Columbus Foundation Fellowship Programs

I can’t believe it’s week three of the fellowship. This week I attended the Ohio Partners for Cancer Control general member meeting at the American Cancer Society in Dublin, Ohio. The first part of the meeting was an overview of the 2013 Clinical and Community Linkage Conference: Psychosocial Distress Screening and Oncology Supportive Care Services. The meeting also covered the issue of having doctors report cancer diagnosis. Apparently, a great number of doctors aren’t aware they are actually supposed to report cancer diagnosis so statistics can be compelled from that information. They also reviewed the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians/American Cancer Society/Ohio Department of Health efforts to increase colorectal cancer screening. It’s interesting to attend all these meeting even though I’m not always sure what is going on during them.

After the meeting we went downtown to hand over the grant proposals to the Ohio Department of Health. Cancer Support Community Central Ohio wrote two separate grant proposals, but I only helped with the one my supervisor was writing. It was a relief for everyone that they were finished, but I almost didn’t want to part with it. I had nervous energy handing the proposal over to Ohio Department of Health employee, because you want to know right away if you were selected. We won’t find out until the beginning of August if either or both proposals will receive their funding.

This week I have contacted several community partners about expanding the west side programing. In a few weeks I’ll be meeting with several community members on putting together a workshop type program for teens since teens are often left out when it comes to cancer support programming.

We are moving to our new location on Old Henderson Road from the Powell location. If you think moving your apartment/house is a hassle it’s nothing compared to moving an entire nonprofit organization! This move has been back breaking work, but we have had a lot of volunteers help with the move. If we didn’t have so many volunteers and few interns then this move wouldn’t be possible. I took a few pictures of the moving process from the Powell location. The last picture is my office at the Powell location.

I think the most important lesson from this move is that working in a nonprofit you have to be a jack of all trades or as my supervisor says “Jane of all trades” which is very true. No matter what position or degree one may hold there will come times when you have to roll up your sleeves and do some hard work.

Last week was such a busy week! It was the second week of camp and we were ready to start planting some seeds and plants in the garden! Both East and West side community gardens are now filled with plants and seeds! I can’t wait for the plants to grow! The kids were so excited to plant in the garden. We planted tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, basil, and cilantro just to name a few. The kids were able to dig and plant all of the seeds, and after planting we had a lesson on gardening. The kids had a chance to smell the different herb leaves (cilantro, basil, oregano) and it smelled so good! Hopefully by the end of camp we can use these herbs and vegetables in cooking lesson!

We also had a nutrition label lesson last week. The kids and I took a look at nutrition labels on various types of foods and determined which foods were the better options. It was a great way for the kids to learn the nutrition labels and made them more aware of which foods they should eat. After teaching this lesson, I’m confident that these kids know what cholesterol, sodium, and calories mean!

We were all very eager for Friday to arrive because it was COSI day! All campsites hopped on the bus and headed to COSI for the day. My group really enjoyed exploring COSI and learning about the body, space, and all about science! I could tell the kids were tired from a fun-filled day at COSI because on the way home, half of them were asleep on the bus.

This week the kids will learn about the different vitamins and make their very own Vitamins Book! 

Last Tuesday I attended my very first webinar.  The presentation was titled: What Does it Take to Build Sustainable Micro-Businesses?  Over 200 leaders in the micro-enterprise field logged in to hear three respected organizations describe their successful programming.

For the first five minutes, technical difficulties ran rampant.  The speakers’ voices produced an impressive echo effect while simultaneously alternating between a high pitched Alvin & The Chipmunks-like tone and a deep bass that would please any fan of the dub step genre.

Prince has the webinar entertainment market cornered.

The panic was evident as the presenters scrambled to fix whatever issue was causing the webinar’s audio to resemble a rendition of a Prince song.  After several thrilling minutes, their tinkering worked.  The audio returned to normal and the remainder of the presentation went on flawlessly.

