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Spotlight:
Recent Internship
In the summer of 2021, I was offered the exciting opportunity to apprentice at Chicago Children's Theatre in Education and Development. This experience grew my skill set in a number of new directions, and allowed me to discover what a job that incorporates aspects of both my degrees and all my interests would look like.
What I Learned
Education
If I'm being entirely honest, I had never seen myself working with children before. I did not believe I had the skills to manage a group of adults, let alone children. My advisors at Chicago Children's Theatre helped me immensely to lean tools to handle children with both respect and firmness. I supervised the classes at lunchtime and recess, participated in their end-of-camp performances, and wrote and designed weekly newsletters and programs.
Development
I discovered that I find it easy to pick up new programs, getting most tasks correct after some inital correction. I proofread their website, researched board members, donors, and event venues, and created ticket sales for future classes and events. This part of the position gave me hard skills that will allow me to pick up more platform proficiency in the future and soft skills in speaking with donors and board members that I will be able to incorporate into future positions.
Teaching Assistant
Toward the end of my apprenticeship, I was hired as a salaried camp TA. I managed the class of thirty 4-6 year-olds through transitions and breaks, working to keep a positive and safe atmosphere throughout. I also worked in the classroom with the Teaching Artists when needed for classroom management or help with activities. In this role, I feel like I grew confident in my new-found classroom management and graphic design skills that I am excited to continue honing.
At the end of the summer...
Teaching children gave me a lot of skills that transfer well to leading adults. Mutual resect is of utmost importance in group communication settings, which requires you to both be humble with those you are leading and not allow yourself to be talked down to. I gained a working proficiency with Ovation Tix, Audience View, and Word Press, and felt comfortable researching a number of topics for communications and events. My position as a Teaching Assistant solidified my confidence in the skills I had learned throughout my apprenticeship.
