Community Partner : Dent Education Intern : Genesis Aire Site Supervisor : Hailey Jordan
What is Dent Education ?
Dent Education promotes equity by empowering underresourced youth to discover and develop their innate creative potential to shape the world around them .
23
Taught students tools and methods of equitycentered design , maker-skills , and entrepreneurship Created a culture of empathy , authenticity , collaboration , agency , and creativity Adapted daily schedule to best meet Denters ’ needs and reach goals Coordinated with external partners ( FFTs , Entrepreneurs , Partners etc .) Guided students through the prototyping process
After two weeks of Staff Onboarding , near the end of the Denter onboarding , I was informed that there was an unexpected vacancy for one of the Coach positions , and I was asked to fill that role . I remember feeling anxious , unprepared , and unqualified , but at the forefront of all the uncertainty was excitement . I didn ’ t feel that I could handle such a sudden shift in responsibility at almost the last second because the following day I was expected to co-lead a session for a group of Denters . However , I did know that I would be getting the one-on-one interaction with the students and the work experience that I so desperately wanted to get when I applied to CIIP .
The group of Denters we had for our Site were a lot shyer and more introverted than I expected , but I was excited to see their growth as the weeks went by . We spent the first week focusing on icebreakers and discussing certain social issues they were passionate about . We then pivoted towards working with outside clients by conducting in depth interviews once a week , and brainstorming prototypes that could address the issues these partners needed to be addressed . The following weeks consisted mostly of brainstorming , developing , and integrating feedback into their prototypes , as well as getting the Denters more comfortable with presenting . We also tried to intersperse games with work time so that they didn ’ t become burnt out . Some of our favorites were the Tier List , Guess that Denter , and Pictionary .
Over the summer , while it was a very gradual transition , I experienced so many students come out of their comfort zones and become more assertive and proud creators . Despite the fact that we never really got them all to turn their cameras on , we ’ ve noticed a lot more unmuting instead of using the chat , and the general high energy of our space . It can be a bit difficult , on the teaching end , to always have good energy when working with students online ; as we ’ re all familiar at this point , Zoom giveth and Zoom taketh away . But I will definitely leave this experience a lot more confident in my abilities to lead and engage with students , and in my ability to help them grow in ways they didn ’ t think possible .