Week 2 : E3 Talent Design Lab

Even though it’s called “work”, I enjoy nearly everything about my placement. I’m working with E3 Talent Design Lab, a Detroit non-profit dedicated to improving early education for the city. This summer will be spent on one large project where we will be surveying a large sample of Detroit early education programs about early literacy teaching methods. We’re giving Detroit teachers a voice in education research and reform, which will help empower them in a city that has repeatedly ignored them. We’ll also be creating a website where the teachers’ responses will be available for all parents and teachers to refer to – it’ll serve as a resource to inform everyone on effective literacy teaching methods as well as for educators to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses in teaching.

I feel confident in my ability to do this project because of both my previous experience with education research at UMich as well as the close guidance of my supervisor. The office is cozy and beautiful, my supervisor is great (she got me fruit snacks for my birthday today!), and the work will be making large impacts on the early education community. This research internship is a huge step towards my career in education research and policy and I hope to make the most out of every day I’m here.

I love my 20 minute bike ride to work. I haven’t biked in a long time, and I didn’t realize how much I missed it. I’m still getting used to the standard 9-5 office job schedule, which makes me exhausted at the end of each day. But I’m sure getting acquainted with the office and the other workers will help with the daily 8 hour marathon. And since this is such a fast-paced project, every day in the office is unique in its own way.

My first week in Detroit has been a great experience. I have a wonderful workplace, nice co-workers, and have gone to great events around Detroit with the other students in the program. I’ve enjoyed everything about this program and I know that it’ll only get better from here on.