Summer Internship Pilot Program Updates

The newly launched CAMP! summer internship pilot program is now well underway with interns placed across 12 different employer partners in a variety of fields including agriculture, retail, nonprofit, environmental sustainability, architecture, education and art sales. The 13 interns are comprised of local high school students, college students back for the summer, and young professionals out of school. With a variety of backgrounds and interests, the interns are excited to explore new professional opportunities available to them through the summer internship program, while refining their career goals, receiving mentorship and developing new skills under the guidance of employers.

**Employers Embrace Skill Development**

Prior to the launch of the summer program, employer partners participated in workshops on creating internship experiences that focus on providing interns with exposure to career possibilities, while promoting skill development and professional growth in their candidates.

Offering Supported Career Exploration

At the core of the CAMP! program is the element of support. On the ground, support looks like mentorship, guidance, and the opportunity to give and receive feedback. Built into the summer internship program model is a set of check-ins between interns and the CAMP program coordinator, serving as an opportunity for interns to reflect on their experiences, glean insights about their career goals and professional growth, as well as a space to celebrate personal wins or talk through challenges. Employers alike participate in regular check ins with the program coordinator, pausing and reflecting on their relationship with the interns and how they can best provide learning opportunities for them.

Another layer of support lies in creating a sense of community, with opportunities to connect with others and share experiences and ideas. During the summer pilot, CAMP has offered a soft skills weekend training (called BootCAMP), a social media marketing workshop, as well as two networking socials—cultivating a sense of community between interns.

Thoughts on BootCAMP

I loved BootCAMP! because it was enriching experience where we talked about professionalism, resilience, our goals, and it also pushed me out of my comfort zone a little bit (a good thing!) when practicing things like public speaking. It was a truly wonderful experience and I am grateful to ACE MV for organizing it!
-Jessica Rodriguez, Intern with Island Eats

**Exploring Career Options in Education**

Anne Guimaraes is a rising senior at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, working as an early childhood and elementary education intern with the Chilmark Community Center. She is interested in learning more about the field of education and the career opportunities that exist for young professionals like herself. Through the internship program Anne has the opportunity to work with a variety of different age groups and camp programs at CCC, while receiving close mentorship and guidance from experienced supervisors.

**Exploring Creative Business**

Hope Federowicz is a rising senior at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, exploring what a future in creative business looks like through an internship with Althea Designs.
The most exciting part of the internship for me is getting to accompany Althea to First Fridays and flea markets. It allows me to get practical experience from both observing and assisting her, as well as being able to actually sell my own art alongside her. I've also really enjoyed getting to try out printmaking because it's an art medium I've never had the chance to explore.

Widening Agricultural Horizons at Morning Glory Farm

A first of its kind on the Island, Morning Glory Farm crafted a rotating farm internship program, allowing for a young professional to gain understanding of what goes into the operation of an agricultural business. Recent high school graduate Ben Saunders has had the opportunity to craft a custom work plan choosing from different farm departments to hone in on his future career and educational goals. So far Ben has spent time in the greenhouse, herb garden, veggie barn, the fields, and the flower farm. He has the opportunity to connect with CEO Simon Athearn between each departmental assignment to receive mentorship and receive a top view experience of running a multi-faceted agricultural business.