Education in Recreation

Shakyra Lewis was a presenter at LEAP Symposium 2021 and shares a bit about her internship experience. Shakyra's presentation was part of a panel titled “Education Across the World.”

This summer I volunteered at the Above and Beyond Summer Program located at Brookview House in Boston, MA. Brookview House is a nonprofit organization and shelter for homeless women and children that aims to help families end cycles of abuse, homelessness, and trauma.

While providing housing to low-income families, it also offers youth development and enrichment programs for youth in the neighborhood. I worked closely with the camp director to assist with supervision, creative planning, and daily instruction. I also worked as an aid to camp counselors and was there to mediate conflicts between campers.

Throughout the summer, I learned some logistics for running a community program, what it’s like to be a leading figure in a childcare service, and effective ways to communicate with children. It also made me think about my future in child psychology.