Cover Letter to wasatch community gardens
April 28th, 2014
Ms. Jenny Bloom
Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator
Wasatch Community Gardens
824 S 400 W #127
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Dear Ms. Bloom, throughout the past year I have developed an increased interest in creating ties with our local community. Being in my fourth year at the University of Utah, I am in search of an internship in which I can develop my skills in marketing and community outreach that will be of benefit to my degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
Two years ago I had the opportunity through one of my classes to help write a sustainable food plan for a local elementary school. Not only did I love learning more about the importance of eating local, sustainable food products through creating the lesson, but knowing that I was writing this for a 3rd grade classroom made it very rewarding. Thus, after this experience I realized that I wanted to get further involved with our community.
Like I have previously mentioned, as I am in my fourth year at the University we are required to obtain a 100-hour internship with an organization or business of our choice. I think my interest in community outreach and skills in marketing and social media practices could be of benefit to your organization.
I would love to meet with you to discuss the possibility of working together this summer, and am looking forward to hearing back from you. Thank you so much for your time.
Sincerely,
Vanessa Gregory
(310) 218-2625
Ms. Jenny Bloom
Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator
Wasatch Community Gardens
824 S 400 W #127
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Dear Ms. Bloom, throughout the past year I have developed an increased interest in creating ties with our local community. Being in my fourth year at the University of Utah, I am in search of an internship in which I can develop my skills in marketing and community outreach that will be of benefit to my degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
Two years ago I had the opportunity through one of my classes to help write a sustainable food plan for a local elementary school. Not only did I love learning more about the importance of eating local, sustainable food products through creating the lesson, but knowing that I was writing this for a 3rd grade classroom made it very rewarding. Thus, after this experience I realized that I wanted to get further involved with our community.
Like I have previously mentioned, as I am in my fourth year at the University we are required to obtain a 100-hour internship with an organization or business of our choice. I think my interest in community outreach and skills in marketing and social media practices could be of benefit to your organization.
I would love to meet with you to discuss the possibility of working together this summer, and am looking forward to hearing back from you. Thank you so much for your time.
Sincerely,
Vanessa Gregory
(310) 218-2625
Rationale for internship placement
What really struck home for me is Wasatch Community Gardens' mission statement, "to empower people of all ages and incomes to grow and eat healthy, organic, local food." After taking a class with Adrienne Cachelin called Intro to Environment and Sustainability, I became really interested in food justice. With a growing population, it is vital that we teach others about how to efficiently grow their own food, and why eating local is so important not only to ones' health, but to the health of the planet. Thus, I liked that I shared values with the organization, which led me to taking an internship with Wasatch Community Gardens.
goals and objectives
Internship with Wasatch Community Gardens
1. Goal:
Develop increased skills in social media promotion by the completion of my internship.
Objectives:
-Spend at least two hours a week focusing on visiting the gardens and taking pictures or gaining information to use for marketing and social media promotion.
-Help manage Facebook and Instagram pages by posting pictures or information at least once a week.
-Use social media promotion and marketing for Wasatch Community Garden’s outreach programs, including public events, gardening programs and youth programs.
2. Goal:
Gain increased skills in professionalism by the end of my internship.
Objectives:
-I will remain timely and communicate with my co-workers and internship supervisor in a professional manner.
-Show initiative by bringing creative posts and ideas to the table and sharing them with fellow WCG members.
1. Goal:
Develop increased skills in social media promotion by the completion of my internship.
Objectives:
-Spend at least two hours a week focusing on visiting the gardens and taking pictures or gaining information to use for marketing and social media promotion.
-Help manage Facebook and Instagram pages by posting pictures or information at least once a week.
-Use social media promotion and marketing for Wasatch Community Garden’s outreach programs, including public events, gardening programs and youth programs.
2. Goal:
Gain increased skills in professionalism by the end of my internship.
Objectives:
-I will remain timely and communicate with my co-workers and internship supervisor in a professional manner.
-Show initiative by bringing creative posts and ideas to the table and sharing them with fellow WCG members.
