Posts Tagged ‘interns’

Name: Margo Pedersen
Hometown: New Haven, CT
College and Major: Amherst College, Education Studies and Sociology
Tutoring Site: Bristol Street
Clubs: Finance 101 and Arts and Crafts
Favorite Childhood Book(s): Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech

Growing up in New Haven, New Haven Reads was something of a household name. I’ve had friends who were students here, friends who volunteered here, even friends who interned here. As an intern this summer, it’s finally my turn to join the New Haven Reads community, and I’m grateful to be able to play a small part in the organization’s dedicated service to the city.

I have loved my internship experience so far. At the beginning of every tutoring hour, a new group of students floods into the back room at Bristol Street, bringing excitement, nerves, and a healthy dose of chaotic energy into the space. With the support of dedicated staff and volunteers, everyone settles into their tutoring session or club, and the hour of learning begins. Each student has their own personality, interests, strengths, and a way of seeing the world that is entirely unique. I’m excited to be able to work with so many different students, and I feel I am learning as much from them as they are from me.

Though I’ve only been here for three short weeks, my highlight has been leading the Finance 101 club. When I was given this assignment at the beginning of the summer, I was a little nervous. I’m still learning finance myself–how could I possibly teach it to middle schoolers? But with plenty of support from my site staff and fellow intern, and a great group of kids, I soon learned that personal finance could actually be pretty fun. We’re working together on a real-world personal finance simulation, where students earn “paychecks,” pay bills, make purchases, and learn how to save their money to meet group and individual savings goals. The students have plenty of their own experiences and insights about money to share, and I love hearing what they have to say. For example, this week, we had a very spirited discussion about budgeting, where students debated whether certain purchases were needs, wants, or items for savings. “If you have a pet hamster, is hamster food a need or a want?” I asked them. “A need!” most responded, except for one student: “A want!” he said. “Because why did you need to buy a hamster in the first place?”

Whether I’m cashing checks with middle schoolers, helping students in Arts and Crafts club make their own beaded bracelets, or reading Elephant and Piggie in the silliest voice I can muster during the tutoring hour, it is always an honor to watch students’ confidence and skills blossom in such a warm, welcoming environment. I’m grateful to the New Haven Reads staff for their support and to the KeyBank Foundation for this incredible internship opportunity. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the summer!

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Name: Sara Penn

Hometown: New Haven, CT

College and Major: Albertus Magnus College, Class of 2023; Sociology

Tutor Site: Science Park Clubs: Math, Arts & Crafts, Performing Arts

Favorite Children’s Book: The Divergent Series

I was familiar with New Haven Reads before I started this internship. I volunteered at New Haven Reads during my senior year of high school to fulfill my community service hours. During the couple months of volunteering here, I worked in the Pre-K and Kindergarten program assisting the students one day a week. I didn’t know the full extent of what other opportunities New Haven Reads had other than tutoring students until I started working at Literacy Volunteers and saw their tutoring programs during the school year. Being a summer intern here has given me the opportunity to see just how much is actually going on, and to be a part of it.

This summer I have been involved with Math, Arts & Crafts and Performing Arts enrichment clubs. In the beginning, I was kind of nervous to do these clubs, but throughout these past couple weeks running them, they have been easier than I expected them to be. Seeing the students’ faces light up when we start lights up my whole experience working with them, making this experience so much better. Having the help from other tutors and also the site team has helped me a lot and I’m grateful for them being there.

The students make the whole experience great. In the beginning, it took some time for the students to get to know me and get to know them. Throughout these weeks, I’ve developed bonds with the students I’m tutoring, running the clubs, and co-leading clubs because they see you every time you work with them and you get to know who they are and I share so many laughs with them. I get so excited coming in to work with the students and working with other tutors because you see so many backgrounds of tutors and students and it just makes this whole experience great. I also appreciate the site team at Science Park for making me feel at home and being there every step of the way, thank you guys.

I want to thank KeyBank for giving me the chance to be a part of all the amazing things that are happening at New Haven Reads. I’ve absolutely loved my time here; I would be honored to come back again and possibly work at New Haven Reads and continue tutoring to change the lives of the students in New Haven.

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Name: Delianne Ayala Ramos
Hometown: Fajardo, Puerto Rico
College and Major: University of New Haven Class of 2024; Forensic Science
Tutor Site: Science Park
Clubs: Math, Performing Arts
Favorite Childhood Book: The Velveteen Rabbit

I had never heard of New Haven Reads until I received my placement for my university’s
fellowship program. As soon as I was able, I did a deep dive into what New Haven Reads is and
what they do for the community. At that point, it was all very abstract, but once I started working I was able to see how New Haven Reads makes sharing the joy and power of reading the focus of everything they do.

During the summer, I’ve worked in supporting the Education Department and with Math
Club. I grew up loving math, so I was very excited to be a part of this club. The best experience
I’ve had so far is seeing the children’s faces light up when they see a topic they know well. I love letting them teach me and giving them the chance to be confident in themselves. I had so many teachers that believed in me, and it changed how I perceived myself.. Now I get the chance to be the person who believes in them.

