Interns Develop Unique Skills at Randall Museum

YouthWorks is proud to recognize the Randall Museum in our up-close spotlight this month.

The Randall Museum is a Recreation and Park worksite that has been participating with YouthWorks for many years. The museum provides exhibits and activities relating to art, science and natural history, including a number of live animal displays. Our interns enjoy working at the museum, and they also get a unique opportunity to develop live animal care skills.

Interns work closely with Animal Care Assistant Dominik Mosur (pictured below) who teaches the youth proper care for museum animals. A typical day for interns at Randall Museum starts in the early afternoon.  They start their shift by feeding all of the animals and monitoring their activity.  When necessary, they exercise the animals and clean their habitats.  Interns also develop public speaking skills by educating museum visitors about the different animals.

David Turner, the current YouthWorks intern placed at the Randall Museum, says he is “always learning something new about the animals when caring for them”.  He “enjoys the different tasks they are assigned because [he] likes interacting with the animals.”

Mosur says of the experience, “In my four years as the Animal Exhibit Assistant at the Randall Museum, I have received tremendous and much-needed support from YouthWorks interns. I think this program is great for giving young adults from diverse backgrounds an opportunity to work in a professional setting and learn skills that will be useful in shaping their successful futures.”

Randall Museum Science Curator Nancy Ellis says about her experience as a YouthWorks mentor, “I love working with teenagers. When teens have constructive things to do, such as work tasks, it exposes them to a new environment where then can develop new skills”.

Randall Museum should also be recognized as one of the agencies currently participating in the YouthWorks and Independent Living Skills Program collaboration by taking on two interns who are transitioning out of foster care.  Thank you Randall Museum for continuing to provide a great internship opportunity for San Francisco high school students.  Your dedication continues to help San Francisco youth overcome many of the employment barriers they face.

Blog written by Employment Coordinator Larry Berry.