Artifacts from Wasatch Community Gardens
Form 11
University of Utah - Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism
PRT 3800/ 4828: Cooperative Education II
Mid-Term Student Performance Assessment
Instructions: Please assess the student in comparison to others you have worked with of similar academic level. Your responses will be kept confidential and used for the purpose of student grading and programmatic evaluation. Each performance assessment will determine five percent of the student’s internship grade, so please answer each question as honestly as possible. It may also prove helpful to spend a few moments reviewing the completed performance assessment with the student intern prior to submission.
Student’s Name: ___Vanessa Gregory__________________________ Date: __6.30.14________________________
Employer: ______Wasatch Community Gardens __________________________________________________
Section I: Student Background Information
1. ACADEMIC EMPHASIS 2. SEMESTER OF PLACEMENT 3. LENGTH OF PLACEMENT
ÿ Adventure and Outdoor Programs X Summer Semester X Mid-Semester Assessment
X Therapeutic Recreation ÿ Fall Semester ÿ Final Assessment
ÿ Hospitality Management ÿ Spring Semester
ÿ Sustainable Tourism Management
ÿ Commercial Recreation Management
ÿ Community Recreation and Sport Management
ÿ Natural Resources Recreation Planning Management
Section II: Performance Assessment
4. APPEARANCE 5. TEAMWORK 6. INITIATIVE
X Well-groomed appearance X Works very well with others X Seeks out additional responsibility
ÿ Acceptable appearance ÿ Gets along satisfactorily w/ others ÿ Completes assigned responsibilities
ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Needs improvement
7. SELF-CONFIDENCE 8. JUDGEMENT 9. DEPENDABILITIY
Xÿ Self-confident X Makes appropriate decisions X Very dependable
ÿ Usually self-confident ÿ Usually makes the right decision ÿ Usually dependable
ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Needs improvement
10. MATURITY 11. ABILITY TO LEARN 12. PROBLEM SOLVING
X Very mature X Learns new skills quickly X Solves problems independently
ÿ Mature ÿ Average ability to learn new skills ÿ Needs help solving most problems
ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Needs improvement
13. QUALITY OF WORK 14. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION 15. VERBAL COMMUNICATION
X Regularly exceeds expectations X Strong communication skills X Strong communication skills
ÿ Regularly meets expectations ÿ Satisfactory communication skills ÿ Satisfactory communication skills
ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Needs improvement
16. ATTENDANCE 17. PUNCTUALITY 18. PROFESSIONALISM
X Regular X Very punctual X Very professional
ÿ Irregular ÿ Usually punctual ÿ Usually professional
ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Unprofessional
19. Have you noticed that the student is particularly strong or lacking in any of the areas listed in the previous section (Section II)?
Vanessa is very strong in critically thinking through processes and instructions and taking the initiative to problem solve on her own with little supervision.
Section III: Performance Summary
20. How would you rate this student’s overall performance compared to others you have worked with of similar academic level?
X 5 - Much more than acceptable (Significantly above criteria required for successful job performance).
ÿ 4 – More than acceptable (Generally exceeds criteria relative to quality and quantity of behavior required).
ÿ 3 – Acceptable (Meets criteria relative to quality and quantity of behavior required).
ÿ 2 – Less than acceptable (Generally does not meet criteria relative to quality and quantity of behavior required).
ÿ 1 – Much less than acceptable (Significantly below criteria required for successful job performance).
21. Would you recommend this student for permanent, full-time employment? X Yes ÿ No
22. Please list anything which you feel the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism could do to better prepare our students and make them more valuable to your organization:
NONE
This report has been discussed with the student intern: X Yes ÿ No
Internship Supervisor (please print): __Felecia Maxfield Barrett____ Title: Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator _____
Internship Supervisor (signature): ___________________________________________ Date: _6.30.14__________
Please mail or fax the completed performance assessment form to Steve Bell, University of Utah, Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, 250 S. 1850 E., Rm 200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112; FAX (801) 581-4930.
