HPW Student Internship Experience – Brianna Genett
Interning at Marshfield Clinic Center for Community Outreach, specifically for Youth Net and Healthy Lifestyles, is an interesting and exciting experience. Both of these departments allow me to utilize my knowledge that I have gained from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. The staff at both Youth Net and Healthy Lifestyle’s is willing to help me with anything I am having troubles with, and also are there to answer any questions I have.
At Youth Net I am working with children ages 8-16 and I am a part of the Food Frenzy group. In this group the children are taught about different nutrition options, physical activity games, about gardening, and also mindfulness. While teaching them about nutrition we introduce different fruits, vegetables, and healthy snacks the children have not tried before. Gardening is incorporated 2 days a week for the children. They harvest the produce and get to use it in a healthy snack we make. The Children also get to help maintain the gardens by pulling weeds and watering the produce. Physical activity is another topic that is encouraged for the children to partake in. We take the children swimming 2 days a week and also try to play fun games outside. Mindfulness is incorporated when we go on walks with the children or when they eat certain foods they haven’t tried before. The children have to pay attention to what is surrounding them on walks and when trying new foods they have to close their eyes and use some of their senses before eating the food.
Working with Healthy Lifestyles has allowed me to do some marketing and promoting, also plan and do cooking demonstrations, and sit in on coalition meetings. I had the chance to promote the Bicycle Discount Program by standing at one of the tables and handing out packets to people that walked by at the Marshfield June Dairy Breakfast. When individuals would walk by I would stop them and ask if they knew about the bicycle discount program and if they didn’t I would explain to them what it was and give them a packet. Healthy Lifestyles also holds cooking demonstrations in the summer at the Pick ‘N’ save’s Farmers market in Marshfield. I was able to promote and market some of the cooking demonstrations on Facebook that are happening later this summer. I also had the chance to attend a coalition meeting that was through healthy lifestyles, and also attended a coalition meeting and a drug trends meeting that Marshfield Area Coalition for Youth (Macy) held. Overall, Marshfield Clinic Center for Community Outreach has allowed me to use my knowledge I have gained from UWSP.
Objectives
- Behavior:
- Tasks in this category will include creating and facilitating mindfulness programs for the children such as guided imagery, breathing exercises, and creative movement like dancing or stretching. It will also include creating and facilitating nutrition programs such as having the children try new fruits and vegetables, creating fun and healthy foods and snacks, helping out with the Community Gardens, and having Cooking with Kids Family Nights. Another aspect of behavior change will be creating and facilitating fitness programs and games, such as dancing, yoga or stretching, obstacle courses, relays, challenges, and incorporating new ways to get active. Finally, social and emotional wellness programs will be created and facilitated such as peer mentoring programs and buddy programs where children discuss with a partner their week, family life, school, etc.
- Promotion and Marketing:
- Tasks in promotion and marketing will include finding family engagement strategies for Youth Net activities such as the Community Gardens or the Cooking with Kids Family Nights, promoting the work Youth Net does with other community organizations, and creating appealing surveys for the children to fill out for needs assessment purposes.
- Organizational Experiences:
- Tasks in organizational experiences will include creating a binder of programs, activities, and games for the children, helping track volunteers, assist in supervision and planning of activities, and using the data system to track study behavior. In addition to this, I will attend Marshfield Clinic Center for Community Outreach staff meetings to learn about how the organization works, how they get funds, and how they work with other organizations in the community.
On-Site Supervisor
Jennifer Smith
Afterschool Program Manager
1000 N. Oak Ave (F1C)
Marshfield, WI 54449
smith.jennifer@marshfieldclinic.org
(715)221-8409
Hours
35 hours per week, 400 hours minimum for graduation and 900 hours total for AmeriCorp commitment
Stipend
Through AmeriCorp
UW-Stevens Point Students Who Completed Internship:
- Brianna Genett, Summer 2017
- Shawna Croswell, Spring 2017
- Adam Seehafer, Summer 2014
- Brittany Guden, Spring 2013
- Jenna Beach, Spring 2012
- Michael Bissonette, Summer 2012