I am in is very diverse and there are a lot of avenues to create change. After graduate school my goal is work as a community based therapist, but long term I think I want to broaden my vision.

I’m so thankful to Concord Counseling and The Columbus Foundation for giving me this opportunity. At the moment I am preparing for our final presentations in a couple hours. I’ve run through my Pecha Kucha presentation so many times I feel like I could recite it in my sleep. But we’ll see how it goes in front of a big group. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the other ladies in my cohort, and can’t wait to see them shine today.

Dear incoming fellows,

Greetings from the past!!! Congratulations on your admittance to what is in my humble opinion, the most rewarding and transformative nonprofit internship opportunity in the state of Ohio! All those countless hours laboring over your application and interview paid off and you have hopefully accepted a fellowship with the nonprofit of your dreams.

Before the summer begins and life gets moving, I wanted to take some time to provide you with a few tips for success at your chosen nonprofit. This is by no means a definitive list of advice, but choose the elements that speak to you and go into the summer with an open mind and a friendly smile. Good luck!

1. Get to Know the Other Fellows

Searching for a support system to get you through the summer? Look no further! The individuals surrounding you are some of the best and brightest in Columbus and lucky you, you have access to them 24/7! Start a GroupMe, meet up for a happy hour after work, and generally, go out of your way to introduce yourself and make your desire for friendship known! These are the individuals that will understand you the best and provide endless support throughout the summer, so utilize the first fellows meeting to make some introductions and become acquainted with your newest workplace confidants!

2. Speak Up and Self-Advocate

It might seem daunting, but it is important to remember you got this fellowship for a reason: you earned it! After years of classes, work commitments, and extracurriculars, you are more than qualified to work in your specific position and it is vital that you use this confidence to your advantage! If you feel underutilized in the office, speak up! If you’re unsure of how to complete a task, don’t be afraid to ask for help! The program’s mutual selection process means that as much as you wanted to work with your nonprofit, it similarly wanted to work with you, so don’t be afraid to have a voice in the organization! To put it simply, know yourself, know what you need, and be confident in your ability to go get it.

3. Practice Gratitude

While it is important to be confident at your job site, it is of equal importance to remain grateful and humble within your operations. Out of all of this year’s applicants, you are the chosen ones! Be gracious for this amazing opportunity and do not take it lightly! Thank your supervisors for placing their trust in you, be appreciative of the amazing events hosted for you by the Foundation, and take advantage of everything the program has to offer. Remember, gratitude is the open door to abundance.

Well, there you have it! Three easy tricks for the best summer experience of your life! Keep these tips in mind as you inspire change and excellence in your nonprofits and I have no doubt you will do amazing. This fellowship has the capacity to change your life if you let it, so go in to the experience open-minded, enthusiastic, and ready for anything and I know you will do great. Now go forth and be fabulous! 

All my best,

Demi Levitch

Last Thursday I was given the opportunity to attend Huntington Banks’s Seeds For Growth workshop held at the Columbus Museum of Art. Seeds for Growth is a professional development opportunity for executive directors, presidents/CEOs, board leaders and development directors of local nonprofit organizations–therefore the invite I received from my supervisor was extremely generous. The half-day event, which is free to attend, was first held in Columbus, Ohio, in 2002. This year’s event was central around the theme of diversity, with educational sessions discussing the following topics:

Diversifying Your Staff and/or Audience

Diverse Ways in Which Funders Can Impact Your Programs & Mission

Sharing Your Agency’s Message through Media Diversification

and finally the keynote presentation…

Diversity Through Art: A case study

All in all, the community workshop was amazing. The panelists were fantastic; they were engaging, knowledgeable, and inspiring. In my role as a Columbus Foundation fellow, I am constantly trying to learn more about the non-profit environment in Columbus and more about the leaders who commit their time and talents to serving our community. So as you can imagine, sitting and networking with the CEOs and development directors of familiar and notable Columbus organizations while receiving and processing the very same workshop information as they were was pretty darn cool. I left the event with pages of notes, a few business cards, and a whole new outlook on my role as a member of the Columbus community.

