Seaside interns describe reading activities, field trips and leadership gains

Teen interns who took part in the Village Project’s summer internship program presented their work to the council on Aug. 6, describing activities designed to help younger children with reading, cultural projects and field trips to local museums and parks.

The program’s intern supervisor introduced the group and said the youth ranged from ages 12 to 16 and benefited from trips to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and other educational sites. Interns told the council they helped with reading activities, supervised younger children, and created projects such as country posters and a volcano-science project.

Fourteen-year-old Kennedy said she worked with younger children on reading and learned how to adapt to different reading levels. "One of the things I learned this summer was working with interns and working with other people my age," Kennedy said. Charice, another intern, highlighted trips that increased responsibility and attention to supervising assigned children during outings.

Councilmembers praised the interns’ public-speaking skills and thanked the city and Village Project for investing in youth development. "This is preparing the next generation," one councilmember said.

What’s next: council expressed support for continuing funding and collaboration to keep the program running in future summers.