fun internship program ideas
FUN INTERN TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES AND GAMES
This article will feature fun and practical ideas including internship program ideas, team-building activities, and virtual events to help your summer interns be more engaged!
While many of us grew up seeing an intern in the media portrayed as someone in an office fetching coffee or making photocopies, this is far from the current truth. After interns are brought on and learn the ropes of the trade, interns typically have their own projects, have responsibilities and work duties, and bring value to meetings and projects. For you as an employer, interns are an opportunity for fresh, creative minds to collaborate with full-time employees who already have the experience and knowledge within their field. This prospect is one many recent graduates have looked forward to since their early college days. Your role as their employer is to provide the most valuable and fruitful experience possible within the current constraints.
Beyond the hands-on experience, the next most important aspect of an internship is the ability to build networks. Traditionally, this might look like meeting someone new while discussing an upcoming project or bumping into someone while grabbing coffee in the break room. Unfortunately, this ability to just strike up a conversation with a stranger is not entirely possible during remote internships, but that does not mean we should not try to ensure that our interns feel like part of the work community and feel seen and heard. So, check out 5 ways you can help your interns this summer!
1. POINT OF CONTACT
The most invaluable support you can provide for your virtual interns is giving them a Point of Contact for any queries, concerns, or issues they may be having. This will bring some relief to your interns, to know that there is a designated individual to help them navigate through this journey. This may be the intern coordinator or a traditional site supervisor, or even someone within their department who may know more about the specific work they are doing. This will help tackle issues before they arise and reassure your interns, which will, in turn, result in a stronger relationship between interns and your organization.
2. BUDDY UP
A buddy system can be a fantastic way to help tackle the lack of networking experience with virtual internships. This may look like a mentorship program, but the buddy system allows for both a professional and personal relationship to develop. Ideally, suppose the buddy is within the same department as the intern. In that case, this can allow for a more direct way for interns to share ideas or thoughts, to have some input into the broader conversations happening around them. Providing a regular and consistent meeting schedule is ideal in this situation to allow for an actual relationship to grow and develop.
3. HOST VALUABLE EVENTS
One of the benefits of remote working is that geographical constraints are no longer a major concern. This allows for a cohort of virtual events to be possible for your team and your interns. So many of your employees will have knowledge and wisdom worth sharing. If done correctly, possibly in smaller groups, this can allow for a Q&A event or discussion with the chosen speakers. This may also be an opportunity for interns to hear from top executives, which is an opportunity that in a regular office setting may be impossible to achieve due to busy schedules and logistical issues.
Virtual coffee hours are also a great way to give these young professionals face-to-face time with interns in other parts of the country; this is a great opportunity for networking, discussing career goals, and building relationships.
4. TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES
Beyond providing your interns the tools to work well within the company and have support available to them, boosting morale is another way to ensure their internship is a memorable one. Here at KraftyLab, we offer live virtual team classes and workshops by our highly experienced instructors. Our fun intern activities range from soap or candle-making to virtual yoga or meditation workshops. This could provide your interns with something fun and exciting to do and help them break the monotony of the day-to-day work schedule too.
5. INTERN APP
Following connections being built between interns and management, the next most valuable connections can be made between interns themselves. Provide a platform where your interns can reach out to one another, ask each other questions they may feel shy to ask management, and maybe most importantly, provide a platform to build personal relationships with people who may be on a similar path or place in their life.
The pressure to help your interns adapt and fit well in your organization is a tough one to manage. However, a few simple ideas can help not only ensure your interns are performing and succeeding within your business but also reassure them that you are looking out for them as individuals. This is what will make an internship at your organization a memorable and worthwhile experience that interns can look back on.
ABOUT KRAFTYLAB
KraftyLab is a leading team-building company providing corporate team-building activities across the US & Canada. We focus on providing fun and engaging activities, games and experiences to help teams connect and have fun!
Let’s build a community - FOLLOW US @THEKRAFTYLAB
