Intern of the Month

School:: Barron Collier High
Subject:: Special Needs Students
Teacher:: Gina Manville DeJager
Students Impacted:: 10
Grade:: 12
Date:: September 1, 2023

Investors

Thank you to the following investors for funding this grant.

Craig DeJager - $45.00

Ann Martin - $355.00

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 13

The Intern of the Month grant was a direct benefit to 13 of our Learning Independent Functional Employment (L.I.F.E.) interns. The goal of this grant was to reward and recognize our interns for demonstrating the core value system that the employees at Royal Poinciana follow. Interns were rewarded by demonstrating integrity, teamwork, respect, accountability, trust, honesty, and stewardship in the workplace. Even though the interns were graciously rewarded with a certificate, a photo on the wall, $20 to shop with and a celebration with snacks once a month, the impact that the core values will hold in their vocational life are exponential.

One of the key outcomes of the project was for the interns to gain knowledge of the core values, including the definitions and how to apply them in the workplace. The core values are an invaluable set of job site principles that will help our interns to continue to obtain and maintain future employment. All our interns who started the year with employment maintained the same job throughout the 2023-2024 school year. We also had our third intern gain employment at Royal Poinciana Golf Club. The Interns of the Month were celebrated by having their nominations read aloud and sent home to their families, putting their pictures up on the board, displaying their pictures on the screen at Royal Poinciana and presenting them with a certificate in front of their peers at a small celebration. The combination of these positive behavior incentives helped build the interns’ self-worth and confidence. They also received a $20 bonus, which they were able to spend at Five Below on a Community Based Instruction (CBI) field trip. This experience helped them to gain more independence in the community by making decisions on purchases of their choice and independently checking out at the register. They also used their calculators to ensure they had enough money to cover their purchase.

This grant provided invaluable benefits to our interns. We are forever grateful to Ann Martin and the Education Foundation for their generous support.

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Intern of the Month reward board, picture, and cer

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Bagel party celebration

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Gummy Party Celebration

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Curriculum Based Instruction Reward for Intern of

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Five Below shopping

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Core Values

Original Grant Overview

Goal

The L.I.F.E (Learning Independent Functional Employment) Program is an internship for students with special needs between the ages of 18-21. The program provides authentic structured work-study opportunities in a community-based setting based on students’ interests and strengths. The program represents a partnership with Royal Poinciana Golf Club and Collier County Public Schools offered through Barron Collier High School.

The employees at this private golf club follow a core value system that focuses on integrity, teamwork, respect, accountability, trust, honesty, and stewardship. We know that when things are rewarded, they will be repeated. The goal of this grant is to reward and recognize our interns for demonstrating these attributes in the workplace.

What will be done with my students

Interns will be given an overview of all 7 core values, then each month we will focus on one specific value through direct instruction, videos, and role play to ensure they thoroughly understand what each attribute means and looks like on the job. When interns demonstrate the core values in the workplace, they can be nominated by the instructor, job coach, supervisor, L.I.F.E. leader or co-worker. Based on the nominations, one intern will be chosen at the end of each month to represent The L.I.F.E. Program’s Intern of the Month. The winner will be announced at a small celebration and provided a certificate. The Intern of the Month will have their picture taken to later be displayed on the wall. This individual will also receive $20 L.I.F.E. bucks towards our program’s token economy. The L.I.F.E. bucks get exchanged twice a year for gift cards to be used at our biannual shopping trips.

Benefits to my students

By understanding and demonstrating the core values of Royal Poinciana Golf Club, interns will learn an invaluable set of job site principles that will help them obtain and maintain future employment. The Intern of the Month incentive program will also benefit our interns by helping to build their self-esteem and confidence levels. Interns will receive a certificate, have their picture displayed on the wall, and be given a $20 L.I.F.E. bucks bonus to use with our program’s token economy reward system. Interns are likely to repeat exceptional workplace behaviors because they will see them being rewarded.

Budget Narrative

This budget includes the developing costs for the Intern of the Month photos and certificates. It would also provide a small celebration where we recognize the recipient and give them a $20 bonus in L.I.F.E. bucks to use within our token economy.

Items

#	Item	Cost
1	Certificates	$20.00
2	Photo developing	$20.00
3	$20 Bonus per month September-May	$180.00
4	$20 celebration snacks per month	$180.00
	Total:	$400.00

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Intern of the Month

Investors

Impact to My Classroom

Original Grant Overview

Goal

What will be done with my students

Benefits to my students

Budget Narrative

Items

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