University of Utah - Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism
PRT 3800/ 4828: Cooperative Education II
Mid-Term Student Performance Assessment
Instructions: Please assess the student in comparison to others you have worked with of similar academic level. Your responses will be kept confidential and used for the purpose of student grading and programmatic evaluation. Each performance assessment will determine five percent of the student’s internship grade, so please answer each question as honestly as possible. It may also prove helpful to spend a few moments reviewing the completed performance assessment with the student intern prior to submission.
Student’s Name: ___Vanessa Gregory__________________________ Date: __6.30.14________________________
Employer: ______Wasatch Community Gardens __________________________________________________
Section I: Student Background Information
1. ACADEMIC EMPHASIS 2. SEMESTER OF PLACEMENT 3. LENGTH OF PLACEMENT
ÿ Adventure and Outdoor Programs X Summer Semester X Mid-Semester Assessment
X Therapeutic Recreation ÿ Fall Semester ÿ Final Assessment
ÿ Hospitality Management ÿ Spring Semester
ÿ Sustainable Tourism Management
ÿ Commercial Recreation Management
ÿ Community Recreation and Sport Management
ÿ Natural Resources Recreation Planning Management
Section II: Performance Assessment
4. APPEARANCE 5. TEAMWORK 6. INITIATIVE
X Well-groomed appearance X Works very well with others X Seeks out additional responsibility
ÿ Acceptable appearance ÿ Gets along satisfactorily w/ others ÿ Completes assigned responsibilities
ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Needs improvement
7. SELF-CONFIDENCE 8. JUDGEMENT 9. DEPENDABILITIY
Xÿ Self-confident X Makes appropriate decisions X Very dependable
ÿ Usually self-confident ÿ Usually makes the right decision ÿ Usually dependable
ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Needs improvement
10. MATURITY 11. ABILITY TO LEARN 12. PROBLEM SOLVING
X Very mature X Learns new skills quickly X Solves problems independently
ÿ Mature ÿ Average ability to learn new skills ÿ Needs help solving most problems
ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Needs improvement
13. QUALITY OF WORK 14. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION 15. VERBAL COMMUNICATION
X Regularly exceeds expectations X Strong communication skills X Strong communication skills
ÿ Regularly meets expectations ÿ Satisfactory communication skills ÿ Satisfactory communication skills
ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Needs improvement
16. ATTENDANCE 17. PUNCTUALITY 18. PROFESSIONALISM
X Regular X Very punctual X Very professional
ÿ Irregular ÿ Usually punctual ÿ Usually professional
ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Needs improvement ÿ Unprofessional
19. Have you noticed that the student is particularly strong or lacking in any of the areas listed in the previous section (Section II)?
Vanessa is very strong in critically thinking through processes and instructions and taking the initiative to problem solve on her own with little supervision.
Section III: Performance Summary
20. How would you rate this student’s overall performance compared to others you have worked with of similar academic level?
X 5 - Much more than acceptable (Significantly above criteria required for successful job performance).
ÿ 4 – More than acceptable (Generally exceeds criteria relative to quality and quantity of behavior required).
ÿ 3 – Acceptable (Meets criteria relative to quality and quantity of behavior required).
ÿ 2 – Less than acceptable (Generally does not meet criteria relative to quality and quantity of behavior required).
ÿ 1 – Much less than acceptable (Significantly below criteria required for successful job performance).
21. Would you recommend this student for permanent, full-time employment? X Yes ÿ No
22. Please list anything which you feel the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism could do to better prepare our students and make them more valuable to your organization:
NONE
This report has been discussed with the student intern: X Yes ÿ No
Internship Supervisor (please print): __Felecia Maxfield Barrett____ Title: Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator _____
Internship Supervisor (signature): ___________________________________________ Date: _6.30.14__________
Please mail or fax the completed performance assessment form to Steve Bell, University of Utah, Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, 250 S. 1850 E., Rm 200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112; FAX (801) 581-4930.
about the artifacts
1) These are photos I took at the Portable People’s Garden.
a) I included these photos because they demonstrate I spent time photographing the gardens and various events like I had initially written in my goal.
b) The main purpose of these photos is to display the beauty of the garden and to use them for social media purposes.
c) I used photography skills.
