Pequea Valley townlively.com
FEBRUARY 28, 2024
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LX • NO 10
Introducing interns to education BY ANN MEAD ASH
W
hen the Pequea Valley School District First Choice program held a career fair on Feb. 8, Jody Bradley, assistant principal at Paradise Elementary School, Paradise, manned a table to tell attendees considering the field of education about the school’s internship program. The program was the brainchild of First Choice Career coordinator Jared Erb, and the first four Pequea Valley High School (PVHS) interns started working with educators at the elementary school in the fall of 2023. Assistant superintendent Rich Eby summed up the purpose of the program, saying, “Creating an opportunity to foster and grow young people to want to enter the profession of being an educator is more important than ever due to the decreasing pool of potential candidates entering the field.” Eby noted, “It is critical
to have quality young people motivated to be in the profession to educate young learners and be integral role models.” Eby said the program offers benefits to students considering the field of education. “The intention of the Pequea Valley (student) internship is to allow juniors and seniors the opportunity to observe and learn
“They get a taste of a few aspects of how the school day runs.” from veteran educators - to grow the profession one intern at a time.” Bradley said that Erb and Paradise Elementary staff members talked about the idea over the summer and then kept the program very basic and open ended when it began in the fall. Organizers met with interested students to talk about how to
schedule internship time, and they created a pamphlet to show interns what would be expected of them during participation. Among those expectations were honoring individual students with regard to diversity and culture and supporting staff members by reinforcing expectations to help keep students focused and on a positive learning path. “Some of (the students) weren’t sure if this was going to be their first career path choice, but they wanted to try to find out,” shared Bradley. Interns have aided teachers and paraed- Intern Carly Andersen works with second-grade students at Paradise Elementary ucators in a variety of School. ways while gaining experience that the student, who wants to in the morning to work with in a possible career choice. “We be an art teacher, also works kindergarten (students) in small have one (student) who works with the STEM teacher to bring groups,” stated Bradley, adding in the afternoon with our art creativity to that program. “We that those students also help cover teacher,” said Bradley, who noted have a few (interns) who come lunch and recess duties. “They get See Paradise Elementary pg 2
SCORE provides support to entrepreneurs
PEQ
GOTR seeks superstars for spring season BY ADRIAN ESCHENWALD
See GOTR pg 5
The concept of entrepreneurship is a study in risk and reward. SCORE can minimize risk and maximize reward. Located at 115 E. King St., Lancaster, SCORE LancasterLebanon is a local nonprofit that exists for the sole purpose of helping small businesses succeed. It fulfills its purpose through an interpersonal mentoring approach that is free to the entrepreneur. “Many people who start a business have never run a business
before,” said Cathy Bonser, chairperson of the Lancaster-Lebanon chapter of SCORE. “They have an idea that they’re passionate about. But they don’t know how to pursue the other aspects of the business. Entrepreneurs wear all the hats - human resources, marketing, accounting. It’s very demanding, and it asks them to do a lot. In life, we can be successful when we have a mentor, when we have support from the outside.” Typically, entrepreneurs get connected with SCORE LancasterLebanon through its website or a See SCORE pg 4
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Members of the Pequea Valley School District Girls on the Run program took part in a previous 5K in Lancaster.
Girls on the Run (GOTR) Lancaster opened registration for its upcoming spring season on Feb. 15. The organization will have teams in multiple school districts in Lancaster County and the surrounding area, and girls who are in third, fourth or fifth grade are invited to sign up with their local group. Registration will remain open online at http://tinyurl.com/ GOTRlanc24 until the first
BY JEFF FALK
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