Time has definitely flown by! In just one week, we will be on our way to Durham, England for the second part of our program. Having never left the country before, I am particularly excited to experience life outside of the states for a few weeks. While I am looking forward to our time in England, there is still some finishing up to do here in North Carolina. This has been a pretty busy week and exciting for the OEWD’s YouthWork Internship Program. Since the pre-employment training last week, the students have begun working, so while it is our last full week of work, it is their first. We’ve spent most of the week visiting work sites and checking in to see how things are starting out. While it all hasn’t been bells and whistles, most students are acclimating very well to their new work environments, and it is really cool to see this firsthand.
As a change of pace, we also went to a lunch and learn in “City Hall East,” the area of the Golden Belt Complex that houses several city departments including Neighboorhood Improvement Services, Community Development, and our own OEWD. At this informal gathering, each department gave an overview of what they did, and the Deputy City Manager, Keith Chadwell, gave a short speech. One thing he highlighted was how each department was important in the recent development of neighborhood; the next step would be to add businesses and stores so residents could enjoy the area. This stuck with me because it was something I thought about during economic activity reflection where Julia, Zoey, and I took a tour of Ninth St. One thing I thought about was how inclusive Ninth St. actually is and how small stores and businesses in both new and struggling neighborhoods could aid in the development of the area. Throughout my time here in Durham, it has been rewarding to not only see the development firsthand, but to also hear of all of the great strides of progress that is being made.
As a change of pace, we also went to a lunch and learn in “City Hall East,” the area of the Golden Belt Complex that houses several city departments including Neighboorhood Improvement Services, Community Development, and our own OEWD. At this informal gathering, each department gave an overview of what they did, and the Deputy City Manager, Keith Chadwell, gave a short speech. One thing he highlighted was how each department was important in the recent development of neighborhood; the next step would be to add businesses and stores so residents could enjoy the area. This stuck with me because it was something I thought about during economic activity reflection where Julia, Zoey, and I took a tour of Ninth St. One thing I thought about was how inclusive Ninth St. actually is and how small stores and businesses in both new and struggling neighborhoods could aid in the development of the area. Throughout my time here in Durham, it has been rewarding to not only see the development firsthand, but to also hear of all of the great strides of progress that is being made.