The following article was submitted by Madison Barta, the Youth Apprenticeship Intern at the Manitowoc Public Library.
Hi, my name is Madison Barta, a senior at Manitowoc Lincoln High School and I have the privilege of being the very first Manitowoc Public Library Youth Apprenticeship intern.
The four years of high school are spent preparing you for the next chapter of your life. For some that is college, for others that is beginning a full-time job right away. Manitowoc Lincoln High School offers a variety of classes inside the building, but also has many options for learning outside of the building. One of these options is the Youth Apprenticeship program. This is a 450-hour internship that can be completed in a semester or school year with a local business. While being in the YA program, you get the privilege to learn and experience a profession during the school day. You still receive high school credit for being in the YA program, you get real work experience, and you get paid! For the first time the Manitowoc Public Library joined into the YA program and took me on as a Youth Services intern.
I was interested in the YA program because I had lots of credits going into my senior year. I wanted to know what my options were to better prepare me for a future career and not be in a classroom all day. The Youth Apprenticeship Program hiring process is simple—just fill out an application and wait for an interview!
The application will ask for teacher recommendations. It is best to select teachers that relate to the field for which you are applying. The interview will be set up and completed with your future employer. After the interview process, you will work with your employer and school counselor to set a schedule that works best for your school classes and your employer. I was selected to interview with the Library and right away I knew it was going to be a good fit for me.
I began working in early September 2021 and will be finishing up my internship the end of May 2022. During my time here, I have been able to participate and lead many different activities and projects. Everyday there is something different that I am able to experience and learn from. One of my very first projects was to observe “Baby Storytime” with Julia Lee and Susie Menk.
After observing, I slowly started to take on more responsibility. Recently, I led storytime solo to cover while we were shorthanded in the Youth Department. I felt very confident to take on this task solo because I had been learning from the months prior. Each month, we create a new plan and a songs and rhymes sheet, making sure to include all types of motor skills and activities. Being a part of something each week has allowed me to make connections with the kids who attend every week and the adults who bring them.
Another project that I regularly help plan and run is Family Activity Night. Some of these events have been; mini golf, marble roller coasters, Dinovember party, Wacky Racers, giant games, and Interactive Movie Night. I have created signs, made examples of the crafts we’ll be doing, and purchased supplies from Walmart. Being able to help plan activities from the beginning, then seeing them in action, is a very rewarding part of my internship.
The benefit of an internship is that it is customizable to your interests and level of responsibility. I had a lot of interest in working the Service Desk and interacting with patrons. Beginning in January, I began training with Susie Menk to be on the Youth Department Service Desk. Beginning in February, I started working solo on desk for about 3-4 hours a week. Working the Service Desk meant assisting patrons, answering questions, finding books, checking patrons out, creating book bundles, teacher collections, and answering the phone and emails.
My favorite project so far has been creating the Spring Break Bag. This is a craft and activity pack that is designed to be checked out as a Grab-and-Go. You check out the bag—just like a book—you keep everything inside, and return the bag. The theme was The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle. I researched and created this bag to have a variety of crafts and activities all related to caterpillars and butterflies. The goal of the Grab-and-Go activities are to practice skills such as counting, identifying colors, knowing the days of the week, and sequencing. The Spring Break bags kept kids of all ages learning and creating while at home.
I highly recommend the Youth Apprenticeship program to any Junior or Senior at Lincoln interested in getting work experience while still being in school. It has been such a great experience for me. I am so grateful to Manitowoc Public Library and the Youth Department staff for taking me in this year. I have learned and gained many important professional skills in the last eight months.
