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Internship
Connection offers a special program for high school athletes
in collaboration with a variety of service agencies in
Boston and surrounding communities. In previous years,
athletes from many colleges in Boston have served as mentors
in urban youth programs. Now, high school athletes have the
unique opportunity to participate in a part-time summer
internship program where they serve as role models for urban
youth.
Athletes take on the role of leaders and mentors in outdoor
and indoor sports, social and/or academic activities. These
community organizations offer everything from reading and
tutoring, health education, arts and activities that foster
self-esteem in young girls and boys. Athletes are matched to
programs that focus on the sport of their choice including
soccer, lacrosse, swimming, tennis, squash, basketball and
baseball. Athletes that posses a special skill such as
foreign language, artistic talent, skills in web design or
swimming instruction can offer a unique contribution.
Internships are part-time with a flexible schedule.
• Develop and Utilize your Leadership Skills
• Serve as a Role Model to Urban Youth
• Be involved with Social Justice
• Receive Documentation for Community Service Credit
An Excerpt from the Internship Connection Journal of Dan
Rosenberg, an Athlete in Service Program Participant from
Wellesley High School:
“The community center where I interned focused mainly on
sports and healthy activities. Most of our time was spent
either outside on the fields or in the pool. However, there
was classroom time where the kids learned about nutrition,
exercise, and rules/terminology of the sport of the week.
During the basketball segment of the camp, I met a local
named Edison who was a year younger than me. We were just
shooting around during a lull in the day. Edison decided to
take our game further by dunking. He threw the ball back to
me, as if it was a challenge. We went back and forth
throwing alley-oops to each other, laughing and having fun.
We introduced ourselves and followed the same routine the
next day. Despite our vast cultural differences, we were
able to unite around basketball. I had never experienced
first-hand the diplomatic power of sports. I learned that I
could connect with anyone, regardless of conflicting
backgrounds.
The best part of my internship was talking to the kids at
lunch time and learning about their lives. I got to hear
about a very different kind of child hood than the one I
experienced in Wellesley. The personal anecdotes told to me
by the campers were funny, but at the same time insightful.
Many of the kids had already come into contact with death
and heartbreak, and they were surprisingly upbeat. These
talks put much of my childhood in perspective. I left this
internship with a much broader worldly view.”
A Parent from Brookline:
“Julia loved the program. She gained a sense of independence
traveling across the city to Charlestown herself and enjoyed
getting to know another part of Boston. She seemed to feel
very positive about herself in the Charlestown environment
and found it a welcome change from Brookline. Julia is
generally very shy, but felt comfortable there. I think she
felt like she fit right in, easily made friends with the
other counselors and enjoyed working with the kids. She
could not wait to go back and increased her hours so that
she could spend more time there.”
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