—

The major point I took away was the emphasis on the necessity of teamwork in an organization.  Now, I know what you’re thinking- “Really Sean? Teamwork? What a revolutionary idea.”  In my defense, to hear individuals in charge of organizations responsible for creating thousands of jobs in their communities say that their success boils down to this simple concept, truly gives you a fresh perspective on success.

Non-profit professionals often end up doing a multitude of tasks all at once, rather than sticking solely to their specialization.  Constant communication between fellow team members is essential in order for progress and positive impacts in clients’ lives to occur.  Teamwork leads to positive impact which leads to true change in our communities.

—

I thoroughly enjoyed my first webinar- especially the pre-presentation entertainment.

A quarter, a pencil, and four boxes. No, I did not find small change and writing utensils in the attic. And no, those don’t signify my biggest finds to date. In amongst some of Columbus Early Learning Center’s historical documents, I uncovered a Finding Aid from the Ohio Historical Society, which led to a field trip! So I was definitely guided to this treasure. A Finding Aid provides a brief description of an archival collection’s contents so that one might determine its usefulness at a glance. An online search and a few phone calls later yielded confirmation that indeed, the Ohio Historical Society had four boxes full of documents, photos, and newspaper clippings pertaining to the former Westside-Eastside Day Care Association from 1895 to 1971. I was thrilled! I also might be the first person to ask about it since 1975, the year it was donated.

So this past week I met with a collections specialist about donating more materials to the historical society and perused the existing collection. Importantly, the collections specialist and I discussed how best to preserve information in a digital format (recall my last blog post) for the greatest chance at its continued accessibility in the future. He suggested a flash drive of some sort. I’m beginning to wonder, in this vast digital age, if paper hard copies will end up being the best option in the long term. There’s just something about their tangibility . . .

So where do the quarter, pencil, and four boxes come in? Well, you’ve probably figured out that the four boxes are the wonderful troves of historical information at the Ohio Historical Society. The pencil was important because you can only use pencil in the archives. Imagine the disaster that an ill-timed ink explosion could cause to 125 year old documents. And last but not least is the quarter I borrowed to lock up my possessions. You cannot have any bags or purses larger than a microfilm (very small) container while perusing the collections, so the staff have a supply of quarters they lend you for the lockers if, like me, you have no change on your person. How thoughtful!

A quarter, a pencil, and four boxes later, I have a wealth of new, primary source information about the learning centers of the past century. I may have struck gold!

This Wednesday, I had the opportunity to attend a presentation at the Youth 2 Youth conference held here in Columbus.  The performance, titled “The MANufactured and MISSrepresented Image,” brought to light the negative gender stereotypes which pervade media and empowered the youth audience to be critical consumers of media and positive voices in their community.  The coolest part about it was that the entire production was written and performed by high school leaders in the Youth 2 Youth program.

These students were inspired by the documentary film Miss Representation, which addresses issues of gender in the media, to find a way to find a way to communicate this message to the youth audience.  Months of hard work went into staging the production which was accompanied by a high-quality multimedia presentation, costumes, and props.

Their work paid off.  The performance was very well done and the audience was energetically engaged throughout.  By incorporating raps, skits, video clips, music and lots of audience participation the show was very entertaining and perfectly tailored to the teenagers watching.  Peers are powerful influencers and the messages that come from peers are often viewed as more credible because they share the same experiences.  The impact of peer-to-peer communication was apparent on Wednesday as the teen performers elicited thoughtful responses and raucous cheers from the crowd.

One segment of the presentation was an especially big hit, and my personal favorite.  Boys were seated on one side of the room and girls on the other.  On stage, two performers took turns asking questions to their respective sides of the room.  The audience was directed to stand if the question applied to them. “Have you ever hidden tears because you were afraid people would think you weren’t manly?” “Have you ever dumbed yourself down to protect a man’s ego?” In each group, almost everyone would stand.  It demonstrated that we all face the negative ramifications of gender stereotypes.

