Daily Archives: June 23, 2025

When The Shoe Fits: Finding my Footing at Erie House

As I started my internship this past week I Full of questions and eagerness to learn the
behind the scenes aspect of this non-profit organization at Erie Neighborhood House. Since the kids aren’t in for programming yet, this week and last have been a blessing for me to get oriented and get a deeper dive into the summer program. Probably my favorite project so far has been building a new math lesson plan from the book “If The Shoe Fits” to teach students how to use measuring devices and their importance.

Right before beginning this internship in my last semester of my undergraduate degree I decided to make a big shift from having studied economics and Spanish to then pursuing education and receiving my teaching certificate. During this time of transition there has been a lot of concern and uncertainty of whether I was making the right choice and whether teaching was the path for me and already within making this one lesson plan I have discovered a deep joy for being creative and transforming curriculum into something that I can present and educate others. The lesson plan was one of my first independent projects here and really allowed me to show the director, facilitator, and myself that I am capable of taking on bigger projects

While working this internship, I’m also taking online classes to get a start on my teaching program for next year and there has been a lot of overlap between the two. It has been nice to apply what I’ve been learning in class into lesson planning and using what I am doing in my internship as examples for assignments. One of my biggest questions going into the Caps program was how can I grow as an individual while also helping a much larger community. I truly believe I have found that where I am able to grow my professional skills in education while also supporting Erie house and the communities that they support.

The team here at Erie house is a wonderful group of people who all care and support each other despite being in different programs. I have been able to meet so many wonderful people, Especially when I was brought into an all staff meeting on day three of being there before I had met anyone. Well I am specifically working with a READS program for student literacy over the summer Erie house also has programs in ESL and citizenship and so during these first few weeks I have been able to observe those programs as well.

Moving forward starting tomorrow the students will be in and summer programming will have finally begun! I am very excited to get hands-on experience working as an educator in the multifaceted READS program. Each week will consist of art, math, ecology, gardening/cooking lessons that now I and the wonderful team at Erie house have worked to put together. I am so grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer brings!

By Amelia Tandy, Erie Neighborhood House

Thoughts from a Night Hike

I wish I could see in the dark.
The thought has crossed my mind many nights walking in the dark after I’ve heard an unsettling sound nearby. While the sky wasn’t too dark last week on our staff night hike, I thought of campers who might also experience heightened fear when darkness comes along.
The past two weeks I’ve been in summer staff training at the Dunes Learning Center inside the Indiana Dunes National Park. We’ve been learning the intricacies of camp while also trying out activities we’ll lead with campers. Last week we practiced the night hike we take campers on, and I was reminded how limited my sight is at night. Being a camp based in environmental education, we also learned about nocturnal animals like bats, raccoons, and owls. They all are adapted to the dark: bats use echolocation, racoons feel especially well with their paws, and owls have eyes built for the night. Each is tuned to function well in the darkness. I am not.
And so, I found myself wishing I could see in the dark.
This is not just a desire to see through the darkness that lays itself over the earth each night, but through the darkness found in uncertainty and in turbulent times. The darkness that causes fear to fester in what’s unseen and unknown.
However, on that night hike, I was reminded of two things.
First, I found that even as the sky became darker, by spending time learning about and being in the darkness, I became more comfortable and curious about what existed around me. For example, while I’ve heard many animals call at night, I didn’t know whose sound belonged to who. We practiced the call of a barred owl, and I learned that what could have been a slightly spooky sound was an owl. By learning about and being with the animals out in the night, I not only found myself more comfortable, but I also had a greater appreciation for the darker part of the day.
Second, our night hike was an opportunity to go out in the dark together. We walked sometimes in a line, other times in pairs, but even when we walked our “solo” portion, there were people waiting in front of us, and others stationed behind us. We were never really alone.
Our limited sight in darkness can make it appear that we are lost or that we must walk alone. This is especially true when we think no one will understand our fears in the darkness. But just like on our night hike, people are close by; their presence is grounding in the unsteadiness. Despite what our minds try to tell us, we are never really alone.
As the camper support specialist this summer, I am here to be a support to campers however they are. I anticipate there will be a collection of many experiences: happy and sad, excited and nervous, light and dark that I will see. But through it all, I’m here to be a calm reminder that no one is alone. There is so much to see, to learn about, and to grow in together. I’m grateful for the staff at the Dunes Learning Center who have been present, ready, and excited to show up for each other, and for the kids who come to camp this summer.
By Emma Johnson, Dunes Learning Center