Guided Practicum EPortfolio Ebony Jones Wilmington University August

Guided Practicum E-Portfolio Ebony Jones Wilmington University August 12, 2013

chapter One What were your feelings as you began your internship? • Mostly anxious to start • Most important issue: understanding IM 40 • Excited to incorporate concept in program & conduct the site visits • Issue: not challenging enough

chapter Two What elements of agency context have your learned about through your internship? How would you describe agency’s context? • UWD is more than just a funder • Various components UWD is made up of various components/departments: • Community Engagement • Youth Engagement • Organizational Leadership • Resource Development • Heavily dependent on Interns/Volunteers

chapter Three Describe ethical issue your identified and acted upon Ethical Dilemma Breach of Confidentiality!! • Identify: Co-worker often invited students to disclose charges in group meetings • Action: Mentioned to immediate supervisor, who addressed it at staff meeting

chapter Four What have you learned about what you want/need in supervisory relationship? • Issue: Micromanagement from supervisor & discomfort with thought of conversation • Improvements: to nurture AUTHORITATIVE skills • Ideal Supervisor: willing to teach, willing to learn, and TRUSTING

chapter Five Step 1: Gathering Objective Data – this particular student was 12 years old and was well-known throughout the school for her sexual activity Step 2: Reflecting – Student received my sympathy for her harassment and soiled reputation Step 3: Identifying Theory/Knowledge – Believed that student was sexually abused Step 4: Examining Dissonance – Middle school is age of acceptance; student was isolated and bullied during prior years Step 5: Articulating Learning – Realizing that the root was important, but I was the inappropriate person to address it Step 6: Developing a Plan – Established a closer (trusting) relationship with student Met with parent/guardian and referred to outside services Reached out to student for mentoring opportunities Followed up with family to ensure counseling

chapter Six Discuss experiences in working with individuals, families, groups, and communities • My experience: Groups (Implementation Team) & Communities (Summer Programs) • Least experience: Individuals & Families • If employed with site: School staff, Students, Parents • Most interested in: Individuals & Families • Most comfortable creating individualized services and monitoring

chapter Seven What cultural differences have you encountered in your internship? Cultural differences breached communication “Common sense is not that common” -Voltaire • Cultural differences were difficult for administrators to address • Unable to effectively communicate with community members : used terms such as “implementation team” and “momentum partners” United Way/Summer Camp Discussion

chapter Eight Submit samples of professional writing and reporting Spreadsheet 1 Spreadsheet 2

chapter Nine Describe what internship has taught about yourself Prioritize! • Stressors: Feeling overwhelmed • Learned to make own deadlines, prioritize, and compile To-Do list

chapter Ten What do you most appreciate about your internship experience? • Realized the necessity of small tasks • Site visits facilitated the discussion between Implementation Team and Community-Based Program Coordinators • Site visits gave insight to program needs, community needs, and tools/resource needs

chapter Eleven Describe career goals and your plan for achieving them As I prepare to enter my second year at Communities in Schools of Delaware, I plan to use my learning experiences from my agency to grow as a Site Director. My short-term goals include improving my administrative skills, earning a staff, and building relationships and partnerships in order to better serve my students. My long-term goals have not yet been established, but I plan to remain in the nonprofit sector, helping and serving the public as a high-level administrator. In pursuit of my short-term goals, I will need to continue to improve my networking skills and I need to gain more confidence in my leadership capabilities. By making these changes, I will have improved my administrative skills, built relationships and partnerships, and ultimately earned more staff. Within my position, I am the Site Director at a developing site. So I was required to enter a school, create new programs, establish a caseload, and provide both individualized and school-wide services. As my programs and caseload begins to grow, and as I continue to deliver positive results, I will earn new staff members to assist my workload. Staff will be earned as I grow within my position. By the end of this school year, spring 2014, I hope to have accomplished these short-term goals and have created and successfully implemented enough programs and services to have earned another staff member.

Miscellaneous Dear Student: While interning at United Way of Delaware, prepare yourself for the opportunity to surround yourself with all administrators. On a positive note, it allows you see “organizational success” and allows you to create your own learning experience. You are able to network and form working relationships, and are also able to build personal/mentor-mentee relationships. By working under all administrators, it also allows you to see the cultural disconnect between many of the UWD administrators and the community residents. Contrary to what may be expected when working with high-level administrators, gossip and idle conversation still occurs and should be avoided. Overall, the experience is enriching and should be taken full advantage of.