Final Report Summer Internship 2016

Nature Nuts Internship- Final Report 1
Central Washington University
COM 490 Internship: Final Report
By: Ishanti Sanders

Table of Contents
The Organization......................................................................................................................... 3
My work at Nature Nuts............................................................................................................. 4
Planning........................................................................................................................................ 4
Research........................................................................................................................................ 5
Design and Promotion................................................................................................................ 6
Evaluation of Results.................................................................................................................. 7
General Reactions....................................................................................................................... 8
References .................................................................................................................................. 10
Appendix A ................................................................................................................................. 11
Appendix B ................................................................................................................................. 13

The Organization
Nature Nuts Outdoor Preschool is a 501(c)(3) non-profit focused on “Reconnecting kids
with nature” (naturenuts.org 2014). My client and founder of Nature Nuts is Brenda
Running. Brenda teaches children about survival skills, sustainability, knowledge about
plants and more. Nature Nuts strive to
1. Educate children, youth and members of the public about the natural environment
and to expose the same demographic to nature and the wild, as well as provide ways
for them to experience it.
2. Teach the same demographic and public the importance of protecting the
environment and natural resources.
Nature Nuts not only aims to educate children, but the community as well through other
programs. One program being the Family Nature Club. This program was led by Brenda
Running who would guide families on monthly nature hikes from January to August.
Another way Nature Nuts integrates adults into their non-profit is a program called Corks
and Canvas. The corks in the title is referring to wine. Guests gets to drink wine while
enjoying a painting class.
Aside from the more leisurely programs, Nature Nuts offers outdoor preschool during the
school year. In the summer, Nature Nuts offers week long summer camp. Every week there
is a new batch of kids. This program is similar to
outdoor preschool but it is condensed into one
week.
More About Brenda Running, Founder of
Nature Nuts
Meet Brenda Running. She wears many hats. She
is the founder of Nature Nuts, is the lead
certified instructor and is a Master Naturalist.
Mrs. Running is apart of the Washington Native
Plant Society as a Native Plant Steward. She has
had various training one being from the Art of
Mentoring Children in Nature at Wilderness
Awareness School. To create opportunity for
everyone Running’s background involves
working with children with special needs.
Running is Wilderness First Aid certified and is
on the Board of Directors of the American
Forest Kindergarten Association
(naturenuts.org 2014).
Figure 1: Brenda Running, Nature Nuts Founder and Certified Forest Teacher

My work at Nature Nuts
A lot of work has been done since I started Nature Nuts in winter quarter. All of the
objectives have now been met. There were some objectives that were not finished in either
winter or spring quarter, but I am happy to report that they are all done now. This work
has involved creating promotional content, conducting research, updating social media,
increasing followers/likes on social media, and manage/create written texts. My current
objectives are to plan or promote an event, improve media relations skills and create an
infographic based on Facebook analytics. It has been a pleasure working with Brenda
Running and I am excited to share the information I’ve collected with you.
Planning
As soon as I heard that Brenda was going to have a family hike program for half the year, I
knew families would want to know everything. To ensure most questions would be
answered, I created a digital flyer in InDesign. In Figure 2 you will see that the flyer had all
the basic information regarding what exactly the program entails and how long it would be
going on.
Figure 2: Family Nature Club Hike announcement I made and shared on Facebook and Instagram
Planning for the Family Nature Hikes every month was a team effort. Brenda would choose
the location of the hike and then would give me this information. Next, I would research
some basic information about the location and created an event page for every hike with
frequent updates.
On September 16, 2016 Nature Nuts will have a fundraiser. I have had multiple meetings
with Brenda discussing the logistics of this event. Mrs. Running wants to have to
fundraiser to create scholarships for children and to support the buildings of the program.
I’ve created an order of events so you could see what the fundraiser will look like.

