Welcome to the Practicum Blog!

Welcome to the Young Ambassadors 2025 Practicum Blog!

If you have any questions about the blog, feel free to email me at: RamirezD2@si.edu 

Journal Blog:

Your practicum will be a 4-week experience with your assigned institution or cultural organization.

As part of your 4-week practicum, you will be responsible for sending the National Museum of the American Latino weekly updates regarding your practicum experience. These updates should address the following questions:

• What have your assignments been this week? 
• How have these experiences increased your knowledge of the inner workings of museums and/or cultural organizations? 
• How does your practicum experience increase your knowledge of various disciplines, programming, and/or education? 
• How do your practicum experiences connect with the mission of the Young Ambassadors Program and the Washington Week experience? 
• Any other observations you may want to include

In your blog post, please be sure to include a personal reflection of your community outreach activity that addresses your experience in facilitating this enrichment program.

Overview of Blog Requirements:

• Include at least three photos (e.g., tasks you completed, activities you led, etc.)
• You must be pictured in at least one photo each week. If you need help capturing yourself at your internship, please ask your supervisor or co-workers if they can assist you
• Title format:

        [Institution] – [Your Full Name], Week [Number]

        Example: California Science Center – Dayanna Ramirez, Week 1

• Deadline: Every Friday by midnight (your local time)

          Example: If your practicum starts on July 7, your first post is due Friday, July 12 by midnight.

• If your practicum has different start/end dates, please email me so we can adjust your posting schedule accordingly.

Photo Assignment:

As part of documenting your experience, we would like you to submit photographs of your practicum assignment and community outreach activity throughout the 4-weeks. Include some of these photographs in your weekly blog posts. These photographs may be compiled and used to create an informational video on the Young Ambassadors Program. Please make sure you do not photograph children or specific individuals without their permission and the signature of the enclosed photography release form. Please also make sure you make your practicum supervisors aware of this assignment in case of any conflicts.

Acceptable pictures include pictures of you performing your weekly assignments, pictures of community outreach, and pictures of you in your daily setting and/or routine. For examples of past YAP practicum photos taken, visit our Flickr.

Please email your pictures of yourself at your practicum or community outreach event to Dayanna Ramirez at RamirezD2@si.edu.

Due Date and Process:

Weekly updates should be posted via the Google blog spot every Friday by midnight. We want to use the blog spot as a way to spark conversation and dialogue regarding the various practicum experiences. Each Young Ambassador is responsible for posting their blog to the blog spot at the end of each week, reflecting on the week. The Young Ambassadors Program staff will moderate the blog spot. The NMAL will host discussions each week based on participant comments. We encourage you to use the blog spot to post pictures and other appropriate communications related to your practicum or community outreach experience. The blog spot is a tool that you can use to communicate and share your experiences with your fellow Young Ambassadors. We hope that this provides an avenue for Young Ambassadors to have an ongoing conversation, or charla.

Please keep in mind that the blog posts you write will be shared with practicum partners, program sponsors, and the audience of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino social media accounts.

Con cariño,

Dayanna