Adam at Headquarters | What's it Like Interning with Mosqoy in Victoria?

What's it Like Interning with Mosqoy in Victoria?

Since Mosqoy is completely volunteer-driven, volunteers and interns are essential parts of Mosqoy's programs and departments -- nobody is kept busy with 'make-work tasks'

Zoe and I in our office at Shoal Point

Summer internships are all about coffee-runs and licking envelopes, right?

Since June, I have been working as Mosqoy’s Volunteer Coordinator, and I have brewed zero cups

of coffee and only licked a single envelope. What gives? Aren’t internships notorious for unloading the most undesirable tasks on summer students? Why aren’t Zoe (the other summer intern), and I doing Timmy’s runs?

Mosqoy is all about maximizing volunteer potential:

As full-time Volunteer Coordinator, my overall objective this summer is to coordinate Mosqoy volunteers, including developing strategies for recruitment, training, and communications. I have not only been given lots of really amazing projects to work on, I also feel encouraged to bring my own ideas and strategies to my work. One reasons I haven’t been doomed to the life of a neglected intern is that I haven’t had time to do 'make-work' tasks, like Google Mapping the nearest Time Hortons!

Our 'daily mood calendar' sums up
what I'm trying to say

More importantly however, it is clear that Mosoy doesn’t WANT me to become an office gofer. There was so much trust, confidence, and responsibility given to me on day #1, that I immediately understood that it is part of Mosqoy’s main objectives to bring out the maximum potential in all volunteers and interns. Instead, I’ve been given the tools to be an office hummingbird!

So far, I've been finding new ways to tell people about Mosqoy's volunteer opportunities and figuring out which positions are the perfect fit for interested volunteers who e-mail with questions or applications. I've also been doing introductory training with new volunteers and working with program managers to develop new volunteer positions that fit within Mosqoy's organization structure.

Other projects have involved developing databases that keep up-to-date volunteer information, and I am helping to create pages on our website that feature volunteers, field interns, and alumni. There are also several fundraising campaigns and events, such as our School Fund Campaign, that I've been helping coordinate. I should also mention that I've been working on administrative tasks - which are less interesting to read about - which will help build-up our internal communications mechanisms. Overall, it has been a challenging, interesting, and positive experience.

Volunteer-driven projects with passionate people:

There is something else truly amazing, inspiring and, dare I say, radical about Mosqoy: Mosqoy is nearly 100% volunteer-driven. With the exception of summer interns, all of the people who keep Mosqoy’s programs running work for Mosqoy during their ‘free’ time. Mosqoy’s programs are continuing to grow because extremely passionate, dedicated, and incredibly hard working volunteers.

Our July 2013 potluck attendees!

At Mosqoy, new volunteers are very quickly welcomed and integrated into projects, often in leadership positions! Lots of volunteers have newly taken on leadership positions in 2013 alone. To name a few: Tawnya has taken on managing our entire marketing department; Robert has stepped in to oversee all of our finances and accounts; Jenny is kick-starting our IndieGoGo campaign; Sasha has recently joined to head-up our communications department; Kristina has taken over running our Andean Youth Program in Cusco; Elise got cracking on managing and researching textile fairs; and Natalie, Cristi, and Taryn have started corresponding with our supporters.

With so many amazing new people, ideas, and projects currently on the go, new volunteers or interns will definitely have lots of exciting things to get involved with!

By the way, this is the view from our office!

Thanks Mosqoy!

BIG thanks to Mosqoy for the opportunity to have a meaningful and fast-paced summer with such passionate and dedicated volunteers. I'm looking forward to the rest of the summer working with Mosqoy (and beyond)!

If you are reading this, and you are getting fired-up about getting involved with Mosqoy, please e-mail me for more information:

-Adam Tran

<volunteer@mosqoy.org>