Order of Events
 Guests arrive at Cedar River Education Center, North Bend
at 6:00 pm or earlier and Check-In.
 Silent Action will start and be ongoing throughout event.
 Adults will go from station to station and will play nature
games.
 A light buffet of food will be provided.
 Brenda will say her “Thank you” to her guests and will
plug Snoqualmie Brewery.
 Silent Action will close at 7:00 pm.
 Remaining time people will eat and converse until event is
over and guests will have to option to come to Snoqualmie
Brewery.
Nature is a simple and clean non profit and Brenda wanted that
to reflect in her fundraiser. This is why this event will be
unique to many. This fundraiser reflects the program the
children are in. The adults that come to this event will play
nature games at various stations while enjoying food, wine or
beer.
Research
At the beginning of this internship I researched programs
similar to Nature Nuts so I could see what works well for
competitors. I found that Little Sparrows at Greenplay
Cooperative is Nature Nuts number one competitor. This
program is located in Maple Valley and is similar to Nature
Nuts as far as the programs offered. Little Sparrows has a
sharp website too(greenplaycooperative.org).
With Maple Valley being a small town, reviews make a big
impact here. I’ve proposed to Brenda that she should create a
testimonial section on her website. Since then, there are three
testimonials on naturenuts.org. I collected feedback from
families during summer camp. Refer to Appendix A to see the
research I received.
Facebook is Nature Nuts number one social media. I wanted to
use Facebook’s insights so that I could see the impact I have
had on this company since January. In Figure 3, you will see an
infographic based on Facebook’s analytics. This infographic
covers the demographics, number of likes, how well the posts
did, and how my #NatureNutOfTheDay campaign did. Refer to
Appendix B for a closer look.
Figure 3: Infographic of Nature Nuts Facebook insights

In Winter, Brenda started a newsletter for families to stay up to date on the current news
about Nature Nuts. This newsletter went through multiple edits I conducted until it was
ready to send to all the families.
Before creating a sponsor letter for the fundraiser in September, I researched what other
sponsor letters look like. Refer to Appendix A to see how the template sponsor letter
turned out. I also tinkered with the mission statement and made it concise and clear. The
revised mission statement was used in the first paragraph of this document. To get this
result, I researched other mission statements to evaluate how companies made their
statements concise.
Design and Promotion
One-week long summer camp
means new and old families and
nature nuts. I wanted to make sure
every family could see their nature
nut on Facebook and Instagram. I
decided to create a post card size
social media plug in “Canva”
(Figure 4). Every week I or Brenda
would pass out these flyers to
families. I also passed out these
flyers in hope of increasing
Nature Nuts followers/likes.
Figure 4: Social media plug to Facebook and Instagram card.
#NatureNutOfTheDay Campaign
At the beginning of this quarter I wanted to create
a different way to gain more likes on Facebook
instead of just verbally asking for likes. I came up
with something called “Nature Nut Of The Day”.
Originally, Brenda and I were going to choose one
student to be the “Nature Nut Of The Day”. Since
summer camp class sizes are so small (12 nuts
per class), Brenda thought most of the children
would feel left out. For this reason, I created 12
different #NatureNutsOfTheDay posts for every
child, every week. Figure 5 shows a happy nature
nut.
Although this campaign ended up being a little
more work then I expected, it was fun. A student
was chosen to be Nature Nut of the day if they did
something unique that day. Like being a risk-
taker, adventurous, or even getting some dirt on
themselves. It was better to make a post for every
Figure 5: One of my #NatureNutOfTheDay posts

