Summer program turns East Hampton teenager into leader

EAST HAMPTON >> Have your teenagers made summer plans yet?

Plans that will help them grow in confidence, independence, and a willingness to give back to their community?

A summer experience that will serve them well in college and beyond?

East Hampton teen Olivia Marsh became a leader over the course of one summer. Marsh, a sophomore at East Hampton High School, participated in Leadership Greater Hartford’s Summer Nexus program.

“Summer Nexus was a great experience that I recommend to all. This program opened my eyes to the amount of diversity in Harford and I learned about the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership,” said Marsh.

Summer Nexus is a weeklong youth leadership program that gives high schoolers a chance to broaden their horizons, build relationships with students from different communities, appreciate different points of view, and still be part of something uniquely their own.

Offered in two different sessions each summer, the experience helps young women and men develop leadership skills that will help them make an impact in their schools and communities.

Coming from both urban and suburban schools, Summer Nexus participants build new bonds of trust and friendship through an interactive curriculum and by planning and implementing a community-focused service project.

Marsh participated in Session I, where her group partnered with The Salvation Army Marshal House Shelter to create “welcome home boxes.”

These boxes contained basic household items and toiletries for the shelter to give to their clients when they transitioned from the shelter to their own homes.

The students donated 22 bins of goods valuing roughly $2,000.

In 2016, Summer Nexus brought together 33 students from 16 different towns and 26 different high schools.

By using the new leadership skills they learned, the high schoolers discovered the difference they could make by working together.

Summer Nexus 2017 is being offered in either July (July 1622) or August (Aug. 6-12).

Applications are now being accepted. Visit leadershipgh.org or call 860-951-6161, x1100.

Leadership Greater Hartford (LGH) is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization that supports and strengthens the local community by training and connecting aspiring and established leaders.

For more information about how to be a participant or sponsor, or to inquire about customized training with Leadership Greater Hartford, call 860-951-6161 (extension 1800), email info@leadershipgh.org visit leadershipgh. org, or follow LGH on Facebook and Twitter @leadershiphtfd.

Museum offers new internship

WATERBURY >> The Mattatuck Museum is proud to announce the inauguration of the annual Philip Benevento History Internship. Philip Benevento is a long-term resident of Waterbury and former high school and college English teacher. He has been Waterbury’s Municipal Historian for many years and is the single best authority on all things relating to Waterbury’s past.

This internship will allow the selected intern to work with the museum’s archives, alongside Museum Archivist Michael C. Dooling.

The Mattatuck Museum archives include manuscript, printed and photographic archives dating from the 17th century to the present.

The annual Philip Benevento History Internship was founded by and is underwritten by MacDermid Performance Solutions.

The selected intern will work three days a week for six weeks during the summer months with the goal of producing a work of scholarship drawing on the resources in the Museum archives.

This completed work could be an exhibition, publication, presentation or lecture, research paper or thesis that will be completed under the supervision of the Museum Archivist.

The selected intern will be paid a stipend of $1,000 upon the completion of his/her work over the summer.

Applicants should have a major field related to history, urban studies, American history, American studies or library science. Both college students and graduate students are welcome to apply.

To apply, applicants must submit a cover letter and résumé by May 12 stating their areas of research and study interest, and career goals. Preference will be given to applicants who live in Waterbury or are current college students in Waterbury.

Applications and any further questions should be submitted to Museum Archivist Michael C. Dooling at michael@mattmuseum.org.