So I have been posting daily photos, so here is just a collection of my five best, or favorite, photos so far.
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I'm not sure if I'm actually ahead in thinking about my internship project or not. But after the first day, my mentor and I had already decided, basically, what my internship project was going to be. Due to my love of film, and that being an area that I am comfortable working in/with, we decided that my internship project should definably be film based. And since Playwrights is in need of a little video help, I was happy to put forth my knowledge. So the past few days have been pretty crazy. I helped teach at a high school for foster youth, I attended a board meeting and I finished sorting the last of the play submissions. Lots still to come. There is so much that I am learning, but I still have questions. Like how exactly non-profit organizations run. I know that people have real jobs here, but how do they get paid? If at all. I'm still not sure. I would also like to know how people become a part of a non-profit organization. What is the office and work normally like? Am I actually being more help than a bother? So many questions! In the board meeting I battened on Wednesday night, I was made aware of the overwhelming connection that High Tech High has with the mission of Playwrights Project. Apparently the new common core standards in school revolve around something called the "Four C's" which I don't remember now, but they are essentially what High Tech is based on. Also, the fact that Playwrights Project runs a lot of teaching programs based on project learning, out school system is actually a great example of what can be done well in other schools. HTH as a "group" was the largest contributor to a fundraiser type event run by Playwrights called GiveBig. It's kind of funny actually. Today we were at San Pasqual Academy and my mentor Cecilia was talking to a junior class about writing plays. She said something a long the lines of "write about what you know" which defiantly reminds me of some of Dr. Patton's write club rules...WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT. This week has been pretty great, but I am defiantly ready for the long weekend. Even though I will be busy each day so I don't really get a break. I do miss school, more because it is kind of lonely just being with adults and myself for long many hours in a week. Missing people my age. But still looking forward to the rest of my internship. Still doing pretty well. Much hope. So I had my first day of internship and it was full of new "stuff" for lack of a better word. Got up at 5am to drive down to Oceanside with my mom and we started our public transit route to internship. A trolley and bus later, after walking a few blocks because we got off at the wrong stop, we arrived at Playwrights project. It is on the third floor of an office building and I was really wanting to make a good impression. I was a little late since we got off at the wrong stop, but my mentor wasn't even there. So I introduced myself to Lizzie, one of the five employees at Playwrights. She spoke to me for a little while about what the organization is about and then sent me off to start my work. I made copies of play for a contest they are running and after a little while, my mentor arrived. We talked for a while about internship, my presentation and my project. I got introduced to Laurel, another lady in the office, and hopefully will meet Erika and Derek, two part time employees, soon. Then I was off to make more copies and watching some video of some plays. I went a got some lunch and went over the return to home schedule with my mom and them went back upstairs to do some more work. When my day was done, my mom and I raced across the street to out bus stop and started the long route home. The coaster ride back was really nice and I was happy to be going home. Everyone in the office that I have met so far seems really nice and happy to be there. Also happy to have me there. I am really excited for my internship project because I will be getting to make, or work on making, a video of some of their produced plays to be put up on their website. This is totally something I am comfortable with doing and something I feel confident in my ability to do. The only thin I'm a little but worried about is that most of their footage is on a bunch of tapes... Not sure what will be done about that at this point. Also worried about taking public transport everyday, but that's just so within I'm going to have to get used to. I took a bunch of photos on the first day, so I've got lots to show. Looking forward to the next month. Much hope. I am interning with Cecelia Kouma of Playwrights Project in San Diego. This is a nonprofit organization that strives to teach in schools about social justice and literacy using theatre and playwriting.
Because of scheduling, I had to email my questions to my mentor. These are her responses... What is your job title? Executive Director What are your main duties and responsibilities? While I have the typical Executive Director role of working with the board, overseeing staffing, ensuring adequate financial management and fundraising; I also directly manage our Community Programs and occasionally teach in the programs when there is no teaching artist available for a specific school program. Why did you choose to work here? The mission speaks to my passion: I love theatre, writing and education. I also believe in the need to give back and that one’s work should be meaningful to them. Additionally, nonprofits are great for experimenting with different areas of business and learning a variety of skills, even ones you never imagined you would like. Plus, I respect and like the people I work with. How did you end up doing the job that you do? I studied theatre as an actor and worked as a summer camp counselor in high school and college. My first job out of college was at a health clinic where they taught me to do bookkeeping. It started a great day job as an actor. Having the skills to do administrative work (in addition to programs) allowed me to be able to secure full time work in the field I love (arts education), while many people struggle to piece together enough work as artists and arts educators. Do you consider a career in this area satisfying? In what ways? Yes, because it is work I believe in… the programs focus on communication and self-expression through theatre. Although I don’t love all of the work all of the time, I understand its importance and know I’m supporting something I believe in. What should I know about you before I start working here? It’s important to know that we have a strong work ethic at Playwrights Project and manage to accomplish a lot with very few employees. That means we’re always juggling a lot of work and move quickly. Several of our programs are coming to a close in June and we’ll be working hard to finish them up. It is also the end of our fiscal year, so I’ll be finishing up financial statements to see where we expect the year to end, developing the organizational budget for board approval in June, and working to bring in new board members as some rotate off in the new year. On top of that I’ll also be teaching almost every day in May, so I’ll be a bit busier than I expected. I will rely on Lizzie (our office manager) to help liaison with you. I’ll give you access to my Google Calendar, so you can ask to attend meetings or observe programs if I forget to suggest it. Is there anything you wish you'd realized about the world of work when you were my age? Wow! Good question. I think the most important thing is not to overcommit because you think someone won’t respect you if you say no to a project. It’s important to be able to do a job well, rather than to flake out on it mid-way through, especially if you suspect it may be too much in the first place. And not to burn bridges. You never know when you will re-encounter someone from your past in a different capacity. How is this organization structured? The Board hires/fires the Executive Director (me); I oversee the 4 staff members who each manage different departments: Laurel Withers (Development\fundraising=full time); Erika Phillips (Teaching programs=halftime); Derek Livingston (Productions & Contest=halftime) and Lizzie Silverman (Office administration and box office=full time) What does it take to be successful in this organization? Attention to details, accuracy, willingness to listen and to ask questions, ability to collaborate and to work independently. As a literacy organization, we often edit each other’s writing to assure it is clear and free of typos. How important is getting along with other people in your career? Getting along with people is important in all areas of work, but especially so in a small office. In theatre, we see lots of talented people, but no matter how talented they are, if they are hard to work with, we don't hire them back. What other personality traits, skills, or knowledge are important here? Flexibility is important. We might start working on something then realize there’s another task needing to be done more immediately and so we shift gears. Ask questions or check in after trying a task the first time to make sure you’re doing it the preferred way before replicating it. What other advice do you have about working here? It ended up being a super busy time, so don’t feel offended if anyone is a little short with you. We’re all very nice people really and believe in the importance of internships. Also, speak up if you see something you think you can help with. |