Columbus Foundation Fellowship Programs

Today is the only day of this week that I won’t be facilitating a History to Go program…and it’s also Friday. As I reflect back on the events of the week, I can see some of the strives I’ve made towards my fellowship goals. At the Ohio History Connection, one of my goals, is to facilitate the History to Go program to under-served communities. I’ve had the chance now to facilitate our programming at several different schools and community centers in the Columbus area. I continue to find enjoyment in seeing the kids light up when they are experiencing new ideas about history. This program helps to provide outreach to communities in Columbus and hopefully to see the Ohio History Connection as a resource for them.

For the last three days, one of the schools we have been going to is OSU Schoenbaum where we facilitated a modified version of our Pioneer Life program to Pre-K kids. Additionally, we used this opportunity to pilot the book Jacob’s Button, which was created with funds generously provided by the Ohio Arts Council. The book tells a day in the life story of a young pioneer boy named Jacob on a search for his Grandfathers’ button.

Reading at OSU Schoenbaum

The kids enjoyed the tactile nature of the Pioneer Life program and were highly interested in objects, such as the chamber pot and the coffee grinder. Today, I received a scrapbook style book from the first set of kids from OSU Schoenbaum. They filled the book with pictures of the activities they did as a thank you to History to Go. The one little boy, who loved the program, said to me “thank you for teaching us about history,” with a big smile on his face.

Thank You Scrapbook Made by the Kids

I’m really thankful that the program was a success and that the kids could gain so much out of the experience. OSU Schoenbaum has a mixed income model for the kids they accept, which results in a diversity of students. The History to Go Columbus Foundation Summer Fellowship is creating connections to target communities in the Columbus area. I believe this opportunity helps to further my personal understanding of differences between communities just within Columbus. However, I’m looking forward to the future kids we will reach (and the future hugs I’ll receive) in the upcoming weeks!

After finishing my first two weeks at Cristo Rey Columbus, I’ve realized a whole new appreciation for those who spend 30+ years of their life working 9-5 every day of the week. As the transition to a full work schedule finally begins to normalize, I’m beginning to embrace the satisfaction of putting in a hard day’s work.

My exhaustion was nothing compared to that of the students’ at Cristo Rey, however. As they finished their week of final exams their auroras of  brain-dead excitement  for the months of summer was palpable. While they were pouring facts and information into multiple-choice bubbles and essay questions, I was busy preparing myself for a learning experience of my own.

My role for the initial first weeks of my fellowship position at Cristo Rey is primarily research-based. My first task was to put together a stakeholder analysis–to which my first *mental* response was “…okay, what?” But I was excited! What a cool opportunity. This is where my academic background really has prepared me well. I was given a task that I could trust was a reasonable request, and I simply had to spend the time educating myself on what it would entail. I was not only learning a new skill that would be very useful beyond my time with CRC but it was a valuable process that forced me to familiarize myself with the organization, its stakeholders, and the community environment in which they’re operating. PLUS, it gave me an opportunity to reconnect with an old professor. I hopeful that he would have valuable insight regarding where to begin finding credible resources in the non-profit academic literature world.

Another notable highlight was my morning trip to the Thurber Center for the Discovery District Civic Association monthly meeting. These gatherings are an opportunity for representatives of local businesses and organizations to network and share updates about their respective events and recent activities. It was an eye-opening learning experience to represent Cristo Rey and meet the other community leaders that share a passion for the betterment of the Columbus community.

Reflecting on my second week representing the Columbus Foundation, it was full of opportunities to challenge and develop my professional skill set while also learning more about the professional and civic environment here in the city of Columbus. Here’s to week three! 🙂

At the start of week two, I made a typical college student decision to get Chinese food for dinner. You know how in movies, the fortune cookie always says something incredibly relevant to the main character’s life, but in real life, your fortune cookie never really says anything worthwhile? Maybe I’ve accidentally stepped into a movie, because my fortune was eerily on point with my life.

“Children will play an important role in your life.” Although the students at KIPP are gone for the summer, my job still revolves entirely around them. Mostly, I’m working with a lot of data. Before this fellowship, I viewed “data” as a mostly abstract concept. But data is what makes the world go ’round these days, and learning the in’s and out’s of how to use it is fascinating.

When a little kid thinks of “fun things to do,” taking a test is definitely not the first (…or second, or hundredth) activity that comes to mind. But their test scores are infinitely valuable to their schools. Is the school achieving their desired results? How much is the school really helping its students? Are they improving from year to year? What I’ve been doing is creating spreadsheets and graphs that describe KIPP’s students: their strengths, their weaknesses, and their growth patterns over the years. KIPP then takes this information and uses it to determine the specific changes it can make to improve the performance of its students.

It’s so exciting to be creating reports that are both in such high demand and are so useful to KIPP. And on a more personal note, I know that learning how to interpret and use data is a vital career skill that I’ll be using for the rest of my life! (Plus, as nerdy as this sounds, I’m actually having so much fun learning all the cool shortcuts and tricks of Google Sheets.)