child every week because the page received more followers and likes. I achieved my
purpose of this campaign which was to build awareness and increase web traffic and
reactions.
Instagram
Figure 6: Example of an Instagram post
Instagram is a website where you really want to see a variety of pictures so I just tried to
keep things different. For example, I would promote Family Nature Club but would also
feature a child enjoying summer camp. Instagram was great for posting nature photos with
inspirational quotes as well. In Figure 6 you will see a Nature Nut having fun with fall
leaves!
Evaluation of Results
Accomplished and Completed Tasks
 Revised the Mission statement
 Edited Newsletter
 Researched Nature Nuts’ competition
 Created promotional announcement of Family Nature Club in January
 Created Instagram and Facebook posts
 Created a social media plug for Instagram and Facebook using Canva
 Created/planned/promoted Facebook events of family hikes (Family Nature Club)
 Created a “Save the Date” flyer for the fundraiser in September using Canva
 Discussed logistics and had various meetings about fundraiser
 Created a sponsor letter template
 Collect infographic research
 Created Infographic
 Increased number of likes on Facebook
 Obtained research/feedback about program from families

Unfinished Tasks
There was one small part of my internship that did not get done. All of the objectives were
met, but one thing in particular could have been better. Although I did improve my media
relation skills by managing written works, I was not able to create a press release for the
fundraiser. Since the fundraiser is in mid September Brenda would need a press release
then not now. Also I needed Brenda to get back to me with the revised sponsor letter so
that I could reach out to a series of sponsors. After this is when I would have been able to
write the press release. This is understandable because there was a huge list of tasks to
complete for the fundraiser and between summer camp and summer activities the
fundraiser is moving at a medium speed. I am happy I was able to provide a document for
the fundraiser regardless.
Positive Aspects
Working with Nature Nuts has given me a lot of positive experiences some being:
 The success of this business is reliant on the community of Maple Valley. I could tell
that word of mouth was a powerful tool in this internship.
 At my time with Nature Nuts, I can see the change in children’s education and
imagination.
 Adults love to get in on the fun too! Planning and going on a Family Nature Club
opened my eyes to the family, and ultimately the community’s relationship with
Nature Nuts and the trust Brenda has built.
 Families seem to love the small class sizes Nature Nuts has to offer and are willing
to work with children with special needs. The inclusion is amazing!
Negative Aspects
Although this internship was in no way horrendous the negative aspects include:
 I learned that is better to start planning a fundraiser earlier then you think. I loved
planning the fundraiser with Brenda but I think we could have gotten more
planning done if we started earlier.
 I would recommend Brenda and her employee’s Colton Running and Zoe Running
have weekly meetings so that their communication gets better. I’ve noticed that
Colton communicates differently then Brenda, which has caused frustration in the
past.
 If possible Brenda should try to communicate with her community on Facebook as
soon as possible. Since the community is such a key part to Nature Nuts, responding
to them quickly with strengthen and grow her audience.
 Last aspect was that I was not able to write a press release. (Honestly, its okay I had
plenty of work and can work on a press releases later).
General Reactions
My general reactions to this internship are great! I am happy that Brenda was my client
and was willing to work with me. I am proud of the work that I have done. My favorite
piece of work I’ve created was the infographic. I love that it’s whimsical and informational.

My favorite part of this internship was working with the children. To see the pure joy on
their faces. They are the reason why Brenda started this program in the first place. I am
humbled to have been a part of this program and hope that my client is happy with the
work that I’ve done. In Figure 7, you will see a photo of nature nuts from week one of
summer camp.
Figure 7: Photo of the first week of Nature Nut Summer Camp

References
https://www.facebook.com/naturenutsmaplevalley/
http://www.greenplaycooperative.org/forest-school/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BCglupmRkjq/?taken-by=naturenuts
http://www.naturenuts.org

Appendix A
Sponsor Letter Template I created:
ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITY
Dear Future Partner,
Nature 4 all and and Nature Nuts Forest School invite you to participate Nature Nuts
Fundraiser held September (date), as a sponsor. Nature Nuts is a outdoor forest school
located in Maple Valley Wash. Our mission is to (insert revised mission statement).
We are reaching out to you for donations for our fundraiserto support our mission,
provide scholarships for children who can’t afford to attend our school. Your money will
also go to structures we need to operate our school like our club house and teepee. (May
need more information on club house and teepee so that they understand how those
structures are related, Sponsors may want to what club house and teepee are used for)
By sponsoring our Nature Nuts fundraiser, you will (talk about how we would advertise
them during fundraiser and what they receive in return)
Thank you for your time. Please consider supporting us by donating today.
Best Wishes,
Brenda Running
(206) 271-8899
Certified Forest
Kindergarten Teacher
25306 SE 184th St.
Maple Valley, WA 98038

