Katie, et. al.: Just as a general principle, you should treat interns as members of the staff. Give them meaningful work--work that can be completed within the duration of their internship. If it is a portion of a bigger project, just make sure it is a discrete enough to be seen as a separate project. Make sure you understand their internship requirements, and what you should do as a supervisor--do you have to meet with an official from the school? submit a written report? And include them in all staff activities, even interminable and boring staff meetings. The purpose of an internship is to both get useful experience in their field, and to get a taste of the workplace. And talk to them often. Get their feedback on their experience, and make sure they know they can come to you with questions or suggestions.
It’s terribly rewarding to have interns, and if they are good, it gives you a good feeling about the future of the field!
Claudia
Claudia J. Nicholson
Executive Director
North Star Museum of Boy Scouting and Girl Scouting
651-748-2880
www.nssm.org