Photo Essay

This picture was taken before my on site internship POL. Jessie and I were able to do this presentation together, since we worked together on all of the projects. Our completed work consisted of the trifold poster, a video supporting those seeking to apply for food stamps, a letter to city council members, a 3 page informational letter, a one page informational letter, and a question and answer paper. All of which will be displayed on Empowers website. We also scheduled interviews, and interviewed some of the Empower board members for the new Empower video.
My partner and I struggled to meet the 90 hour requirement, so we had to find other activities to fill in for the missing time. We tried to find activities to do that related to our internship. We decided to help with the campaign for Steve Hadley, who ran for city council. We helped by waving signs on street corners.
Originally, I was only going to complete one project with my partner. This was going to be a trifold poster that would be displayed at the organizations different events. This poster would show the pros and cons of the food stamp program. It displayed what individual people could do to help, and what the City Council members should do to help solve the problems.
My typical work day was spent in the office working off my computer. My partner and I did a project about the complications of applying for food stamps. We spent several days researching information, and putting it all together for our final projects. Most of our time was spent on our laptops.
I really enjoyed my first day at Empower San Diego. After arriving to my work place, my mentor took the other interns and I to the nearest voting center. We all walked into the building and turned in voter registration forms. The woman working behind the front desk helped by explaining the process of registering voters, and the importance of voting.

Final Post

How did you make a meaningful contribution to your workplace?

I feel like the projects my partner and i created will have a meaningful contribution to Empower San Diego. Our projects food stamps will be displayed not only on the website, but at different events. Also, our food stamp application video will be on youtube along with the Empower website.

How was your work as an intern meaningful to your education?

I feel like this internship has been very meaningful. I really enjoyed working on a project that relates to current issues, and not just working for a grade, but working to help others. I feel like if I apply this same principle to future projects, I will have a greater outcome.

How was your work significant or meaningful to the world beyond school and your specific internship site?

Our projects were designed to help the San Diego community. The main way is through our video. The food stamp application process is difficult to complete, so we made a video explaining the needed steps, and included all of the places one would need to visit. This way, it makes applying much simpler.

How did your project go from an idea or inspiration to a final product?

Our original project was a simple trifold poster, explaining the problems with the food stamp process, along with what measure needs to be taken to solve the problems. After we completed this project, my partner and I tried to think of another project to work on. This is when we thought of the video, which we then created.

What did you learn about your own work from your internship project?

I did not realize how many people in our city could benefit from food stamps, and do not even know it. I did not realize the hunger was an issue here, I only saw it in other countries. Once we had researched the problem, both Jessie and I were determined to help do what we could to fix it. This included letters being sent to the board of supervisors members, encouraging them to take initiative and try to solve problems.

Entry 5

Because I work with a partner on my projects, communication is a very important part of my work day. It is necessary to inform my partner of what has been done, and what needs to be done so that we can use our time effectively. We have been successful at communicating in a way that makes sure we get everything done in time, and so that we both are always working on something. My biggest worry was that we would both end up doing the same thing, and have to choose between the two final products. But we have managed to evenly work on each project, and combine them in a way that suits us both.

Entry 4

Our first internship project was to create a tri-fold poster clarifying the problems with the food stamp system. We spent several days researching information, and placing it into simple, easy to read paragraphs. Our project will be displayed at several of Empower San Diego's events. We were able to complete this project, along with creating a 3 page information letter, question and answer document, one page informational letter, and sent a letter to County Board of Supervisors explaining our findings, and what we would suggest they do to solve the problems.

Entry 3

1. I have really enjoyed the work site. There is a very casual setting, which makes it easy to collaborate with my partner, and our mentor. I have enjoyed being able to work closely with both my mentor, and other interns.

2. The mission of Empower San Diego is to encourage community participation and involvement in voting and voting education.

3. One skill that I need to improve on is communication. I have learned it is important to communicate well with those working on projects together, so that you both know what needs to be done.