Nature Nuts Feedback Comments from Families and Guardians
We can keep the names anonymous if needed when posted on the website etc.
**Paraphrased feedback**
Question 1: Why do you like NN?
Question two 2: Have you seen a change in your child for the better?
Olive’s mom: I enjoy that they get to go outside. After one year of class my child is more
confident and doesn’t not rely on her sister as much to talk for her. I love the staff. Nature
Nuts gets my kids energy out. My child learned about edible and inedible plants.
Anonymous: Outdoor atmosphere, they get to run around. NN exposes my children to
more. There’s less screen time and more outside time. He more creative and I’ve seen
tremendous change.
Debbie Ducks mom: She learns several life skills amazing education
Nature Nut Duck: “I like to explore and learn more”
Carly Hanks mom: He can get dirty. He knows a lot about plants. He’d rather be outside
rather than inside. He’s more creative. NN is a wonderful program.
Chris Aiden’s dad: He get to be outside and make friends. On family hikes he can name
edible plants and name birds.
Milo’s Mom: My son is on the spectrum so it’s a goof environment. I like the class size and
the time spent out side because if he was at home he’d be playing electronics.
Joel Sayers dad: He more interested in nature and knows more about edible plants and
animals.
Aiden’s mom: All outdoors not trapped in a classroom. He can identify plants. He’s learned
how to be responsible for his belongings.
Rocks mom: Outside creative helps to think critically. My child gets to enjoy fresh air and
build trust with adults. We love Nature Nuts!
Malachi’s mom: He gets to run off a ton of energy. He is calmer at night and has been proud
to teach what he knows.
Jacksons mother: My two-year-old son is more talkative!

Appendix B
Weekly Journals
Week 1 Jun. 20, -Jun. 25
 Created a SWOT analysis with client Brenda Running and discussed objectives and
goals.
 Discussed social media campaign #NatureNutsOfTheDay Launched
#NatureNutsOfTheDay campaign with Friday June 24 continues for weeks.
 Had meeting about fundraiser and what it would entail
Week 2 Jun. 27, -Jul. 2
 Celebrated and promoted National Mud Day
 Used Canva to create FB and Instagram plug (We passed these cards out to families
every week)
 Had a brainstorming meeting about sponsors to reach out to for fundraiser
 #NatureNutOfTheDay campaign continues.
Week 3 Jul. 3- Jul. 9
 Gathered feedback on nature nuts from families
 Created a Pinterest board for fundraiser food ideas
 Created Sponsor letter template
Week 4 Jul. 10- Jul. 16
 Had a logistic meeting about the fundraiser
o Talked about budget, food, venue, fundraiser goal, and order of events
 Created “Save the Date” invitation for fundraiser
Week 5 Jul. 17 -Jul. 23
 Gathered feedback on nature nuts from families
Week 6 Jul. 24-Jul. 30
 Typed up all the feedback collected.
 Last #NatureNutOfTheDay post are done.
Week 7 Jul. 31-Aug. 6
 Gathered feedback on nature nuts from families.
 Gathered research from Facebook analytics.
Week 8 Aug. 7- Aug. 13
 Created Infographic based on Facebook analytics
 Outlined final report
Week 9 Aug. 14- Aug. 22
Report and all materials due turned in by this week.

Link to my graphic to see better if need be: https://magic.piktochart.com/editor/piktochart/15460711#
Facebook Infographic
  

Final Report Summer Internship 2016

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