PMG Leadership Corps – Additional Information

Overview
Eligibility
Time Commitment
Helpful Qualities and Skills
Responsibilities
Additional Projects
Testimonials
Application
More Information

Overview

The PMG Leadership Corps is a selective internship experience for a small group of talented and motivated undergraduates seeking to enter the OT or PT profession. Through close work, mentoring, and in depth learning, students develop leadership and planning skills and practical application of knowledge. Getting to know students in greater depth enables me to offer mentoring and support during the graduate school application process.

Eligibility

Undergraduates who are interested in applying for the Leadership Corps are welcome and encouraged to apply (please see link below).
Students interested in applying for the PMG Leadership Corps must complete the regular Preschool Motor Group Internship application AND the PMG Leadership Corps Application prior to the internship interview to let me know that they are interested.
Students will be chosen on the basis of leadership experiences and personal qualities.
Students who are drawn to apply to the Leadership Corps often tend to be highly organized and heavily involved in extracurricular activities, which make them good leaders.
But due to the nature of the preschool motor group program, being on the leadership team requires a good deal of mental flexibility as well as time – 30 minutes to 2 hours weekly each week – to assist with various aspects of running the motor group. Since responsibilities may change over the course of the internship, it is not possible to outline every expectation prior to the start of the program.
Ideally, students will be notified prior to the start of the program if they have been chosen for the leadership cohort.

Time Commitment: 60 hours

5-10 hours training time
30-35 hours hands on with preschoolers
15-25 additional hours of:
- 30 minutes to 2 hours weekly assistance to run the motor group (see responsibilities section below)
- projects to develop leadership, understanding of treatment planning, and practical application of knowledge
In the case of a motor group that runs in the fall (September-December), students will have the opportunity to complete projects by the end of January of the next calendar year. In the case of a motor group that runs in the winter (January-March), students will have the opportunity to complete projects by the end of June of the same calendar year.

Helpful Qualities and Skills

Helpful qualities: adaptable, conscientious, creative, dependable, hard working, imaginative, inquisitive, motivated, self-reflective
Helpful skills: ability to take initiative and work independently, good communicator, ability to problem solve and think critically, experience working on a team, previous leadership experiences, ability to accept direction/constructive feedback
Familiarity with Google docs, Google sheets, GroupMe, Canva, DropBox

Responsibilities

The Leadership Corps members work as a team to run the motor group. Some of the responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Collaborating with Laura on the weekly motor group curriculum, making changes as needed to accommodate the children’s skill development: LC interns assist with preparing and running a minimum if two weeks of the motor group
Weekly leader tasks: distribute name tags to interns, help supervise station set up, set up clipboards with pencils and data sheets, help explain station changes and new activities to interns during station roundup, help pair children with intern groups
Entering data into Google documents/spreadsheets after the motor group
Communicating with non-LC interns about their experiences
Creating short videos about the activities
Assisting with written communication about the children’s progress with the preschool teachers, such as carry over activities for the classroom
Regular Leadership Corps meetings with Laura: a minimum of 6 meetings over Zoom, one or two prior to the start of the motor group, every two weeks during the motor group, and one or two after the end of the motor group

Additional Projects

Leadership Corps members also:

Complete additional projects under supervision throughout the program, such as: creating handouts for parents/caregivers on a specific motor skill, identifying helpful, websites, or researching academic publications for articles on specific motor skill development (4-5 hours)
Engage in additional assigned independent learning (2-3 hours)
Write reflections on the internship experience and provide details and details for the graduate school application process about leadership, communication skills, initiative, and perseverance during the internship (1-2 hours)

Testimonials from Leadership Corps Participants (2022 and 2023)

I felt like I learned a great deal about myself as a leader and felt also that being part of the Leadership Corps gave me a better opportunity to learn and develop these skills.

My overall experience with the Leadership Corps was a great way for me to become more aware of the planning involved with the motor group. I was able to learn about how we are able to change and alter different stations. I think it was very interesting to see how the different weeks help build on different developmental skills. Being a part of the Leadership Corps allowed me to see how and why we are targeting specific areas.

I really enjoyed being in the Leadership Corps. I got a lot out of it and am grateful for the opportunity to work and learn with my peers. The extra activities that we got to do will be very beneficial for me moving forward in my schooling and professional path.

For additional testimonials, read here.

Application

Applications will be considered and positions filled on a rolling basis.

If you are interested in an upcoming preschool motor group internship, please fill out this form. The next preschool motor group likely will run September through December, 2024.

More Information

Questions are always welcome. If you would like to speak with one of the previous participants in the Leadership Corps to learn more, please let me know and I will try to connect you with someone. I look forward to meeting students who are interested in the internship and determining if this is a good fit on both sides! Please reach out to us through the contact page.

Posted in For Interns