5 Things You Can Expect As A KK intl. Intern

Since starting our intern program in 2010, we’ve had nearly 200 incredible interns spend a season (or two!) with us in our offices in California, Uganda or Peru. From helping in our day to day tasks, to learning all the behind the scenes details, to building relationships and loving on the people we work with, each intern has left their unique stamp on Krochet Kids intl. Every team takes on its own personality and builds its own story, but through it all a few consistent themes have emerged. If you’re thinking about interning with us, here are a few things you can expect. 1. It’ll be better if you don’t have expectations. This may sound counterintuitive, especially to this whole blog post. Of course we want interns to have goals and vision for their time here, and we actively work with them to ensure those are pursued. We’ve realized, however, that interns have the best experience when they don’t let expectations cloud their view of reality. Some days are reflective of the job description...many are not. And a lot of times the biggest opportunities for learning and growth are in embracing the unknowns, the new challenges, and the things you would never have expected to do. So come open, eager and ready for anything. The best explorers always do. 2. Community is hard. But community can be life changing. In each of our locations we provide intern housing, and I strongly encourage every intern to take advantage of this. This is consistently one of the biggest growth points for our interns- the unique opportunity to live and work with passionate people from all kinds of various backgrounds. I’m consistently amazed at how much closeness is built amongst individuals very different from each other who bond over shared experience and shared dreams. Views are challenged, perspectives are stretched, and life long friendships are built. 3. You are more capable than you think. Work is hard. For many interns, this is their first full time work experience, and their first time having real responsibilities at an organization they’re passionate about. Even as interns, your work matters; our interns have important roles. You’ll be asked to take initiative. You’ll be asked to take ownership. It can be intense, it can be exhausting, it can be really challenging. But time and again, interns talk about how much they’ve begun to see themselves as so much more capable than they realized. This is the heart of empowerment. You can do it! 4. Adventure is around every corner. Our internships are a time to take advantage of every opportunity that arises. Work an event in South Dakota? Time for a road trip. Learn our invoicing systems? You have no idea how valuable that knowledge will be in the future. Raft the Nile? Don’t even question it. This will be a unique time where you’ll have access to many different experiences, job tasks and people- embrace them even in their messiness, and the rewards will be rich. 5. You will learn. You will learn all sorts of things- about nonprofits, about the Krochet Kids intl. model and the hows and whys of what we do, about marketing and development and production and work- but most importantly, you will learn about yourself. You’ll learn about your strengths, your passions, and your capabilities you never knew existed. You’ll gain new insight into what you value and what sparks your passion. You’ll learn how you work with others and how to bring yourself to future teams. And through all this, you’ll see some tangible next steps to take as you navigate life and career- because what you do should always flow out of who you are. Below are a few thoughts from some of our Intern Alumni. Go to www.krochetkids.org/about-us/internships to learn more about the roles and opportunities, and feel free to email nic@krochetkids.org with any questions. “Interning with Krochet Kids intl. is an incredible learning experience. You can be sure to grow professionally, (in the most rad working environment ever), but what really surprised me was just how much I would grow personally; I learned more about who I am and what I want to be doing than ever before, and was encouraged and loved to do so by my fellow interns and staff.” -Tammy Van Dorn, Events Assistant & Festival Rep, Spring & Summer 2014 “As an intern you can expect to learn a lot about yourself, skills that you didn’t know you had and skills that you realize you should probably work on. Expect to be emerged into a new culture of vibrant, loving people, simplistic living and learning how to eat a mango properly. You can expect to have times where work is extremely tedious, but all worth it knowing you play a small part in helping empower these women to rise above poverty.” -Maddy Pierson, Uganda Production Assistant, Spring 2014 “Expect to learn, and to learn a lot, mostly through listening and observing but also through actively engaging your peers, the staff, and the KK intl. community. You’ll learn about people and communication and what empowerment looks like from the inside out. You will also learn about yourself; who you are in this season and where you can grow.” -Kate Hinrichs, Events Assistant, Spring 2012 “A KK intl. internship is an amazing opportunity in understanding how to make an impact in the world and using the skills and talents we each have to intersect with the world’s needs. Any intern can expect a truly unique experience, working alongside a community of passionate change makers. For me, it was an incredibly formative time, both personally and vocationally.” -Caroline Ashkar, Photo Intern, Fall 2011 “This internship has been four months of non-stop learning. From learning about the ins-and-outs of the non-profit sector to living with the people that I work with, it's been an enriching learning experience. I've most loved working and growing along side people whose passions line up with mine and who challenge me daily to holistically be a better person, both in the work place and at home.” -Bethany Phan, Graphic Design & Social Media, Fall 2014 “Going in to being an intern with Krochet Kids intl., more than anything you need to be open and ready to learn with humility. If you go in with an open attitude for whatever is thrown your way you’ll be able to garner the most from your time.” -Macee Baker, Peru Production Assistant, Spring 2013 “As an intern at Krochet Kids intl. I learned what it meant to be a part of something bigger than myself. I gained confidence, skills and friendships that will last a life time.” -Sara Ward, Events Assistant, Summer 2014 - --APPLY FOR SPRING 2015-- - Spring 2015 term starts 1/6/2015.