Week 5: This was it. What weeks of planning and preparation had come down to. The first week, we would get to present and lead the Summer Program we created for a group of actual children. After racing to complete the activities (see photos), Wednesday was the day the group came in. We were told in advance the arriving group would be about 50 third graders. What actually showed up outside the museum were two little buses with about 30 kids who ranged from five years old to about ten years old. The group and their visit came with a few surprises, but ultimately, everything was very successful. 

Despite the wide age range, everyone was extremely helpful and kind to each other. Especially when playing the board game I created, which involved reading cards, many of the older big kids helped the younger kids read the cards. Each transition between activities went smoothly, and even the big move up and down three flights of stairs went at a calm and well-timed pace. There were a few times one of the other interns forgot to set a timer in-between groups, but good communication fixed that and led everyone to the same time.  

There weren’t any screaming or crying children by the end of the two hours, and there were no mysterious puddles. Each kid got to take home an array of arts and crafts activities, and they each got to leave behind a piece of paper to be displayed on a board for the summer in the museum lobby to show how they are a part of the museum’s history. Because the group was having lunch in LeBauer Park, we helped everyone walk over to ensure extra safety, and that was the end of our first summer program experience.

The following day was the Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon, celebrating the museum’s volunteers and awarding their dedication to supporting the museum with their time over the year. I got to help set up the event, and when the event started, I got to interact with everyone and show them how to play the board game for the Summer Program. The Game is called “The Great Transportation Race,” and it is a mix of Candy Land, Monopoly, and Trivial Pursuit. However, the game is centered around Greensboro’s history and how transportation has changed over time.  It was nice to see all the different volunteers playing the game, and the only critique I got was that they wished they could have landed on more question spaces and tested their knowledge.  

The last big event of the week was the Volunteen Orientation. For the Summer Program, aside from interns, the program is largely supported through teen volunteers, hence the title Volunteens. I oversaw creating the syllabus that covered all the rules, regulations, guidelines, and general helpful tips. We had about nine teenagers show up to the orientation, which I was pleasantly surprised by. After an hour of icebreakers and going through the syllabus, I and the other education interns walked the teens through the Summer Program and let them physically interact with the activities and the spaces to get a better feel of the program.  

Now that the Summer Program is prepped and documented, it is now about trial and error and actually implementing the activities with different groups and with different volunteers over the rest of the summer. I look forward to experiencing the rest of the summer and getting to assist with other events the museum is hosting over my internship.  

There are a few other upcoming events that I will be able to attend. For the Lifted Voices event, I will be helping guests walk from historical actor to actor. Also, as a side project, I am currently working on finding 1970s cookbook recipes for the museum’s 1970s Flashback Day, which will be hosting a Bake Off. I am also working on the preparation for the cosplay contest, as well, which will have pop culture and a historical category. If anyone is interested in either event, feel free to get in contact with me.