The keynote presentation was truly my favorite part. It included a distinguished panel that stressed the importance and value of diversity in art–and the responsibility of the consumer to diversify the products that they purchase. It led to a reflection of my own purchasing practices and the ways in which I decide to use my buying power as a consumer. It brought back memories of that really awesome Ethiopian restaurant where I ate with my older brothers last New Year’s Eve, Lalibela, or the cool art show I visited with my friend a few months ago. It reminded me that there is so much culture to explore and plentiful opportunities for us to engage with the rich culture that Columbus provides. My $5 admissions fee to a show at the Lincoln can make a difference, as does my support of the local Taqueria instead of Chipotle. Overall, it was a refreshing afternoon that invited truly necessary and important conversations about diversity, and how every little bit of support counts when celebrating at that Columbus has to offer.

A little something to know about me: I hate endings. When I was younger, I used to always read the end of a book first–that way I wouldn’t be surprised by anything. I tend to avoid watching the finales of TV shows because they just make me too emotional. And when I first listened to the “Hamilton” soundtrack, I refused to continue on to Act 2 for weeks because I didn’t want to (spoiler alert! …can history be spoiled?) listen to the songs about Alexander Hamilton’s death.

So it should come as no surprise that I’m not looking forward to the end of this summer and the end of my fellowship through the Foundation. But as week 9 sailed by, I couldn’t help but feel content with the work I’ve been doing at KIPP. My fantastic supervisor left to take her dream job (best of luck, Ann!), but before she left she made sure that her new replacement and I were able to take over. This week, we were knee-deep in creating new and exciting data spreadsheets. What really struck me during this ninth week was just how comfortable I’ve become in my work at KIPP. From being the quiet intern who kept her head down in the office, slightly afraid of making too much eye contact, I’ve now become a member of the team. I feel confident in the reports that I create, and I’m not scared to ask for individual meetings with my coworkers to go over what they’d like to see in new data trackers. Not only have my spreadsheets improved greatly, but so has my confidence and my ability to function efficiently in the workplace. My penultimate week was incredibly busy, from attending meetings on future KIPP practices to coming up with new formulas for some spreadsheets–and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

I love the feeling of running around the office and being constantly handed new assignments. To be honest, I work way better under pressure. With the school year rapidly approaching (and my continuing internship with KIPP in the fall!), week 9 flew by in a blur of furious typing, e-mailing, and chatting with my coworkers–and I had a blast.

I can hardly believe that the days left in my fellowship are in the single digits.I mentioned earlier on in the summer that we were exploring doing a mural in the room we are shifting into a teen center at Southpoint. I had looked at techniques using a projector to get a mural design traced on the wall and painted. I started to become concerned that trying to DIY the mural was beyond my capabilities, and after some discussion Concord agreed to commission an artist to work on the project. Linda, the Clinical Director at Southpoint, connected me with Eliza Ho to pick her brain about the process she uses to create murals. Eliza is the creative director at ALTernative, an agency whose mission is to utilize the power of art and design to improve Columbus neighborhoods and improve the life of its community members. Eliza has led many community mural projects in Columbus in different communities including the Near East side and Franklinton.

Eliza and I spoke about the intent behind the mural project, and I was impressed that she understood right away that the process of creating the mural is as much or more important than the end product. She shared with me the process that she usually goes through when working with a community, and we discussed how this could be adapted with the teens. This week Eliza will meet with the teens for the first time to start the process of brainstorming and coming up with a vision for the mural’s design. I will be continuing to stay involved in the project past my fellowship time, and am very excited to see what it becomes.

This weekend I am getting ready for our Back to School Carnival, tying up loose ends and working on my final presentation. I am also thinking about what I am going to do to recharge after my fellowship ends, and I have a short break before my final year of grad school begins.

As taxing as it is, I truly love exercising. After a long (and rather sedentary) day at the office, there really is nothing better than breaking a sweat, moving your body, and exhausting yourself to the point of satisfaction.