2) The second artifact I included is my midterm evaluation from my internship supervisor.
a) I included the evaluation sheet because it shows that I carried myself in a professional manner throughout my internship, and worked well with the organization.
b) The main purpose of the evaluation was to reflect on my progress.
c) Obviously I did not produce the actual evaluation, my supervisor completed it, but I used skills such as communication, professionalism, self-motivation and dedication in order to be seen as a hard worker by my supervisor.
a) I included these photos because they demonstrate I spent time photographing the gardens and various events like I had initially written in my goal.
b) The main purpose of these photos is to display the beauty of the garden and to use them for social media purposes.
c) I used photography skills.
2) The second artifact I included is my midterm evaluation from my internship supervisor.
a) I included the evaluation sheet because it shows that I carried myself in a professional manner throughout my internship, and worked well with the organization.
b) The main purpose of the evaluation was to reflect on my progress.
c) Obviously I did not produce the actual evaluation, my supervisor completed it, but I used skills such as communication, professionalism, self-motivation and dedication in order to be seen as a hard worker by my supervisor.
conclusion
Throughout my internship with Wasatch Community Gardens I primarily focused on marketing and social media promotion. One area I focused on was Facebook posts. Wasatch Community Gardens hosts work shops on various topics such as beekeeping, composting and canning. Every week I was in charge of posting for “workshop Wednesday,” to Wasatch Community Garden’s Facebook account. These posts were important for generating sign ups for each week’s workshops. In addition, I spent a lot of time helping Wasatch Community Garden’s prepare for their annual “Urban Garden and Farm Week.” Each year Wasatch Community Gardens hosts a tour of people’s homes in the Salt Lake community that have fun, sustainable and fruitful backyards. Sites that are common on the tour are beekeeping, chicken coops, and amazing gardens! It is a really fun event that they put on each year. As an intern, I helped market the event by writing Facebook posts and distributing flyers to businesses. On the day of the event I photographed the tour and the photographs were used in their monthly newsletter, and on other social media sites. Not only was helping with the tour fun, but I was allowed artistic freedom which was great! Amongst other small projects, I helped my internship supervisor with data collection for their Fresh newsletter. Although this work is not the most exciting, it was really helpful gaining increased skills with excel.
evaluation reflection
Overall, I believe I benefitted from interning with Wasatch Community Gardens. In the beginning of the internship my original supervisor left the organization and things were really chaotic and disorganized. However, with my new supervisor, Felecia, my internship turned around and had more direction. In addition, all of my co-workers at Wasatch Community Gardens treated me as their equal and valued my opinions, which I really appreciated. This allowed my experience to be a positive one, because I felt like I was part of the team, rather than an intern that was simply given busy work.
I would recommend Wasatch Community Gardens to future interns because I believe that with Felecia as the new outreach and volunteer coordinator, things will be much more organized. This organization is full of a lot kind hearted people that are trying to make a difference in our local community. In future internship and job opportunities I want to continue to help people and given back to the local community. This type of work really interests me because simply, helping others feels good! I have realized that I need to have a job that is related to helping others or the environment, because I will be much more invested and passionate about my work.
I am really excited to move on to my large internship, because it will only allow me to gain more experience and professional development. Although my internship with Wasatch Community Gardens was minuscule in the number of hours, compared to the next internship I will have, I still believe I gained a lot of valuable skills. These increased skills in professionalism and communication that I am taking away from my experience at Wasatch Community Gardens will benefit me in my next internship.
I would recommend Wasatch Community Gardens to future interns because I believe that with Felecia as the new outreach and volunteer coordinator, things will be much more organized. This organization is full of a lot kind hearted people that are trying to make a difference in our local community. In future internship and job opportunities I want to continue to help people and given back to the local community. This type of work really interests me because simply, helping others feels good! I have realized that I need to have a job that is related to helping others or the environment, because I will be much more invested and passionate about my work.
I am really excited to move on to my large internship, because it will only allow me to gain more experience and professional development. Although my internship with Wasatch Community Gardens was minuscule in the number of hours, compared to the next internship I will have, I still believe I gained a lot of valuable skills. These increased skills in professionalism and communication that I am taking away from my experience at Wasatch Community Gardens will benefit me in my next internship.