Another amazing part of working here is forming connections with the students. One
noteworthy experience happened just last week as my student and I talked during choice time.
She told me about her nationality, which just happened to be the same as mine. Then she told
me about the rainforest her family lived on, which is the same my grandparents live on as well.
As she revealed more details, we both saw how similar we were. She then went on to tell me
about how she wanted to be an author and write stories for a living, and I felt so inspired by this
young girl with such big dreams. Let’s just say I look forward to reading all the books she may
write in the future.

Working with New Haven Reads has been life-changing. I never had a reason to want to stay in the Greater New Haven Area past graduation, but now I can’t help but imagine a future in which I can continue working with New Haven Reads to make a difference in the lives of the kids in our community.

 

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Written by: Isaiah Cunningham, NHR Tutor and intern.

Albertus Magnus College and New Haven Reads have combined forces for the betterment of younger students who seek improvement in their reading skills as well as to benefit Albertus students in their pursuit of and preparation for the workforce. 

Albertus Magnus College and New Haven Reads have created a partnership that allows college students to intern in order to fulfill graduation requirements, as well as to gain experiences that will be very useful in the future. Tutor interns at New Haven Reads offer one-on-one reading instruction for students ages 6-18 to improve their reading skills. Student Interns find it rewarding to watch and support younger students to enhance their reading skills before your eyes. The internship also benefits the intern because it improves their social skills, leadership skills, and other skills to prepare them for the workforce after college. 

“New Haven Reads has been an incredible experience,” says Isaiah Cunningham, a New Haven Reads tutor and intern who was recently hired. “I’m incredibly appreciative of this chance to assist younger learners who wish to improve their reading abilities,” he adds.

Isaiah sorting books at our Book Bank

Maryann Reid, the Financial Aid Operations Assistant at Albertus Magnus College, assists students who are looking for work study/internship opportunities. “When I present the opportunity the students are excited to tutor and work with younger students in the community,” explains Reid. 

The Outreach Director at New Haven Reads, Fernanda Franco, who manages the interns from Albertus Magnus College values the goal of this partnership. “I love the idea of providing a safe place for students to grow into their best professional selves,” says Fernanda Franco. “New Haven Reads and Albertus Magnus partner in the hopes that we will provide just that,” explains Franco.

Please speak with your advisor if you are an Albertus Magnus student interested in becoming a tutor for the New Haven Reads organization and are enthusiastic about the concept of spreading the joy and power of reading every day as well as empowering aspiring readers to master the literacy skills needed to thrive in school and life.

Find out more about becoming a tutor by visiting the link below:

BECOME A NHR TUTOR OR VOLUNTEER

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Name: Hope McCormack
Hometown: Branford, CT
College and Major: Western Connecticut State University, Elementary Education
Tutoring Site: Dixwell, Bristol
Clubs: Math II, Arts and Crafts Club
Favorite Childhood Books: The Giving Tree, By: Shel Silverstein

I knew that I wanted to work with kids over the summer, so I started looking for jobs that involve working with kids. I had heard about New Haven Reads from a friend of mine, and thought this would be the perfect job for me. I applied for the job, and handed in my resume and letter. I awaited the response and when I finally I got the call that I got the job, I was was so excited! I knew that this would give me more experience in my field, and make up for lost time due to Covid

I am currently working with New Haven Reads this summer at the Bristol and Dixwell locations. I am a tutor and I run Math II and Arts and Crafts Club. I am learning how to format lesson plans, and adhere to my students individual needs. I have noticed that some students need more challenging problems in my Math II club than other kids. I adapt my lesson plans to accommodate the students individual needs. Breakout rooms have been very helpful for accommodating my students. I am able to work with one group of kids in one room, and another group of kids in another room. Being able to work with groups individually is very helpful for adhering to everyone’s needs. In my math club I have been doing multiplication and division practice with the kids. I decided to incorporate some other activities involving fractions, arrays, measurements, and money into our activities in order to engage my students. When teaching the students in my math club, the best feeling is when I explain something, and I see the “aha moments.” The students really enjoy using Prodigy. They also very much enjoy playing math Kahoot games as well! In my arts and crafts club we create fun and engaging activities for the kids to participate in. So far we have done slime, bowl knitting, paper plate faces, painting, and drawing. The best moments in arts and crafts club are seeing the students engaged and having fun with the activities we plan for them. One highlight from arts and crafts was when the kids were excited to paint the sea shells I collected for them! My tutoring experience with New Haven Reads has been amazing. Knowing that you are making an impact, and helping the kids improve in their skills is the best feeling!

For the short time I have worked at New Haven Reads, I noticed how friendly, supportive, and caring the staff is! Whenever I need help with my clubs or with tutoring, I am not afraid to ask because I feel that I am in a safe, supportive, and loving environment! I am sure that this is how the kids feel when they come in for clubs and tutoring as well! The kids have a loving, supportive environment to come into where they don’t have to be afraid to make mistakes or ask for help. Everyone is here to help!

