summer internship with project insight!

Some of you already know about this... and some of you don't. (Insightful statement, I know.) I've been trying not to talk it up too much, because I didn't want to jinx myself. But now... not only do I officially have the position (which has been the case since the day I visited in February), but I have also been officially approved for Praxis funding! Read on...

Smith guarantees every student a Praxis stipend to get funding for what would otherwise be an unpaid summer internship. This is, quite simply, an incredible opportunity. Smith recognizes that many organizations offer summer internships that 'compensate interns by giving them valuable supervision, training and work experience in place of salaries.' Smith also recognizes that while these internships are valuable, they are sometimes impractical for students who need the summer to be a moneymaking time. Read: most people. There are, of course, eligibility requirements to qualify for Praxis, but they are pretty vague and broad. Your internship has to: 'be connected with your overall educational goals' (which doesn't mean it has to be connected with your major), 'offer substantial learning opportunities,' 'allow for significant career exploration,' 'be well supervised by someone with enough relevant expertise to ensure that the internship will be an educational experience,' etc. Like I said, pretty much catchall requirements. It doesn't even have to be an existing internship- you can create one (as I did). And you have to work a minimum of 220 hours.

Over winter break I started looking into possible internship opportunities. I decided that I didn't want to try to live somewhere new for the summer (I'll only be home for two months, I'll just have gotten back from being in Australia for five months, finding housing from abroad would be a logistical nightmare, I love all of you and it might be the last summer we're around in large numbers (or the last summer I'm around), and home= free), so I was just looking into things in the Bay Area. I got a list from Nancy Cayton, the head of the ASL department at Vista, of places that take volunteers regularly (she has a list compiled because if you get an AA in ASL you have to do a semester of 'field work'). I found a couple of places that I was sorta interested in and had no trouble at all being offered positions- when you want to work full time for a couple of months for free... people are pretty convinced, but there was nothing that I was ecstatic about. And then... I discovered Project Insight. Project Insight was listed as an 'after-school program for deaf children, teens and young adults.' So I called them and left a message saying I was looking into summer internship possibilities and asked if they ran any programs during the summer, or only during the school year. I got a call back from Lucas Tobin, the recreation director. And we had a lengthy phone conversation.

Project Insight runs summer camps during the summer. As soon as I learned this I could *feel* the difference in my enthusiasm between this and the less-inspiring places I had previously investigated. Project Insight is run by the San Francisco Parks and Recreation Department. It is a small program— their summer camps are never more than about 20 kids, sometimes as few as 10. They run different sessions for different ages. I was thrilled! Signing, children, and the outdoors. So... I went to visit. I spent an afternoon at Project Insight first chatting with Lucas about the program and then hanging with the kids when they arrived after school. (When I arrived Lucas and I immediately recognized each other. We took Intro. to Interpreting together at Vista. Apparently he had recognized my name when I left a message but couldn't place it.) I loved the place and the idea of working there for the summer- and he loved the idea of having me around. Initially I wasn't sure if I should be looking for something more 'academic'... but I soon realized that this is what would make me the most happy and was, despite being a summer camp, an opportunity that I would not have without Praxis.

So... since the beginning of February I have been dealing with paper work related to this internship funding application. And, as of today, I have been officially approved!

So this summer I will be interning with Project Insight. I will help develop, plan and lead activities. I will be going on two different three-day outdoor adventure trips. I will help with clerical work and hopefully gain a better understanding of what is involved in running a program such as this one. I will be signing! And, as my application concludes, 'this internship opportunity will allow me to explore a possible career of working with Deaf children.'

And then at the end of the summer the lovely Tessa and I will be driving her car cross-country together! Yay!