Rocky View Student Leadership Academy
Rocky View Student Leadership Academy is a program in Rockyview Schools dedicated to helping young leaders learn valuable lessons and skills to prepare them for their future leadership pursuits. This is a three year program available to students in grades 10-12 who are able to dedicate one day in each month to a leadership retreat with other students.
The Lab is a new program that was approved before my internship placement started. This program is a new design in the Community Learning Centre that integrates leadership into every aspect of the humanities curriculum. It is a program where students can co-create their projects and assignments based on their passions and learning styles.
The Lab is a new program that was approved before my internship placement started. This program is a new design in the Community Learning Centre that integrates leadership into every aspect of the humanities curriculum. It is a program where students can co-create their projects and assignments based on their passions and learning styles.
My Mentors
My mentors in this internship were Lauren Curry and Dorothy (Dot) Karlson. Both of these ladies taught me when I was a student in the RVSLA program and I continue to learn more from them every day. Lauren is a current educator in the RVS Community Learning Centre and Dot, even in retirement, has been sharing the love by officiating weddings. Lauren, Dot and I have very big dreams for the future of education. We designed this internship placement specifically for me to help the program and also develop some of the shared goals one step further.
|
The Project
I was interning for an organization within an organization and had the opportunity to branch out on a wider scale than just Rocky View Student Leadership Academy (RVSLA). So while I was learning the depths of RVSLA I was also exploring what the future of education looks like in different settings. My internship placement was designed for me to get a grasp on the different types of education that are currently in motion through Rockyview Schools.
There were three dimensions to my internship placement. First, I worked in close collaboration with RVSLA third year students because of their legacy project. They were experimenting with different hands-on learning models and I was fortunate to attend their final two sessions. We worked together in a plant potting session and at the celebration of learning. The second component of my internship was bringing the RVSLA community together during the pandemic. I created gifts for each student and grad gifts for those who were graduating. Finally, I worked to design marketing materials for the next years RVLA Students and information surrounding The Lab. I essentially filled in wherever I could and made the best of every experience with the Community Learning Centre.
There were three dimensions to my internship placement. First, I worked in close collaboration with RVSLA third year students because of their legacy project. They were experimenting with different hands-on learning models and I was fortunate to attend their final two sessions. We worked together in a plant potting session and at the celebration of learning. The second component of my internship was bringing the RVSLA community together during the pandemic. I created gifts for each student and grad gifts for those who were graduating. Finally, I worked to design marketing materials for the next years RVLA Students and information surrounding The Lab. I essentially filled in wherever I could and made the best of every experience with the Community Learning Centre.
Connection to RC
I found purpose, passion, and happiness in this journey. I built lifelong connections with organizations that I can see myself working for in the future and relationships with people I could only dream of working alongside. I got to spend time strengthening old connections while simultaneously making new ones in my future career field which links back to the social interaction learning outcome. I learned how to work with professionals and create lasting connections while balancing a busy schedule. I had a lot of external stress with my health, family, and work environment. My wellbeing was becoming a factor that I needed to monitor as my goal is building community and it is hard to connect with others when you are not doing well yourself. I learned how to communicate some of the things that are not always easy to talk about and focus on time management to strengthen my own wellbeing. It took me a long time to process that this internship was mutually beneficial to both parties. I started asking questions to ensure that I was putting my best foot forward and the feedback I received prepared me for my future projects. After I started recieving validation for asking questions, I became much more comfortable communicating. I learned through this process that there is never any harm in asking questions or talking things out. Aside from some of the life skills that I obtained in this internship, I also developed a variety of professional skills such as marketing and community outreach. I learned how to use a variety of different skills such as written, verbal, and visual to engage target audiences. I learned this through the marketing materials that I produced for RVSLA and the Lab.
Describing this internship as a journey is the easiest way for me to process everything I have learned and experienced in this placement. With many ups and downs I have experienced tremendous growth and learned how to embrace the process and be an active part of the present. Living in the moment is the best way for me to avoid regrets and to grow moving forward. I have to learn from everything I have done but not spend too much time dwelling on the past. I have learned that I am far from alone in my career journey and the connections that I have made in this position are going to open an array of possibilities that align with my values in the future. I have learned that it is okay to ask questions and communication is encouraged in a professional atmosphere. I am much less hesitant to connect with people in a professional atmosphere as well because creating a sense of community will enhance group wellbeing which is severely unlikely to lead to a negative consequence. The learning outcomes were an excellent guide to understanding and reflecting on everything I learned in this position and I can confidently state that I experienced sufficient growth in multi-literacy, social interaction, wellbeing, and problem-solving. I do not know if I will ever be able to adequately demonstrate my cherished experiences in this internship, but I am confident that this is not the end of my journey with Rocky View Student Leadership Academy and the Community Learning Centre. I will certainly plan to come back when I have expanded my range of experiences and continue learning more from an outstanding group of leaders.
Working with students who have a passion for leadership was one of my core memories in life where I gained more from a conversation than I had ever expected. These students’ passions were contagious, and I left the conversation feeling motivated to make a big impact in the world. Their authenticity and fearlessness to share their thoughts and beliefs were traits that I have been working to adapt since my work with them and something that I will take with me into my future career in education. Overall, this experience taught me that when you are passionate about something, it sparks inspiration in followers.
Describing this internship as a journey is the easiest way for me to process everything I have learned and experienced in this placement. With many ups and downs I have experienced tremendous growth and learned how to embrace the process and be an active part of the present. Living in the moment is the best way for me to avoid regrets and to grow moving forward. I have to learn from everything I have done but not spend too much time dwelling on the past. I have learned that I am far from alone in my career journey and the connections that I have made in this position are going to open an array of possibilities that align with my values in the future. I have learned that it is okay to ask questions and communication is encouraged in a professional atmosphere. I am much less hesitant to connect with people in a professional atmosphere as well because creating a sense of community will enhance group wellbeing which is severely unlikely to lead to a negative consequence. The learning outcomes were an excellent guide to understanding and reflecting on everything I learned in this position and I can confidently state that I experienced sufficient growth in multi-literacy, social interaction, wellbeing, and problem-solving. I do not know if I will ever be able to adequately demonstrate my cherished experiences in this internship, but I am confident that this is not the end of my journey with Rocky View Student Leadership Academy and the Community Learning Centre. I will certainly plan to come back when I have expanded my range of experiences and continue learning more from an outstanding group of leaders.
Working with students who have a passion for leadership was one of my core memories in life where I gained more from a conversation than I had ever expected. These students’ passions were contagious, and I left the conversation feeling motivated to make a big impact in the world. Their authenticity and fearlessness to share their thoughts and beliefs were traits that I have been working to adapt since my work with them and something that I will take with me into my future career in education. Overall, this experience taught me that when you are passionate about something, it sparks inspiration in followers.