I am so grateful that I was able to work with New Haven Reads this summer! Thank you to the First Niagara Foundation in partnership with KeyBank for giving me the opportunity to make a difference in these children’s lives, and for giving me an opportunity to practice my future field!

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Name: Sebastian Ward
Hometown: New Haven, CT
College and Major: Yale University, Undecided
Tutor Site: Bristol Street
Clubs: Chess, Arts and Crafts (Helper), Nature and Science (Helper)
Favorite Childhood Book: The Percy Jackson Series

Working with students at New Haven Reads feels so surreal to me. It feels like I was just a student here; being shy around a new tutor or feeling a little embarrassed each time I struggled with a new page of Explode the Code. No longer the student and now being the teacher I used to look up to whenever I needed help feels strange, but in a good way. It is now my responsibility to give help to the students when they need it, foster a safe and encouraging learning environment, and most importantly, connect with the students I work with to make sure they learn and grow. Fulfilling these duties is always a heartwarming experience each time I am in a session- whether as a tutor, club leader, or even club helper. 

This summer I have had so many good experiences with different students that I had trouble picking one to talk about. I had great conversations with students while making slime as a helper for the Arts and Crafts club. I also had so much fun playing a chess game on kahoot and getting a summary of the 9th and 10th Diary of a Wimpy Kid books so I could follow along while my student read the 11th one during reading time was an experience I definitely needed (I doubt I’ll ever reach an age where I am uninterested by the adventures of the Heffley family!). However, the most poignant experience I’ve had this summer was during an online tutoring session. Coming home after a day at camp where you run around and play to having to do a tutoring session for reading can seem not-too-appealing at first (I’ve been there). That was what was going on with my student, so I thought that starting the session with a fun activity would be beneficial. We opened with a word scramble, where we both competed to create as many words as we could within 1 minute with seven random letters. The student really enjoyed it, continued working diligently throughout the session, and even requested that we did it during choice time. 

My summer at New Haven Reads so far has been an encouraging and fun learning environment  for my students. My site staff and fellow interns have been extremely kind, genuine, and supportive to me throughout my time here. I have believed in the mission of New Haven Reads since I was a student there, and my time as an intern has only strengthened my resolve to assist in seeing it through.

A special thank you to First Niagara Foundation in partnership with KeyBank for giving me this amazing opportunity.

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We at New Haven Reads have always felt that connecting with our community is crucial to our mission. For us to succeed as an organization, other organizations must also succeed, because only through working together can we truly create long-lasting positive change for the entire New Haven community. To that end, we partner with several schools and organizations every year to further our mission. For several years now, we have worked closely with the University of New Haven. 

“Through the Community Work Study Program, we have 5 to 8 interns join our team every semester, with most of them staying for a full year or even longer,” explained Natosha Wengreen, the Outreach Director at New Haven Reads. 

However, the CWS Program only accounts for a portion of the interns from the University of New Haven. University of New Haven Professor Allison Geballe has long been responsible for the other portion. She teaches PSYC 4480, “Psychology Internship,” a course for which students are matched with internships at local organizations that fit their goals and interests. 

It would be hard to overstate the impact of this course on New Haven Reads over the years. In fact, two current staff members — Eimanuelle (Emma) Pendon and Aimee Curtis-Travaglini, the Assistant Site Director at Dixwell and Site Director at Bristol Street, respectively — originally came to New Haven Reads as interns from Professor Geballe’s course.

Geballe discussed the structure of the program, saying, “I partner with community, clinical, or research-based organizations for the course. After hearing about what they are looking for in their interns and what roles might be possible, I interview my students and get a sense of what sites might be the best match for them. I then encourage them to apply to the best fit, and the student goes on to interview with that organization.”

She explained that in order to recommend that a student seek an internship at New Haven Reads, a few criteria have to be met: they must have an interest in working with younger students, they should ideally have some prior experience working with children, other nonprofits, or schools, and they should be following a path that relates, even if indirectly, to the organization’s work and mission.

Although she partners with many organizations for the course, Geballe has a special connection to New Haven Reads. As a long-time supporter of New Haven Reads, she lauded the work and the mission of the organization. “I really can’t say enough about the important work that New Haven Reads does,” Geballe said. “Having worked with kids for 20 years, I know that it can be very challenging for them in school, so having the support system and individual attention that New Haven Reads provides outside of school can really help promote their development and learning.”

But New Haven Reads, Geballe feels, not only provides this important individual attention for students, but does so in a truly effective way. “I think New Haven Reads does it in a way that is appealing and fun for kids, and they look forward to that one-on-one interaction with their tutors,” she explained. “Yet it also functions as a support system for families, working with them to meet their needs. The impact that New Haven Reads has had on the youth in the community is amazing.”

When we have the opportunity to partner with organizations and schools in New Haven, we are always extremely excited to see what we can do together. The UNH-NHR partnership shows just how impactful these collaborations can be. NHR benefits from the phenomenal work of UNH interns every semester, and the interns get an inside look at what a future in the nonprofit or education spheres could look like.

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