2017 CIIP Program Book 2017 CIIP Program Book | Page 10

Community Partner: Baltimore SquashWise
Intern: Mariana Rincon Caicedo
Site Supervisor: Matt Skarzynski
What is Baltimore Squashwise?
Baltimore Squashwise is a nonprofit after-school youth enrichment program
serving public middle school students in Baltimore City.
"Squash and I have had a complicated relationship throughout my life. I played squash on
and off throughout middle and high school but never long enough to become a serious
player or stay fully committed to the sport. I always gravitated towards it when I had free
time, but it never represented a significant part of my life. Until this summer. Working at
SquashWise brought back all of the excitement and adrenaline that squash had once
represented for me. Not only that, but it gave a whole new significance to the sport that I
had never seen before. What for me used to be a mere hobby, something to pass the
time, for the students at SquashWise it represents a lot more. It is an opportunity to hang
out with friends, to challenge themselves, to learn new skills, to travel for competitions,
to maintain healthy lifestyles, and to work towards goals. My internship has allowed me
to see how important an opportunity like this can be for a student and I could
understand this on various levels. While conducting research on the demographics of the
neighborhoods where the students live I realized that there are not a lot of after school
programs or recreation centers available for Baltimore youth and the need for these
kinds of spaces is very significant in a vulnerable population like adolescents and young
adults. A program like SquashWise creates an invaluable opportunity for their students to
have a space for sport and exercise, academic lessons and homework tutoring, and
unwavering support from a committed and caring staff. I realized that the work I was
doing went beyond just playing squash or preparing a lesson, and every day that passed I
realized the impact of everything that SquashWise does for its students. I feel incredibly
honored to have had the opportunity to be a part of the organization on different levels,
both in and outside the classroom, interacting with the students and also doing things
"behind the scenes". I learned invaluable information about how nonprofits work, but
also I was exposed to experiences and people I wouldn't have met otherwise. Squash
used to be nothing more than a sport, an hour-long activity that I could do on the
weekends but thanks to SquashWise I know that it can be so much more." -Mariana
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Prepared and led two lessons focusing on
citizenship, government, and history.
Planned and led a field trip to Fort McHenry,
building on the things learned during the
citizenship lessons.
Co-led and supported daily academic
lessons and counseling sessions.
Conducted research on Baltimore
neighborhoods and analyzed the statistics of
the neighborhoods where the students live.
Assisted with parent outreach, maintaining
constant communication with the students'
families and checking in when they were
absent or late.
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