In February and March, Placement Specialists conducted Mid-Session Evaluations for youth on their caseload. These meetings brought together each intern, her/his mentor(s) and Placement Specialist to discuss the year’s progress. The purpose of these meetings was to provide youth with feedback about their work and development, and to set goals and plans for the rest of the session.
During the evaluation sessions, mentors took the time to express their appreciation for the front line work that interns perform. Intern morale was boosted by the discussion of their positive impact, which motivated both interns and mentors. It was great to hear mentors recognize the interns’ contribution to the success of departmental teams!
When mentors gave direct feedback, interns listened carefully to their constructive criticism. This input helped them to develop goals for the rest of their internship as well as to make plans to meet those goals. Interns took advantage of this opportunity to be held accountable for their own goals, with support from their mentor(s) and Placement Specialist.
Scheduled meeting that we have with interns provide teachable moments that the interns may not realize, but do appreciate. During these meetings, in addition to receiving important feedback, interns had an important opportunity to work on their interview and communication skills.
Interns also had the opportunity to provide feedback about their experience, and to express additional interests or requests they have. Placement Specialists, mentors and interns all benefit from the the power of feedback!