Well, as my time in the program comes to a close, I have come to discover that my summer has been rather comparable to that of an extremely challenging workout. I started the program eager with anticipation, unsure of what my time would bring, but fairly certain my efforts would pay off in the end. As the weeks progressed, I became increasingly focused on form and output, working to improve my existing skills and hone new ones. Finally, at the fellowship’s conclusion, I find myself reflecting on my time with OANO and perfecting my final project, tired from my performance, but stronger as a result.

This summer has been a grueling workout, a plethora of highs, lows, and moments for growth. My summer project, which initially began as an unorganized collection of thoughts and ideas, has transformed into an innovative and revamped initiative for OANO’s Standards for Excellence program. The other summer fellows, who I first greeted awkwardly as strangers, have quickly become some of my closest professional confidants. My coworkers, terrifyingly intimidating in the beginning, are now my favorite faces to see in the morning. Lastly, my fellowship, once a temporary summer position, has now transformed into a part-time position with OANO in the fall (say hello to the organization’s newest Administrative Assistant!)

Through the ups and downs, I have been able to witness myself transform into a better version of me- one that is confident in my professional endeavors and eager for the days that have yet to come. Although the journey has not always been easy, the results have made it well worth the chase. After all, nothing worth having comes easy.

As week 10 is quickly approaching, my heart has been filled with lots of lasts. As I reflect on the past ten weeks, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all of those who have invested in me to maximize my fellowship. LifeCare has proven to be an exceptional experience because of the way in which each and every person has collaborated with me during my time here. Whether it was a co-worker at the office, my supervisor, a senior at Carrie’s, or someone coming to receive a fan, each person had their own distinguishing way of providing me with an opportunity for growth and learning that I can take forward in both my professional and personal life.

The routine events I held at Carrie’s this past week became more meaningful as I realized that these were the last I would be hosting. It was the last ‘smoothie day’ in Carrie’s; the last time I would offer someone a smoothie, receive a confused look, be questioned about the ingredients, and then reluctantly, they take the smoothie, smile, and say something to the sorts of “Wow, this is delicious!” (BTW, it was delicious. Here’s the recipe.) It was the last time I called BINGO and the last time I had to hesitantly say clear your cards, trying not to make any participants angry who were close to a BINGO. It was the last time I would participate in a fan distribution, with 130+ people coming to receive a fan on a ninety-degree day. It was the last time I collaborated with those around the office to make sure the August newsletter got out on time. And of course, It was the last time I greeted a new group at Carrie’s, welcoming them and showing them what Carrie’s Cafe can offer them.

While this week was filled with lots of lasts, it only begins a new chapter with new knowledge and new opportunity. The past ten weeks have proven to me what happens when you invest yourself into your work and into building relationships with those around you. I have found these seemingly simple events I hosted and participated in to be extremely meaningful. It was through these events that I was able to get to know people at the café and create a memorable experience for those coming to Carrie’s, as well. The diligence and hard work that my projects presented certainly comes to mind when reflecting on the previous nine weeks, but what most stands out are the people I met and friends I acquired. The people at Carrie’s have continuously showed me the significance of a kind word and a simple smile, and what an impact these small gestures can have on one’s day. As I approach the last days of my fellowship, I plan to stay busy by spending time in the café, wrapping up my projects, and preparing for my presentation, to hopefully forget that the goodbyes are upcoming soon. Here’s to week ten!

Most of my days are fairly routine. I come in to my office at 8:30am and stay there until I leave at 4:30pm. Every so often, I will meet with my supervisor or make a stop in the front office to fetch what I printed. People also stop by occasionally to say hello or when there is a Care to Share (The Center regularly gives tours to professionals at other eating disorder centers or organizations in Columbus) but the conversations are usually brief.

This week has been much different for many reasons.

Monday: I attended my last nutrition app meeting with the development team at Improving Enterprises and several program directors at The Center. I also observed the CEO’s assistant film the Director of Food and Nutrition for a Q&A video she is producing.

