| A number of steps must be taken to arrange and | | | | Prior to placing youth on assignments, evaluate their |
| maintain successful leadership internships for youth. | | | | level of maturity. Delay the assignment if it is a major |
| Creating a win-win for teens and partners is a major | | | | issue. |
| goal. Accordingly, this article supplies you with seven | | | | - Build solid relationships with partners. |
| tips. They will help you and the program to start strong | | | | Keep them informed and provide ongoing support. |
| and last long. | | | | When problems arise, solve them quickly. Equally |
| 7 Tips | | | | important, schedule regular site visits to meet with the |
| - Establish clear goals. | | | | field supervisors and interns. |
| Begin by establishing clear cut goals for the program, | | | | - Give consistent feedback. |
| and never stray from them. Write them down. Then, | | | | Conduct formal evaluations to let youth know how |
| share the goals with students and target organizations. | | | | they are progressing. Although you will have frequent |
| - Offer options. | | | | contact with the field supervisors, also think about |
| Offer internships during the school year, on weekends, | | | | creating an online newsletter. It is a fun way to give |
| and during the summer. In regards to the latter, arrange | | | | updates on the program as a whole. |
| paid internships. Also, offer teens the opportunity to | | | | - Allow youth to share their experience. |
| intern at different organizations including government | | | | Bring interns together on a regular basis. Reserve |
| agencies, corporations, small businesses, and | | | | some time to discuss internships, challenges, and |
| nonprofits. Ask youth for input concerning the projects. | | | | opportunities. |
| - Explore the interests of youth. | | | | As has been noted, a number of factors contribute to |
| While some youth know what they want, others do | | | | building a successful youth leadership program. This |
| not. However, the Self Directed Search is a | | | | article shared some of the most pertinent. Remember, |
| user-friendly assessment that measures career | | | | the goal is to create a positive experience that |
| interests. The findings are on target. | | | | benefits youth and partners. |
| - Evaluate the readiness of participants. | | | | |