Christina's reflection

How do you envision your position and projects at YRES contributing to your skill growth and professional development?

As I approach the second half of my 8-month work term, I have begun taking on larger responsibilities and making a difference in the company. One of my recent duties involves managing and overseeing the development of an upcoming LEGO Robotics program, from curriculum building to workshop delivery. Taking on this project has brought upon various new experiences where I am required to utilize my existing abilities, develop new skills, and exercise effective communication and problem solving. As I progress through this Fall term, I envision that my position at YRES will be a beneficial opportunity for personal growth and professional development.

Describe one of the biggest challenges you encountered this month. How did you address it? What would you do differently the next time?

A big challenge from this month was the transition as I became the project lead and supervisor of a team of high school co-op students. As my project involves a large amount of hands-on activity, it was difficult to deliver assignment instructions and monitor task progress through the virtual work environment. To address this issue, I delegated the tasks to surround the team’s in-person working day – granting the attending employees the opportunity to utilize and test their LEGO lessons, while enabling the virtual employees to contribute to the project’s completion despite the missing experience. The next time I encounter this challenge, I would enforce the requirement to attend at least ONE in-person working day per week. Thus, if someone were to be unavailable on the designated working day, they could make up for the missing experience another time – ensuring that all team members stay on track.

What was the highlight of your month while working at YRES? Discuss your major contributions, interactions, achievements, etc.

One of my big achievements for this month involves obtaining 3+ collaborations with schools and community partners for my LEGO Robotics workshops. The program has gained significant traction and I have received positive feedback from numerous parents, students, and company partners. Most of the workshops are scheduled to begin in October, but we have already begun delivering lessons to Markham’s Welcome Centre Immigrant Services. During these free two hour sessions, I guide students in grades 3 to 5 through a variety of LEGO robot builds and Scratch codes. Many of the students encounter a language barrier but are still able to participate and learn about the fundamentals of engineering through our interactive and engaging workshops!

Please give a shoutout to someone who has helped you significantly over the course of the first month and describe your choice. You can shoutout multiple people.

I would like to give a shoutout to ZhenYan! This past month, she has taken over several new projects and responsibilities, while also accompanying and assisting me through my Welcome Centre workshops. Despite her busy schedule, she continues to bring a positive spirit to the workplace and never fails to brighten up my day 😀

Please share a funny image or meme that describes your first month at the company!

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