For my internship this summer I am working at ExpandED Schools, formerly known as TASC (The After-School Corporation), a non-profit organization in New York City dedicated to closing learning gaps. Thee Glossary of Education Reform defines learning gaps as “the difference between what a student has learned… and what the student was expected to learn at a certain point in his or her education”. The organization focuses on creating an expanded school day and increased learning hours through after school enrichment programs to help reduce learning gaps. Part of the organization’s work is directly with schools and after school programs. The other part focuses on research and policy to fix issues effecting community partners through policy reform, advocacy, or other means.
I am working as a member of the research and policy team. Previously, most of my work in education has been direct work with children. I greatly enjoyed my Education Policy class in the fall semester and realized it was an area in which I wanted to gain more experience and insight. I can already tell that my internship will provide me with wonderful opportunities. My boss and mentor is Saskia Traill, Vice President of Policy and Research. She and the rest of the office have been so helpful and welcoming to me. I appreciate that the office actually respects me as an intern. I have been given real work and feel like a member of the staff. I even have my own desk and phone extension!
I am currently researching partnerships between after-school programs and colleges and universities, and I am exploring ways to create a central system for university students to easily get involved in after school programs for elementary, middle, and high school students. I will be writing a policy memo about what I discover in my research to be used in future projects. I have also helped the advocacy department put together and deliver letters from some of ExpandED Schools’ partners to their council members. These personal messages to council members were part of a big project for the advocacy team during the very important budget allocations taking place this month.
I hope to gain a great deal from my internship this summer and I know ExpandED Schools will provide me with many opportunities to grow. I look forward to learning more about what it means to work in education policy; connecting with other professionals within the field of education who can share a variety of perspectives about careers and approaches; and improving my research and writing skills.
I have really enjoyed my internship this past week and am excited to see what the rest of the summer brings.