LINK Project proposal
Tanner Smith
I am interning with the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) at Winter park Colorado. The NSCD is a nonprofit organization that focuses on providing snow sport opportunity to the disabled. As an experienced snowboard instructor, I have developed a passion for teaching and would love to explore a organization like the NSCD at a much larger ski area. I have done summer volunteer work with the disabled through Durango High School and truly enjoyed the experience. I have also been skiing and visiting Winter Park for years on end now and love the area.
The NSCD conducts many different activities involving the disabled that is not whatsoever limited to snow sports. The NSCD is a year round program that offers every activity from rock climbing to whitewater rafting. The NSCD is very passionate about being a year round opportunity for the disabled to utilize. On their website they list all of the activities they offer and their mission statement. ‘The NSCD offers a variety of year-around sports and recreational adventures. In the winter participants enjoy alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, Nordic hut trips, snowshoeing and ski racing. Additionally the NSCD offers indoor soccer and lacrosse as well as rock climbing and indoor kayak lessons. In the summer we offer Sports Ability Clinics, rafting, kayaking, canoeing, special camps, horse pack trips, therapeutic horseback riding, mountain biking, camping and rock climbing. All programs are designed for individuals, families and groups and are available for all levels of ability, from beginner to advanced.”
My LINK project is turning out to be involving the NSCD Paralympics with the media. There are still some things falling into place, but as of now my project task is to create a promotional video for the NSCD. My partner and I have both had experience with filming and video editing and can provide multiple different cameras. The final product will be uploaded to YouTube and shared across the internet to spread awareness of what great things the NSCD provides for the disabled. I am excited to provide some of my skills in Snowboarding and video editing to benefit the NSCD. We are yet to finalize whether a more effective promotion for the NSCD would be a public presentation or to spread our video amongst the digital media. We started brainstorming ideas of presentations to a local area but realized that most of the people local to winter park were already aware of the NSCD program therefore we are debating if a more effective way to spread awareness would be over social media and the internet.
During the process of organizing my LINK internship, I encountered a few unexpected speed bumps that have taught me a lot about the communication process with professional organizations. The most valuable thing I learned during the organization of this internship was to follow up with communication tactics. For example, in the beginning I felt that if I were to send out a few emails then I would receive a reply in no time. I did not understand how incredibly busy the NSCD was and still is during the winter weeks. I later followed up with multiple phone calls to the coordinators at Winter Park resort, who then gave me a phone number to contact the NSCD. At first I had called Winter Park Resort in hopes to assist the ski school, but when the operator described the NSCD’s program and how it works, I was more than excited to get in contact with the NSCD. Once I got to talk with the volunteer coordinator for the NSCD, things were looking good as they were in need of assistance. I cannot wait to volunteer with the NSCD in March and grow as both a person and an instructor.
Tanner Smith
I am interning with the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) at Winter park Colorado. The NSCD is a nonprofit organization that focuses on providing snow sport opportunity to the disabled. As an experienced snowboard instructor, I have developed a passion for teaching and would love to explore a organization like the NSCD at a much larger ski area. I have done summer volunteer work with the disabled through Durango High School and truly enjoyed the experience. I have also been skiing and visiting Winter Park for years on end now and love the area.
The NSCD conducts many different activities involving the disabled that is not whatsoever limited to snow sports. The NSCD is a year round program that offers every activity from rock climbing to whitewater rafting. The NSCD is very passionate about being a year round opportunity for the disabled to utilize. On their website they list all of the activities they offer and their mission statement. ‘The NSCD offers a variety of year-around sports and recreational adventures. In the winter participants enjoy alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, Nordic hut trips, snowshoeing and ski racing. Additionally the NSCD offers indoor soccer and lacrosse as well as rock climbing and indoor kayak lessons. In the summer we offer Sports Ability Clinics, rafting, kayaking, canoeing, special camps, horse pack trips, therapeutic horseback riding, mountain biking, camping and rock climbing. All programs are designed for individuals, families and groups and are available for all levels of ability, from beginner to advanced.”
My LINK project is turning out to be involving the NSCD Paralympics with the media. There are still some things falling into place, but as of now my project task is to create a promotional video for the NSCD. My partner and I have both had experience with filming and video editing and can provide multiple different cameras. The final product will be uploaded to YouTube and shared across the internet to spread awareness of what great things the NSCD provides for the disabled. I am excited to provide some of my skills in Snowboarding and video editing to benefit the NSCD. We are yet to finalize whether a more effective promotion for the NSCD would be a public presentation or to spread our video amongst the digital media. We started brainstorming ideas of presentations to a local area but realized that most of the people local to winter park were already aware of the NSCD program therefore we are debating if a more effective way to spread awareness would be over social media and the internet.
During the process of organizing my LINK internship, I encountered a few unexpected speed bumps that have taught me a lot about the communication process with professional organizations. The most valuable thing I learned during the organization of this internship was to follow up with communication tactics. For example, in the beginning I felt that if I were to send out a few emails then I would receive a reply in no time. I did not understand how incredibly busy the NSCD was and still is during the winter weeks. I later followed up with multiple phone calls to the coordinators at Winter Park resort, who then gave me a phone number to contact the NSCD. At first I had called Winter Park Resort in hopes to assist the ski school, but when the operator described the NSCD’s program and how it works, I was more than excited to get in contact with the NSCD. Once I got to talk with the volunteer coordinator for the NSCD, things were looking good as they were in need of assistance. I cannot wait to volunteer with the NSCD in March and grow as both a person and an instructor.