This assignment is to summarize your experience in developing, conducting, and presenting your practicum work. It will help serve you as a reflection of the work you have done, and an aid to future scholars in developing their own practicum projects.
Your report must be a website, linked to your main portfolio page, of approximately 600-900 words length (longer if necessary). Please respond to the prompts below. If you wish to add additional material, however, go ahead.
The Topic:
You have now spent some time in the generation of natural and physical science (working in a research laboratory; doing your own independent research; etc.) or the transmission of natural and physical science (mentoring students in math and/or science; working as a docent in a museum, zoo, or similar institution; etc.) or the application of natural and physical science (working in a medical facility; shadowing a physician, forensic scientist, field hydrologist; curation or preparation of fossils and artifacts in a museum; working as a volunteer behind the scenes at a zoo; etc). Let us know about that experience. In particular, please describe:
Any additional insights or reflections in your essay are welcomed and encouraged.
Last summer, I had the opportunity to work as a Project Manager Intern at a non-profit organization, The Be. Org. They provide various educational programs and workshops to help students develop career skills and introduce them to new topics/fields. They are located in Baltimore, Maryland, and host their programs in various schools throughout the city. I actually found the internship through a UMD email newsletter that was sent out to students, from Do Good at the School of Public Policy. I recommend that future SGC Scholars look at the newsletters provided by the various schools here, staff constantly send out opportunities for work in these emails. UMD is a hub for opportunities ranging from research, volunteering, and club activities with our diverse and large student body. Also, since UMD is a research institution, I would recommend looking at the research labs and professors in your field of interest. Don't be afraid to reach out to the staff here! A lot of them are friendly and would appreciate any interest in their work. Look up topics and institutions on campus, find any emails of those involved with the work and shoot them a message. Just a simple introduction, what you are interested in and what you would like to do. Even if they can't take you on, they may know someone or have resources that can offer you some support. At the Be Org, I was able to work on a variety of tasks. I worked specifically with their Be. Virtual summer program that teaches high school students how about game design through the Unity software with C#. Over the course they worked in teams to create a game that they would present at the end of the program. This game had to have good graphics and addressed a simple social issue. They also had weekly lessons on topics such as career skills (entrepreneurship, public speaking, meeting deadlines) and social emotional learning (SEL) skills. Some days, I would sit in on the lessons and take notes on what teaching methods worked well and what didn't. I would also give feedback to the instructors on how to help the students further. Additionally, the students often came to me with some questions about their project, and I would brainstorm with them on how to solve their problems or enhance their work. My main task, however, was to plan their final showcase event: Tech Day. I had to plan the logistics of the event, such as the location, itinerary, and the guest speakers. I spent the majority of my time researching venues, organizations, and speakers that would be a good fit for the event. I had to take into account the budget, audience, location, and message of the speakers/organizations if it aligned with what we were teaching the students. Luckily, The Be. Org had records of previous Tech Day logistics where I reached out to previous speakers, organizations, and venues to see if they would be available for this year. Upon reaching out to them, I was able to get a better idea of what worked and what didn't work in the past. Then I created comprehensive lists and spreadsheets of potential details and shared them with my supervisor. We had constant meetings to discuss the progress of the event and what I could do to improve my work. Once I was given the green light on my planning, I would finalize everything. I learned that science is not just about the facts and figures, but also about the people and communities that it affects. It is important to get students interested in science and technology at a young age, not just for their future careers, but also to help them develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. STEM is often hard to get into, and encouraging students to explore their interests in these fields is important. They need encouragement and support to pursue their passions, they may not be willing to explore these fields otherwise. I saw firsthand how these students grew as learners and as people, becoming more interested in STEM and more confident in their abilities. I also learned that the Be. Org is a great example of how nonprofits can make a difference in the community. They are able to provide resources and support to students who may not have access to them otherwise. They address a huge gap in education and emphasize the importance of hard-work and curiosity. Project management is a role applicable to almost any field, and I am now interested in pursuing it as a career. I have decided to broaden my coursework to see what other fields I can apply my skills to. I specifically want to see how cybersecurity and project management can work together. I also built up my organizational and time management skills, which are necessary for my professional development. I now have the confidence to take on my leadership roles and be assertive as I need to be. I did have a lot of ideas I wanted to implment, but I was afriad of messing up so I opted for safer options. My supervisor was very supportive and encouraged me to take risks and be creative in upcoming roles. She was very open to my ideas and will use them in future projects. I'm grateful for this experience in this new role and I am excited to see what other opportunities I can take on in the future.