Program Spotlight: Humane Society of Southern Arizona’s Youth Internship Program

By Monica Kothe

Humane Education Lead, Humane Society of Southern Arizona

Oh, teenagers. Don’t you remember the glory days? The days of unrequited crushes on your classmates, acne that just won’t go away, and insecurities taking over your every waking thoughts.

I sure don’t! I have blocked those awkward years from memory. Then again, I didn’t have the Hand in Paw Youth Internship Program to save me from those dark times.

The Hand in Paw Youth Internship is a program at the Humane Society of Southern Arizona designed for teens ages 13-17 who have an interest in working with both animals and children. Our interns are vital to our youth programs – especially summer camps. Interns are responsible for engaging with youth participants and visitors, leading group activities, assisting with animal socialization, and generally being a helpful hand with our Education Department and shelter.

An HSSA intern sharing information to a kiddo about our ball python, Malcolm

This program serves as a bridge between our youth programs, which are currently available for youth up to 12 years old, and our volunteer and staff positions within our shelter, which are available for folks ages 15 and 18, respectively. Outside of age itself, the program also provides a link to the shelter that can continue to be explored for our youth participants and campers who age out of the programs. We have had several campers-turned-interns (referred to as “kidterns” to staff who knew them in their camper days), interns-turned-volunteers, and even seasonal and full-time staff!

Teens can become interns through a bi-annual application for the Hand In Paw program, which can be sent in either written or video format. This program has a slightly more scrupulous application than our general volunteer or youth programs opportunities, as we want to ensure that teens understand that this program works harmoniously with small animals and kids, and doesn’t necessarily have much interaction with the more charismatic cats and dogs of our shelter. The questions serve as a way to gauge the student’s interest and understanding of working with kids and animals, as well as a way to get the applicant to start thinking about how the program will benefit them personally and professionally.

Once the application period closes, there is an interview period where we assess if the program will be a good fit for the applicants. This allows us to see who is interested based on their own passions, as opposed to perhaps the influence of their parents/guardians or friends. For many, this is their first interview experience. We will send out most of the questions we ask a few days beforehand so they aren’t too surprised or too nervous to answer. Of course, we aren’t super strict in this process, and often will invite some furry friends to join in and help alleviate the tension!

Once in our program, interns will receive a new intern orientation. After that, a list of upcoming events for the next few months (our “seasons” are split into summer camp, fall, and spring) will be available to them to sign up for. As we get closer to the summer, we also host a camp specific orientation to help them get prepared for their volunteering.

Then, it’s left up to the interns, as they learn a variety of skills without even realizing they are putting in work most of the time! They help with tabling for our youth programs, where they speak to members of the public about our opportunities for kids to get involved. They care directly for our Education Ambassador Animals, where they help clean kennels, perform weight checks, and are role models when it comes to interacting with animals. They assist with our Paws and Pages shelter reading program, where they implement kennel rules and help young readers get through their books. And, of course, they are an amazing help at summer camp, where they lead group activities, socialize with kids during breaks, and even teach their own lessons!

An intern who led their own lesson and even brought their own rescued parrot in to teach the kiddos about birds!

While interns don’t necessarily regularly become shelter staff, it is very common for them to make unique connections with staff, interns, and youth participants. We are often asked to write letters of recommendation for colleges or jobs – which do often relate to animals. Most recently, we had an intern ask for a recommendation letter for a marine biology program they were interested in to prepare them for a career in that field. We’ve also had an intern practically be recruited by a shelter in Mexico to start their own summer camp programs. Interns form group chats and actually hang out with each other outside of the internship program! And it always brings a smile to my face when a year later, a camper and intern are reunited for yet another week of summer camp together. The bonds created through this program are truly remarkable.

If you are convinced that you need a program like this at your shelter, take the first step and assess interests and needs within your community and shelter. Would you benefit from having teen helpers at your youth programs? Keep in mind that, while they are eager and learn quickly, they are still teens that have to go through all the awkward stages and will need training and coaching along the way. Make sure you also speak to your leadership and insurance to make sure you are covered for any potential liabilities with having teens working onsite.

If you have any questions or want to hear more stories, reach out to me at mkothe@hssaz.org, or the veteran, Inge Koopman-Leyva, at ikoopman@hssaz.org for more information!