Friday, May 10, 2013

A Valueable Experience

My internship with re:TH!NK has been educational, fun, and an overall rewarding experience.  Starting in January, I took on the role as the Active Schools Coordinator.  Through trying new things and having guidance from Emily and the Active Schools workgroup, I successfully planned and implemented the Active Recess, Active Classrooms, and Active Release projects.
The Active Recess project provided students with the opportunity to participate in activities led by community volunteers who have a passion for physical activity.  Connections and partnerships were made and our dedicated volunteers have been awesome!  It was rewarding to see the impact we can have on the children in our community.
The Active Classrooms project involved creating and distributing toolkits and binders for teachers to include in their class plans.  The binders contain “brain breaks” and activities for kids to participate in during class.  This increase in physical activity helps to improve memory and learning in kids and I was glad to help expand the project this spring.
The Active Release program was a new recreational use agreement I helped to create with Emily, the YMCA, and Recreation Department.  We piloted the project at Tipler Middle School on their early release days.  We had a great turn out and will hopefully continue the project into the future!

I am glad I was part of the re:TH!NK team this semester.  The skills and professional development I have gained from it are irreplaceable.  As you all may or may not know I am finishing my “capstone” internship  near San Diego at EZIA Human Performance this  summer.  I am thankful for the opportunity I was provided here and will be using the things I have learned here in my future endeavors.  Thank you all for the help you have provided.  It has been fun and an awesome learning experience!