TeaMWork International Internship 2021

International Internship Final Presentation

On 23rd July, our International Interns presented the powerful and impactful resources they created to a conference of Escapees and community organisations Stratford Friends of the Earth, Stratford Climate Action, Welcombe Radio and many more! Watch the full conference here!

Anderson Mai, Monash University, Australia

This internship was a great opportunity to work with a diverse, international group of students with a variety of educational backgrounds. As a part of the team, we learnt the importance of coordination and frequent communication to ensure everyone is kept in the loop. My main role in this internship was poster creation and ensuring that posters had a consistent design. I also helped generate ideas in the early phases of the internship. I’d like to think that as a team, we have created content that is not just fit for primary schoolers but also interesting enough to pique interest and promote further self-directed exploration of climate change.  To build on this project, I think a good step would be serving as a long-term connection between different primary schools, especially internationally, to support the idea of the importance of being good global citizens.

Maryam Chaudary, Monash University, Malaysia

Hello! My name’s Maryam and I’m a student at Monash University Malaysia, majoring in Medicinal Chemistry and Biotechnology. I joined Escape Arts as a virtual intern in July 2021 as part of the TeaMWork Program. I was eager to collaborate with such a widely diverse set of individuals to achieve a shared goal. During this program, not only did I learn to communicate effectively across different time zones, but I was also able to refine my own understanding of sustainability and utilise my creativity when designing an interactive presentation. Working alongside Escape Arts’ Plastic Planet initiative, our team has been able to create a pack of digital resources that schools can access to inform and inspire students and staff alike on battling climate change. I believe we can take this project even further by connecting Escape Arts to international schools, sharing resources, and making an impact together!

Hadia Khan, University of Warwick

Hello! My name is Hadia, and I am currently a first-year History & Politics student at the University of Warwick. I applied to the TeamWork Internship with the purpose of creating impact whilst also developing transferable skills as part of a global team of students. Partnering with Escape Arts for the project has allowed me to do just that, and more! By creating posters and reviewing the Escape Arts Environment Policy as part of our team project, I have also developed an enhanced understanding of steps that I can take to help prevent climate change. As a team, we have been able to include information like this in digital resources that will be shared with schools for use during a ‘Climate Week’ in the upcoming academic year. Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed the internship experience, and it has been an absolute pleasure to work with the global team and Escape Arts!

Inca Hide-Wright, University of Warwick

My name is Inca, and I am currently a second-year psychology student at the University of Warwick who has a passion for art and positivity! TeaMWork looked like a challenge I wanted to embrace and learn a lot from, such as how to work as part of an intercultural team.

This experience has taught me what makes an effective team, how to factor in wellbeing, and how to organise and communicate efficiently. I’ve also learned how transferable the skills I am gaining from Psychology and Art are.

My role in the team was as a team leader. This wasn’t a role I intended to take on but I’m very grateful to have had this role as it built upon and tested my skills. I am so proud of the resources we have produced for Escape Arts whilst maintaining a happy and effective team.

A future direction for this project could be to utilise social media and waste companies, such as YouTube and Grundon, to educate and provide a larger platform for Escape arts to go global!

Harry Ward, University of Warwick

I’m Harry, a 20-year-old student at the University of Warwick studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Working on this project with Escape Arts has been an immensely valuable and enjoyable experience. I am so glad to have been part of the team.

I applied to the internship because I wanted to improve my skills, work with a diverse range of people and complete a valuable project. I have learnt lots in this role (including enhancing my teamwork, communication, and organisational skills) and we have achieved so much with Escape Arts, such as producing posters, presentations, videos and even reviewing the charity’s environmental policy. Personally, I loved working on the presentation, as well as the policy review – a real area of interest for me.

A next step for the project might be to expand the provision of resources beyond primary school years and move into a higher age range. However, I think what we have done in the last month is a fantastic start! Proud!

Dunya Pinto Simone, University of Warwick

I’m Dunya, a Politics and Sociology undergrad at Warwick university. I have been heavily involved in the video included in the presentation and aiding the other resources. Using my presenting and audio editing skills, I compiled an audio file outlining climate change and edited this over a series of photos. Through this experience, I have been reminded of the importance of communication within a team and appreciation for members’ different skill sets. Additionally, I was able to acquire video-editing skills by using ‘Hitfilm Express’, a software I had not used in the past but will provide great utility in the career sector I wish to follow. Most importantly, I was reminded of the urgent problem of climate change and why our actions matter – often, we dismiss the issue of climate change but through teaching young children the simple things that can change our future, I was learning too.

Carley Ko, Monash University, Australia

Hi all! Carley here on the 2021 EscapeArts team! This internship has been an absolute blast, and I’m proud to have contributed to a topic I care deeply for. As a future graduate in nutrition, I could not miss out on such an amazing opportunity to work in an international team and explore the world outside of my country. During my time, I engaged in creating informative but simple promotional material such as digital posters for the project. This helped me learn how to put my knowledge and skills into practise as well as understanding workplace culture. My time here has certainly pushed me past my creative limits, but the support of my team and mentors made every moment an enjoyable time.

Many thanks to Escape Arts for this valuable experience! I look forward to seeing future projects and remember that every small action helps! 😊

Alice Wang, University of Warwick

Hi there! I’m Alice, the TeaMWorks internship mentor. I just graduated with a BSc in Mathematics from the University of Warwick. I’m so honoured to have the opportunity this summer to intern with Escape Arts. Working closely on the Plastic Planet project, I have been going into primary schools to create giant animal sculptures made from recycled materials, monitoring the team’s progress closely and seeing their development. From all the research we have done about climate change and global warming, we have realised that taking action is more urgent than ever. I encourage everyone to look through the resources the team has brilliantly created.