Week two has come and gone in the blink of an eye. This past Wednesday morning, the group of summer fellows gathered at the Columbus Foundation to exchange how our experiences have been going so far, what we have learned, challenges, and future tasks for the upcoming weeks. I feel as if it was extremely valuable to hear firsthand about what the organizations are accomplishing in our community, and in particular what the fellows role is, and how different each of our projects are across the board. Each of us have very different tasks, which I think shows another dynamic to what makes not for profit organizations so wonderful. In addition, most of us are required to serve more than one role, therefore giving us the ability and opportunity to learn in many different areas, while also keeping us on our toes each day.

Following our conversations, we had the chance to listen, engage, and network with five nonprofit leaders at various organizations in Columbus. We heard a little bit about their background, an overview of the organization, their role, different challenges they face, and what motivates them to do the work they do. Simply put, it was motivating and inspiring to hear from these individuals. It is no secret that many of those at non-profits dedicate entire lives to their work, often working abounding hours for subordinate pay. However, what I found most encouraging and enlightening is the amount of fulfillment that these individuals receive from their work. One of the leaders from the Columbus Foundation gave us a piece of advice, “do what allows you to live.”

With just two weeks under my belt at LifeCare Alliance, I have been inspired by the dedication each and every member at LifeCare gives to their work. As I have assisted with a meal route, seen smiling and joyous faces enjoying meals at Carrie’s Café, and volunteered in the pantry, I have begun to develop an understanding as to why every detail of work that each person does at LifeCare Alliance is so important. The tasks each staff member complete each day is so important to making the big picture come together to make sure all 15,000 clients are successfully served. All 15,000 clients depend on the volunteers and staff members to keep them healthy and in the comfort of their own homes. In essence, I have learned why each person is so persistent and dedicated to their role, because without their hard work, serving clients would not be possible. Their work has a greater purpose. Success comes as one finds meaning in their work, when one cares about the work they’re doing, as one builds relationships with other staff members and clientele, and when one not only does what allows them to survive, but to live.

As I reflect back on week two and look forward to week three, I feel overwhelmed with opportunity because I am surrounded by those who truly enjoy the work they do. I am eager to continue to learn and engage with them. This past week I was able to volunteer in the pantry, help with putting on a style show in Carrie’s Café (where I got to model, too!), attend a Farmer’s Market coupon distribution volunteer orientation, create a template for a new Carrie’s Café calendar, create a template for the Senior Dining Center flyer, observe and enter data from the fan campaign, analyze a Carrie’s Café survey, and attend a grant research webinar. With each day I am learning new life skills and ways in which non-profits are run. I am looking forward to what this week has in store to not only continue my work but to “live” through my work as well.

As I wrap up my second week down at Southpoint, I’m appreciating how fast the summer is going to fly by! I’m working as fast as I can to put together some cool programming for the teens as myself and the other staff members start setting the schedule for the summer.

Last Tuesday I was able to visit the Urban Arts Space, an art gallery and non-traditional performance space located downtown in the Lazarus Building. I knew that at some point this summer I wanted the teens to experience visual arts, but didn’t want to just take them to a gallery and have them passively take a tour. I wanted them to be engaged and see how art can play a role in their life, whether they pursue an arts related vocation or not. Through some expert googling tactics I stumbled on the website for the Urban Arts Space, and was thrilled to find out they offer hands on programming for youth. I met with education team, who were all very excited at the prospect of creating something for teenagers, as they have previously worked primarily with younger kids. We decided to do two programs with the teens over the summer, one in July and one in early August. I left our meeting inspired by their ideas, and thinking about how the teens might be able to work with the Urban Arts Space past our time in the summer.

Over the weekend I did this activity with the kids – marbling by using shaving cream. It was fun, and incredibly messy.

I’m also working on putting together a summer fitness series for teens and their parents down at Southpoint. The RPAC at Ohio State offers a training program for students to become group fitness instructors. I reached out to their program coordinator to see if some students might be willing to volunteer to teach a class down at Southpoint. Three instructors reached out to me and we have worked out dates for some yoga, pilates and strength classes through July.

I’m excited about everything that’s in the works, and nervous about how it will be received by the teens. It’s been really fun having the freedom to design things on my own. Can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store.

Hello again! My second week at the Ohio History Connection has been filled with helping out on several of our History to Go programs that had been in place before this fellowship. However, on Monday the History to Go programs that are occurring because of the fellowship are starting. I think the main thing I learned from this week is to prepare for the unexpected, which sometimes just means one must be flexible and find the best way to adapt to the situation at hand.

Normally, our programming will ask for the site (often a school or recreation center) to help provide volunteers to be able to run our stations. However, this isn’t always the case. Today was a great example of what can happen when a site doesn’t provide the necessary volunteers. Part of preparing for the unexpected means recognizing your limitations. One must be  creative. The problems that can occur with effectively running our program can vary greatly, I think that’s why it’s so great to be prepared to adapt within your limitations.

I’m really looking forward to continuing on with the programming and helping make History to Go sustainable for future endeavors. While there may be obstacles in our way, like lack of volunteers, there are solutions.