4. I have learned how to work in a small space with a few other people. As a group we have learned to share ideas with each other so that we can see another person's view on what we are currently working on.

Mentor Interview

· What is a typical workday like?

· I usually turn on my computer and check my email in the morning. I make sure there are no urgent emails that I need to respond to. I try to make a to do list for the day. I prioritize the things that I need to do during the day. Email takes up more of my time than I would like. Sometime I feel like I can’t think clearly until my inbox is clean. Most of my tasks involve computer work. Emailing with people, typing documents, updating our website and email newsletter, emailing interns, scheduling meetings. Running errands for the organization. When we have events, organizing outreach materials, going to the event, and coordination volunteers for the event. For the board meeting I had to prepare the agenda. Also, raise money for the organization. I am responsible for keeping the organization on a work plan. I need to monitor current events and current issues to make sure that we are working on the things we need to work on. I read the online newspaper everyday. I am responsible for deciding what ally organizations and campaigns we support.

· How is this organization structured?

· There is a governing body called the board of directors. It is made up of 8 members. They approve of the budget and work plan. They also approve the strategic plan. They do mostly longer term planning. They also over see the finances, make sure that we are on budget. They are responsible for hiring and firing staff. They also give ongoing guidance for revisions that need to be made for the plan because of political changes. They are also responsible for fundraising.

· What is the purpose of this organization?

· Our mission is to promote progressive values and empower communities to make San Diego a more just, equable and sustainable place to live.

· How long have you worked here?

· Since April of 2009, before that I was a board member

· What skills and training are necessary for your position?

· The skills that are necessary include ability to prioritize, excellent communication skills of writing and speaking, speaking at public events, writing emails to people. I have to send emails to people asking people to do things. Writing in a way that is going to engage people. I have to be able to be a mentor to younger people. One important skill that I have learned is when working with young people it is important to engage people in the way that they are thinking. It’s about helping you find the answer instead of telling you the answer. To value your ideas. We work with a lot of other organizations and these do not always agree with each other. Diplomacy between people in the organization, and with the community. A good eye for design is a good thing for this job; make sure things are appealing to the eye. To get the necessary information across clearly. I need to have a professional demeanor. I am the public face of this organization. I can’t be shy; I need to be confident in my abilities. I need to be able to make decision with out a lot of guidance. I make a lot of the decisions for the organization. Understanding of databases and efficient ways to use various software. I did g through a fundraiser course. I think that the informal training I went through with mentors.

· How did you acquire these skills? Through school? On the job?

· Most of the skills were acquired through volunteer work in college, not in the classroom. My degree in women’s studies has helped me t=do political analysis, and oppression analysis. Political candidate campaigns. That where I have gotten most of the training.

· Do you consider a career in this area satisfying? In what ways?

· Yes, because I feel that I am helping people. And because I do enjoy being able to be in charge. I really value the ability I have to make decisions and I highly value the trust my board of directors has put in to me to do the job.

· What advice do you have about working here and what advice do you have for me?

Be on time. Think beyond what the task in front of you is. As you work on this project and when we have meetings, think about what all of the other peoples projects are and how they relate to each other, rather than just thinking about your own projects. When your produce your final product, remember it will be viewed on our website and at public events. Make sure it is of high quality and useful to those who look at it. Expose yourself to experiences that are new and you don’t think you would enjoy or value. Pay attention to detail and concentrate on producing high quality schoolwork. As you are looking at options as what you are going to do next I think that it is really important to do something that adds to the world instead of something that extracts from the world.

What are you excited about learning through this internship experience?

We have only been in internships for two days, but I feel that I have already taken a lot from this experience, and am excited for what is to come. I am excited to learn how group project works in the business world, along with contributing ideas for a more successful final outcome. One of our projects is working on an Empower video, I am working with another high school intern, along with two college interns. I look forward to progressing on the video, and working for the final product.