UNews - Lori Harasem

Internship program benefits all

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 May 2011 21:27:10 +0000

Have you noticed that bridges are being built all over Lethbridge right now, linking the U of L to the broader community?

Exciting new opportunities are being offered each semester through the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge's Museum Studies Internship program. Each year, this program enables students to build connections with the community for their future careers. Those connections provide a plethora of benefits for students, the institutions they work with and the community as a whole.

David Smith and Allison Spencer curating the 1950s exhibition, which is currently showing in the Helen Christou Gallery.

Students enrolled in the internship option, which is part of the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program, use their interests as a starting point to develop relationships with organizations in the community. These interests lead to internships where students gain valuable work experience and the hosting institutions benefit from having new and fresh perspectives. Interns become ambassadors for their institutions, sharing information with the broader community.

"Internships are a great way for students to gain insight into the career choices they are considering, and to acquire behind the scenes perspectives about how institutions operate," says Kevin MacLean, collections technician, Galt Museum and Archives.

Students who gain these insights have an advantage when envisioning their future because they have a clearer sense of the roles they want to occupy. By participating in the internship program, students further their careers by gaining practical hands-on experience, which employers are quick to recognize, and by networking within their career fields.

"My appreciation for public programming has definitely grown with my understanding of what goes into creating events," says Allison Spencer, curatorial intern with the U of L Art Gallery. During her internship, Spencer assisted in hosting public programming activities including Culture Vulture Saturdays as well as assisting exhibition planning.

Hosting an intern is also advantageous for the institution. Students bring enthusiasm, a desire to learn and a willingness to work diligently.

"It's an excellent way for an institution to achieve its vision, because the interns take on responsibility and help permanent staff to become more effective," says Ryan Doherty, SAAG Curator.

In non-profit institutions, volunteering is always encouraged and appreciated. Interns, although often unpaid, bridge the gap between permanent staff and casual volunteers by working regular hours and remaining a valuable resource of volunteer energy. Students who complete the internship program promote their institutions in a positive manner by communicating their learning experiences with others.

Granting opportunities to interns is highly beneficial to the community as well. When cultural institutions thrive, the community thrives as a result.

"Having interns is a great way for us to revitalize ourselves. Having new ideas and a fresh perspective allows us to reflect on how and why we do things the way we do. It adds a sense of vitality to our organization," says Marilyn Smith, SAAG Director.

This year SAAG, Galt Museum, and the U of L Art Gallery had interns in several capacities and expect to have more in the future.

"We welcome interns with an incredibly diverse range of opportunities and will work with students to create the experience that is right for them," says Lori Harasem, volunteer and special events co-ordinator with the Galt Museum.

Jennifer Vanderfluit, who interned at the Galt and worked with the archivist to complete a digital conservation project, readily recommends the experience to fellow students.

"I think the internship program is an incredible opportunity that students should take advantage of," she says. "Every major should have a similar program."

For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Volunteer Fair shows students care

trevor.kenney — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:09:05 +0000

Working on the premise that recruiting a volunteer might be as simple as providing the opportunity, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge management student Jody Roetman had an idea. Some 10 months later, that idea spawned what promises to be an ongoing relationship between ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ students and volunteer agencies throughout southern Alberta.

The inaugural U of L Volunteer Fair, held Sept. 17 in the Atrium, proved to be a rousing success as students attended in droves, proving that activism is more than just an ideal on campus.

"The students really seemed to respond well. They were engaged and genuinely interested in how they could become involved," Roetman says. "I know the faculty at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ were incredibly supportive and really pushing students to attend.

"I had always thought that students would like to get out and volunteer and this was just an outlet for them."

The 22-year-old Edmonton native is in her fifth year at the U of L, completing a BA in history and BMgt in marketing. Interested in volunteering in the community, she found it difficult to get started. Were it not for her diligence, a local agency would have lost an opportunity to engage a young volunteer. Roetman decided to try and do something to take away the hurdles she encountered.

"I wanted to get involved but I wasn't quite sure how. I didn't know what groups were out there, I didn't know how to get in touch with them, what questions to ask or even the types of things that I would be doing for a specific agency," she says.
"I wanted to bring all the organizations to students so we could remove that lack of information barrier. There are so many wonderful agencies in Lethbridge and so many opportunities to get
involved. I think it's a shame students don't participate more, and one of the big reasons is they don't know what's out there."

Her instincts were bang on, although it took a little wrangling to get local agencies to buy into the concept.

"One of the bigger challenges was encouraging the agencies to believe that we could help them," she says. "I think they may have had the perception that students talk about putting on something like this and getting involved but maybe they don't see the action behind the words."

A total of 30-plus agencies eventually took part in the fair and given the contacts they made, it's a sure bet as many or more will be back next year.

"We already work quite closely with students who are history majors, for example, but I was able to connect with students in management, education, and arts courses who had not thought of us as an opportunity to acquire skills and give back to the community," Galt Museum & Archives Special Events and Volunteer Coordinator Lori Harasem says.

"We had a total of 38 students sign up for more information, and about two dozen more take information home to think about. We also had interest from some faculty members and staff who are soon to retire. It was a wonderful opportunity and we did as much PR in one day as we would normally get in about six months without the fair."

Roetman pushed the concept that volunteering is not a one-way benefit; that students can help while also enhancing their studies and experience.

"The job market is highly-competitive. Employers are looking for people who are committed. I think that community involvement shows a sense of commitment. Even if it's being a big brother or big sister, walking dogs for the Humane Society, there's some form of commitment there and I think employers see the value in that," Roetman says.

Her best example is the volunteer marketing work she does for Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Lethbridge.
"I wanted to show
students you can volunteer in such a way that you can gain real-life experience and professional skills."

When Roetman graduates, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Registrar's Office is expected take over the event.

With the success of the inaugural Fair still resonating, the bond created between students and local volunteer agencies should only strengthen over time.

UNews - Lori Harasem

Internship program benefits all

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