The main part of my second internship is to conduct the first ever Ogallala Commons Community Intern/ Apprenticeship Program Evaluation. We have been reaching out to all past interns and apprentices, which is over 200 people.
The evaluation is in survey form. On that survey we are asking things like, “What were the impacts of your internship for the community partners who hosted and invested in your internship?”, and “Do you have any aspirations or desire to ever return to your hometown or to the Great Plains region in the future?”. We are also asking to be updated on what our alums are doing now, how OC helped them get there, and where they are now including providing us with their updated contact information.
We are doing this survey for many reasons, the two main ones being that (1) Ogallala Commons wants to reconnect with our past interns and apprentices and remain connected, and (2) Ogallala Commons works on community development, so we are looking to find about how many interns have moved back to their hometowns or region, or if they are somewhere else and if they want to come back.
From the data that has been found so far, we have been reconnected with 30% of the interns, who have filled out the survey. Almost all interns believed that they accomplished the goals of their internship, with most believing that they even achieved more than what they needed to accomplish during their internships. The information found is fascinating, with OC’s past interns spread out everywhere, and with many back in their hometowns or regions. The data keeps changing everyday as more people complete the survey. If you are a past intern and have not filled out the survey, please do! I will be giving my final results at the end of my internship.
Shelby Thibodeaux
