Emma, 4th year Knowledge Integration student, worked as a Program Assistant for the Shad Waterloo program last summer. As Emma puts it, Shad is a "transformational" month-long STEAM enrichment program for grade 10 and 11 students!
As a Program Assistant, Emma was a mentor and leader to the Shad students, ensuring their safety and well-being, building community, planning activities, and bringing her design experience to facilitate and provide guidance to the Shad's month-long design project. Whether it be leading a fashion show Coffee House, delivering a short seminar, supervising the Shads, or helping out with whatever needed to be done to 'make the program happen', Emma was at the heart of the action with her fellow Program Assistants!
Emma shares, "I loved being part of a community that supported and challenged each other to grow in our own ways (both the Shads and the staff members were able to grow!), and I loved learning from the diverse knowledge and experiences that each and every person (Shad and staff) brought to the program."
With the Shad program leading to KI's creation over 15 years ago, it's no wonder that KI students gravitate towards this kind of leadership experience with an emphasis on community. In fact, Emma reflects, "I learned that building a community where everyone feels included and safe to be themselves takes a lot of work, intentionality, and vulnerability, but the payoff is something absolutely incredible and magical."
Each summer, KI students apply their interests and studies to a wide range of industries, research fields, and non-profits. Where would you like to work?
Read about other KI students' diverse summer experiences.