Next, the performers asked if anyone would like to say anything to the other side of the room.  Several girls and boys stood up and shared what they wanted the others to know. “Don’t judge girls on what they are wearing.” “Not all boys are 6’2” and play sports.”  It was cool to see the boldness of these teens, but even cooler to hear the room’s applause in support of their peers’ remarks.  There was an atmosphere of such respect and enthusiasm.

It was encouraging to see teenagers engaging with issues that are complex and challenging.  It was also a privilege to be there as a representative of the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio who has helped to make this program possible.

At the end of the performance there was a recap, an activity that drove it all home.  The performers passed out fans that were printed “I’d Buy It” on one side and “Not Buying It” on the other.  Then advertisements from magazines were shone on the screen and the audience voted with our fans whether we were “buying it” or “not buying it.”  Ads that were degraded or limited the roles of women or men were met with boos and orange “Not Buying It” signs held high in the air.  It was a great way to practice being critical consumers of advertisements.  The performance was remarkable not only because it was pulled off by high schoolers, but because it exposed the often limiting messages of gender in the media and empowered a group of teenagers to demand a change.

If you haven’t yet, like the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio on Facebook to see what some of our other cool grant partners are up to!

We’re three weeks into our nine week program and I’m no longer a visitor trying to keep my head above water in the sea of children, staff and activity that is my workplace.  Sure, I’m still trying to keep my head on the right side of the water line, but I’m certainly not a visitor anymore.

Now that I’ve settled in a little bit, I’m starting to get a clearer picture of what my job will be.  It isn’t all kissing babies and shaking hands.  No, apparently working as Program Coordinator for a summer camp involves more than showing up and playing with the kids.

I’ve recently started taking on larger roles in the other areas of my job description.  While they were all doomed to be less enjoyable than spending time with the AMAZING kids in our program, I’m still excited to tackle each of them in turn.  The only problem is the various aspects of my job refuse to take turns.  It’s a little bit of everything all of the time.

This week I’ve thrown my weight into scheduling visits from “special guests” for the multiple sites that make up the Hilliard Free Lunch Summer Camp for Kids.  So far, we’ve had a fantastic kite making experience with Miss Bev Meyers as well as visits from the Norwich Township Fire Department, Officer Ron Burkitt of the Hilliard Police Department and Mr. Bob of the Columbus Metropolitan Library.  But we want more.  Two visitors a week is our goal.  So, phone calls and emails have been my bread and butter.  If you have a question about our program, I have the answer.  Who we are, what we do, where we do it and for how long, how we work and why.  Crafting emails, making phone calls and leaving voicemails could easily take up half of every day.  Unfortunately, I don’t have that kind of time. 

We’re three weeks into a nine week program and the days keep coming faster.  Each day, I get better at multitasking, better at finding pockets of time to switch gears and take on a different task.  So, my head is above water and I’m learning how to swim.  Now it’s time to just keep swimming.

Hello again! During the past couple of weeks at Alvis House, I have been doing some Internet research to gather information about environmental trends that may either be currently affecting or will affect Alvis House services in the future. This week, I am attempting to take all of the Excel charts, tables, cited information, and thoughts scribbled on post-it notes and organize it all into one big cohesive and concise document. Right now, I feel like I am swimming in information, so I am excited to have one central location for all of my thoughts (versus this mess that is currently my desk!).

One of the aspects that I love about my project for the summer is that I get to go around the organization and interview the heads of various departments and programs in order to comprehensively understand what Alvis House does, who is affected by its services, and how it all operates. Today, I have three one-on-one sessions scheduled, and I am very curious to find out what insights I gain from each of them. Two are with people who work in the administrative office and who I have met before. The third, however, involves a field trip! I get to go visit one of the Alvis House re-entry centers to interview the person who runs the programs there and to get a feel for how the centers work. Last week, I sat in on almost two full work days’ worth of orientation sessions, in which new halfway house employees get a crash course on what Alvis House does, its mission, and their role in the entire operation. I learned more about corrections in these two days than I have in all of my research days combined, and so I am very much looking forward to seeing everything that I’ve learned in action.

Bridget