Tuesday: I went to the annual board and staff event with an hour of mingling followed by presentations from the CEO, CFO/COO and Chief Clinical Officer. Liz Brown (Sherrod Brown’s daughter) transitioned from Vice Chair to Chair during this time! Afterwards, the current fellows met with past fellows for a networking social hour. We learned about the amazing work they are doing today and gained a few tips for our final presentation next week!

Wednesday: I finally went to a half hour yoga class with a professional instructor during my work day. This bi-weekly class is one of the self-care initiatives for the staff. There is a yoga room at The Center with mats, blocks, essential oils and chocolate when you finish! This day also marked the most popular tweet on The Center’s Twitter account since it was created a year and a half ago! Yay!

Thursday: I finalized a few details on multiple projects I’ve been working on for the past nine weeks. I also went to a Coldplay concert at Nationwide Arena which is rather unrelated to this fellowship but not completely because it was another opportunity to see and appreciate Columbus!

Friday: The CEO’s assistant showed me her video editing process for the donor thank you video. I also met with my supervisor to discuss the plan for how she will continue the efforts I have implemented…or should I say how I will continue them! I am excited to share that she is drafting a volunteer contract for me because I will be continuing doing all of The Center’s social media as well as various communication tasks for the upcoming year!

Each of these five days stand out with new interactions, heightened understanding of how The Center operates, greater appreciation for the staff who do inspiring work each day and excitement for my future at this incredible nonprofit. Taking breaks from my office chair has made the week fly, especially when the finish line is so close.

I am not looking forward to next week’s blog post when I have to admit that my 40 hour week commitment has come to a close. However, I am thankful that I am able to say this because that means this experience has been so much more than I could have ever hoped for! Let’s savor this current moment and enjoy the weekend ahead!

Sadly, my supervisor for the last nine weeks will be on vacation for my last week. Fortunately, we had an early celebration of my time here at the Ohio History Connection. We were planning on going to the Columbus Commons for a concert to celebrate with everyone. However, the rain got in the way of our plans, but we didn’t let that stop us. Instead, we went to Arch City in the Short North. It was a nice way to end the day after facilitating History to Go in the afternoon. Not only was it lovely to be able to catch up with everyone in an informal setting, but the hummus plate was tasty. I may or may not have a thing for hummus plates.

A few of my co-workers

A few hours ago, I also had my final meeting with my supervisor about my work this summer. It’s so rewarding to know that my work is appreciated and that its impact will continue on into the future. The Ohio History Connection has as one of its core values “inclusivity- appealing to all Ohioans, especially underserved audiences.” I know that the work that I did tied directly into this goal.

My supervisor also happens to have a gluten allergy. So, that means she often has to miss out on the dessert and other goodies people bring into the office. Since it’s the final day we would be working together, I thought it would be nice to get her some gluten-free desserts. Before work this morning I drove to Cherbourg Bakery in order to get some yummy gluten-free treats for her.

Well, once again, it seems like food has made it into my blog post. However, I’m not sure I’d have it any other way. Getting desserts for someone so sweet, just felt right.

With only one week left, I have spent my last few days tying up loose ends.

This week I have mainly focused on finishing my larger projects at Jazz Arts Group. Therefore, I have been gathering all my observations from the summer to place into lists. I have made a recommendation list for the website; when I leave JAG, this will allow for stability within the site. I have also been putting together a spreadsheet for a yearly marketing calendar. This includes dates for press releases, e-blasts, mailings, shows, promotions and more. I have color-coded and categorized the document for ease of sorting. I have also been putting draft dates due for each item. I then sent this document to our whole office so that everyone can have an understanding of the year ahead for the marketing campaign.

After having two social media meetings this week, I have begun to put together a social media campaign as well. I am questioning who our audience is, where they receive the news, and when they should be receiving it. From there I am planning out the language we should use and what our most important messages to share include. That way I can map out our social media content for a month in advance.

Last, I have been preparing my presentation for next week at the closing luncheon. I do not want to share any spoilers, but overall it has reminded me of how much I have accomplished this summer and what great opportunities both the Jazz Arts Group and the Columbus Foundation have afforded me with. I look forward to sharing my process with not only my fellows but also co-workers of us all!