This week we brought Pioneer Life and Inventors and Innovators to the sites. It is really rewarding seeing children enjoy and interact with our programs. Not to mention, it can also be hilarious– like, the faces of the kids when they found out that the object they thought was a mixing bowl or a cup, was actually a chamber pot.

As you may have already learned from some of the other fellows, we also spent some time this week at the Columbus Foundation. It’s nice to hear about everyone’s experience. This week we also had a handful of special guests who work in the non-profit world. From their experiences, one can see the diversity of career opportunities available from non-profits. Hearing about different career trajectories gets me thinking about what type of work I would find the most rewarding. I feel fortunate to be able to have this incredible experience.

Week two has been filled with A LOT of research and A LOT of brainstorming! It’s always tricky to find balance (no pun intended – I’m at the Center for Balanced Living) between working through the creative process quickly but also allowing my thoughts to develop organically. Luckily, I had some help yesterday!

Not only did I have very beneficial meetings with my supervisors (one for The Center’s social media/marketing and one for marketing the nutrition app) but I went to Denison University with three other staff members from The Center. A board member work at Denison and found a way for an organizational management class to take on The Center as a “client” for their class project. The class came to The Center about a month ago and broke off info three consulting groups to create a marketing plan. Aka they told me what to do for the next eight weeks of my fellowship (one of the group’s recommendations was to get a Communications Intern…BINGO!). I’m 100% kidding but they did provide us with great ideas to process and build off of. It was very helpful to get their insight about what they would like to see and how we can utilize university connections to increase awareness for The Center.

In addition to this field trip, a highlight of my week was a blog post I wrote for NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association). The Center was a 2014 Feeding Hope Grant recipient for their NEW FED TR program (Neurobiologically Enhanced With Family/Friend Eating Disorder Trait Response) so NEDA wanted to feature how The Center is oprtimizing the grant with this incredible program. It’s seriously incredible!! Individuals and their supports have come from London and Guatemala as well as all over the United States to participate in the five day program. The research gathered from post-testing is looking very promising for participants’ recovery! I’m not sure when the blog post will be published on NEDA’s website but I’ll keep you updated!

I am fortunate to be able to extend this focus on NEW FED TR with a social media campaign that I am just now beginning to plan! The maximum for each session is only six participants due to the need for individual attention but I am looking forward to seeing how the campaign can reach the most ill individuals with Anorexia Nervosa traits and prompt them to get the help they need. Learning the strategic nutritional and mental health aspects of the program is so intriguing and more importantly, beneficial so that I am highlighting the most unique features of NEW FED TR. Working alongside clinicians, dietitians and psychologists who are willing to extend their knowledge with me is really neat! I feel much more educated on topics I have never had classes in every single day.

I am definitely becoming aware of the obstacles that nonprofits have to work around when it comes to limited staffing and funds. Even more, HIPAA regulations along with keeping the safety of the staff in mind in regards to social media ethics and other communication pieces is quite tricky. I am learning limitations of my marketing ideas that I never would’ve imagined existed. It’s a challenging process but it’s an incredible experience and I’m having a lot of fun while doing it!

Net-work (noun): a group or system of interconnected things                                             Synonyms: system, complex, nexus, web

If this week had a theme, that would have to be it. It all started Sunday night as I was innocently scrolling through my Facebook feed when I stumbled upon a video uploaded by another summer fellow. The video spoke to the value of a summer internship, where it claimed the skill set one receives from a job experience is not nearly as important as the people they meet and networks they develop. I pondered this sentiment going into work Monday, as I began to consider the people I’ve met throughout my first two weeks in the program. Staff at the Columbus Foundation, the other summer fellows, OANO board members and staff, other nonprofit affiliates of OANO, even the security guard at my building! The list went on and on and as someone that is still rather new to the job, it was amazing to consider that within two weeks of the program, my network already increased tenfold.

Relationship building continued throughout the week. On Tuesday, my coworker treated me to lunch with her little, an ambitious young woman working in the Ohio Statehouse and within the lens of networking, another connection. On Wednesday, I attended a forum about LinkedIn at the Columbus Foundation hosted by Mr. Wayne Breitbarth—again, another face to a name. By Thursday, I began to visualize the relationships I’d started to build as various strands of a web, dividing and expanding with every person and experience I encountered.

Since OANO is at the pinnacle of the nonprofit web of accreditation, it presents a unique opportunity for connecting with nonprofit organizations throughout the state. OANO serves organizations with missions from all walks of life, and within that variety, one can find just as many unique people working to further their organizational goals and ambitions. While I agree that my growing proficiency in excel and ability to navigate the inner workings of a stubborn copy machine will be benefits of my time with OANO this summer, I believe that the relationships I’ll cultivate and the variety of nonprofit leaders I’ll meet will be the true tangibles of my time with the organization, for each presents a unique opportunity for growth and wisdom. For now, I’m excited to continue growing as a young professional and seeing what the summer has to offer. And for anyone reading this, I’d love to grab a cup of coffee with you to discuss your professional involvement and my time with OANO further 😉