Week 3: Overcoming Obstacles

After six weeks of working in the Venture Outdoors office, I can definitely say that I've had my successes and my challenges. Because Venture Outdoors has a smaller office of only about 15 people, most of my work has been focused on Marketing (which is great as the Marketing Communications intern). Thankfully there have been no coffee runs here!

My project for the internship is focused on increasing reach and visibility of one of our programs - Tyke Hikes. Tyke Hikes are hikes catered towards any child under the age of 5, including newborns. They take place in stroller-friendly parks and have a weekly theme. The curriculum encourages kids to TRULY explore nature by touching trees, looking for bugs, and playing in the dirt. Studies show that direct interaction with the outdoors encourages young children to build a long-lasting relationship with the environment. This is especially important in a time of climate change and other environmental crises.

 As a nonprofit, Venture Outdoors uses the proceeds from Tyke Hikes to subsidize free Tyke Hike passes for inner-city families. Thus, I developed a marketing plan to help increase Tyke Hike proceeds. This includes both public and private Tyke Hikes. Something I was pleasantly surprised with was my execution of my marketing plan. I created a flyer and a communication letter and sent it out to a list of local Mom Groups, Mom Blogs, Summer Camps, and Day Cares. In one week, I've already booked 4 private Tyke Hikes and have gotten responses from Mom Blogs who are interested in writing about the program. It's really satisfying to know that my work has directly affected the Tyke Hikes program, and that my work is helping kids to develop a love for the outdoors.

The largest challenge that I have encountered here is the amount of independence/direction that I have. Often times, I come in and I have absolutely no direction as to what to do for the day. The marketing plan that I created helps guide me, but there are times where I have finished my work and don't know what to do next. While I feel comfortable going to my mentor/supervisor and asking questions, she's often busy and I don't want to disrupt her. I have found ways to fill up time though, whether it be by looking for articles that we could post to the Facebook page or by entering more dates into the calendar. I've learned how to be more self-directed and independent, which I think will be a beneficial skill in future careers.