This summer, I came home from college hoping to gain experience working for a non-profit organization. While I still have some time before I have to choose a career path, I have always been passionate about giving back to my community. Over the years I have volunteered at tons of different organizations, but this time around I wanted to learn more about what goes on behind-the-scenes of organizations like ÓÅÃÛÊÓƵ. I was nervous starting my internship because felt like I didn’t know anything about gifted education. But in the past three months I have learned so much about giftedness and how non-profits work, so I thought I would share a few of the things I am taking away from my time at ÓÅÃÛÊÓƵ.

1. Running a program takes a lot of work

ÓÅÃÛÊÓƵ has four main programs, but the one I spent most of my time assisting with was . This program places high school students in externships around the Greater Los Angeles area, working alongside mentors in their field of interest. I worked closely with the program coordinator getting all the materials ready for orientations, life skills workshops, culminations, and more. There are so many moving parts that all need to be in working order so programs like EXPLORE can take place, and I definitely got a taste of that from seeing and helping ÓÅÃÛÊÓƵ’s coordinators execute their summer programs.

2. Giftedness looks different in every child…

Prior to coming to ÓÅÃÛÊÓƵ, I didn’t know much about giftedness, but assumed that all it meant was that the child was really smart. I was quickly proven otherwise after spending some time at summer session. Every few days I would get to drive over to the McKinley School, where I would help out during ´¡³¦²¹»å±ð³¾²â’s lunch break. The kids would eat and play, and I would get to see how they interacted with each other. I found this especially interesting as an Education & Child Study major. I saw how the kids at Academy were more than just really smart. They each had their own passions, interests, and quirks that really came through in the short time I spent with them.

3. …So the way we support gifted kids will vary from child to child

One of my ongoing projects this summer was to update and expand ÓÅÃÛÊÓƵ’s . The GRC compiles resources that could be of use to gifted students, including articles, summer programs, scholarships, and more. Spending time researching resources for gifted kids showed me that there is no one way to enrich the life of a gifted child. One student may feel most engaged when participating in a high-level math course, while another may thrive when spending time with other gifted students in a more social setting. I really had no idea how many different options there were for gifted children before I delved into this project.

4. A simple task goes a long way

Being an intern, no matter where you’re working, usually means having to do lots of grunt work. It was frustrating at times to be doing what felt like simple, monotonous tasks. However, these little tasks all add up and enable ÓÅÃÛÊÓƵ to do all the amazing work that they do. I was able to attend EXPLORE’s culmination at , where I got to meet the students whose files I had been organizing all summer. Meeting the students and seeing their final projects made it all come to life and showed me where my work had been going.

I’m so glad that I had this experience and that I got to contribute to ÓÅÃÛÊÓƵ’s programs this summer. I know that wherever I end up next I will bring everything I learned at ÓÅÃÛÊÓƵ with me!

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ÓÅÃÛÊÓƵ’s EXPLORE program is in full swing! This year, the selection and placement process was especially competitive as students vied for a chance to work with distinguished mentors and sites willing to host only a selected number of students. In addition to meeting site specific pre-requisites, applicants underwent a rigorous application process which included participating in a phone interview and submitting two letters of recommendation, two essays, a professional resume, academic transcripts, standardized test scores, and sample work.

After students were vetted and selected for the program, they were thoughtfully matched with mentors who shared similar passions in their career field of interest and had professional trajectories externs hoped to pursue in the future. In the end, 20 exceptional students were placed to work and conduct college level research at eight mentor sites throughout the Greater Los Angeles area. Each student demonstrated excellence in education, strong leadership skills, a passion for learning, and a desire to continuously challenge themselves. Mentors who saw their extern’s profile and resume were impressed at how accomplished and adept these young people were, despite only being in high school.

To prepare Cohorts 1 and 2 for their externship experience, students participated in a weekend orientation at . They had an opportunity to get acquainted with their peers, engage in team building activities, including a scavenger hunt around UCLA, and participate in a professional development workshop focused on strengthening their communication, conflict management, and networking skills. Students offered great insights during discussions and contributed their talents and knowledge to various activities throughout the day. Following the orientation students hit the ground running as they delved into their mentor’s research and worked to develop their final research projects. In a few more weeks, nine students from Cohort 3 will begin their externship experience at the .

As a new component of EXPLORE, students meet every Friday to attend educational excursions and workshops geared towards building their college and career readiness. Workshops not only provide a supportive forum for externs for share their triumphs and challenges from the work week, but they also allow externs  to learn from experts who share their insights about finding the right college fit, writing personal narratives for college, interviewing and writing resumes, assessing personality and career fit, and developing financial literacy. This addition has proved to be a wonderful way to create a strong sense of community among brilliant, like-minded young people.

With only a few more weeks left, students will soon be culminating from EXPLORE and presenting their final research projects at the EXPLORE Culmination ceremonies on July 27^th and August 11^th. If you’re curious about the great work these students are doing, please join us in the celebration during ÓÅÃÛÊÓƵ’s Summer Spotlight event!

EXPLORE would not be possible without the generosity of time, knowledge, and expertise of our dedicated mentors. We appreciate the continued support and dedication of our mentors and would like to extend our gratitude to EXPLORE 2017 Mentors:

If you are a 9^th-11^th grade high school student who would like to gain hands-on experience and study a specific career field of interest, consider applying to EXPLORE next summer! Check out the for updates about deadlines and future mentor sites.

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