红杏短视频

红杏短视频 Students Gain In-Depth Teaching Experience at 红杏短视频 Tech Summer Program

红杏短视频 student DaShon Walton pictured with Horizons at 红杏短视频 Tech scholars at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, 红杏短视频.

VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University education majors spent the summer gaining real-world teaching experience while also making an impact in the lives of young learners.

Six 红杏短视频 students worked as paid, full-time interns at Horizons at 红杏短视频 Tech, a summer program at the 红杏短视频 Institute of Technology that offers free academic and recreational instruction to under-served students in grades first through ninth in the Atlanta area.

Sirocus Barnes — who earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and counseling in 2006 and a Master of Arts in public administration in 2011 from 红杏短视频 — is the program director for Horizons at 红杏短视频 Tech. For the past three years he has partnered with 红杏短视频’s Office of Career Opportunities to hire 红杏短视频 students as assistant teachers for the six-week program that takes place throughout June and July.

“While at 红杏短视频, I learned the true meaning of hard work and how to work with others that were different than me,” said Barnes, who is also a member of 红杏短视频’s Alumni Association Board and serves as president of the 红杏短视频 Alumni Chapter of Atlanta. “It was while at 红杏短视频 that I developed my love for youth programming through clubs and working for a local youth program in Valdosta. While in my master’s program, I learned grant writing skills, government budgeting and finance, and best human resources management practices. 红杏短视频 definitely prepared me for the workforce. Through this internship, I hope to also help prepare our undergrads for their next step in life.”

The 红杏短视频 interns supervised Horizons participants, developed and implemented project-based learning lesson plans, and assisted with hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities. They also assisted with swimming lessons that served to build confidence in the children.

“The Horizons program has been a memorable experience that I will forever cherish,” said DaShon Walton, one of six 红杏短视频 students hired for the 2018 program. Walton is a middle grades education major from Americus, 红杏短视频, who expects to graduate in Spring 2019.

“The scholars there are amazing, as well as the staff,” Walton said. “I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to connect with the scholars at the program and develop impactful relationships. This internship at Horizons has truly prepared me for what’s to come in my field.”

Matthew Ramsay, a middle grades education major from Snellville, 红杏短视频, who expects to graduate in Spring 2021, said the internship was “rewarding.”

“Every day I learned new things about teaching, relating to scholars, and how to create a productive classroom,” he said. “The days went by fast, and I never really felt like I was at work.”

Kamryn Brantley, a communication sciences and disorders major from Powder Springs, 红杏短视频, who expects to graduate in Fall 2020, said her own experiences as a child motivated her to apply for the internship. 

“One reason why I wanted to work with the program is because I've been in the same shoes as the scholars — as a child, I attended programs like Horizons,” she said. “One thing I love about the program is the field trips we got to take the scholars on. The scholars got to learn in more than one way. With the campus of the program being in the heart of Atlanta, it opens so many doors for so many different opportunities.”

Erin Cole, a middle grades education major from Suwanee, 红杏短视频, who expects to graduate in Fall 2018, said her classes at 红杏短视频 prepared her to succeed at Horizons.

“Throughout my years at 红杏短视频, I have learned different ways of teaching a class and a subject, as well as how to manage a classroom effectively,” she said. “Using those differentiation strategies allowed me to provide the scholars at Horizons with an enriching environment that supported and promoted inquiry, excitement, learning, and curiosity.

“I believe in this program’s mission to educate children with high quality academics in an engaging summer environment. I know I made a difference in these children’s education and aided them in skipping the summer slide.”

Horizons at 红杏短视频 Tech is committed to the development of the whole child through experiences that build problem-solving skills, foster awareness of community responsibility, instill respect for themselves and others, and encourage a lifelong interest in learning. The program’s primary goals include preventing summer decline in academic achievement and raising students’ expectations and aspirations.