When I first received word of being selected for this internship, my mind immediately went to work. Although I regret being ill during the time of the Ogallala Commons Retreat, I thoroughly enjoyed being considered part of the team.
Working out at Boggsville Historic Site has raised several questions on what I could do to help better the community. One of those was the question of youth involvement in Las Animas. I quickly went to work with the curriculum developer of the local Elementary School and devised a plan that would inform the youth about the history of the area.
Each grade of the elementary school will have a different area to learn about. For example, fifth grade would have Boggsville. This is a four-week program that focuses on the development of knowledge on the area.
The first week is also known as the introduction week. This is where the students would first get introduced to the topic with vocabulary words and worksheets.
The second week is traveling trunk week, where, as mentioned, a trunk with several different hands-on items relating to the area of history is, thus giving a new perspective to the students.
The third week is, of course, a field trip week. Students will take a field trip down to the site and receive a firsthand account.
The fourth and final week is the “I Am” project, in which students choose a character they have learned about in the project and become them, having a large exhibition for the elementary school in the end.
One thing that I have realized about this internship is that 200 hours is certainly not enough to do what you want to do. I still have quite a bit of work to do, and will still continue after the internship is complete. Hopefully, after the elementary school curriculum is finished, I will continue on with high school, and possibly publishing the curriculum on the Internet, so other schools in the area are able to use it as well.
Through Ogallala Commons, I have gained quite the networking experience. Through my work, I was able to meet with former state historians, future internship opportunities, and prestigious members of the Arkansas Valley. I gained quite a great relationship with both my supervisor and my fellow Southeastern Colorado Interns, in which I hope to maintain for the next few years.
I am extremely honored to be considered one of the first Ogallala Commons Southeastern Colorado Intern. I look forward to using my experiences and knowledge in the future to my advantage. Thank you for the great opportunity!
