Feedback to improve summer training for students

[lizgarciao]

During the orientation (the first day), it would be good to set rules and expectations for students. For instance:

• Inform students of Slack's "status" feature to notify others of when they are working on the training, are in a meeting or having lunch.
• Let students know that they can use sick time for doctor's appointments and other health related events.

In terms of general feedback, it would be good to:

• Invite students only to meetings that connect with their ongoing training curriculum or where they can contribute in some way. Having too many meetings can interfere from training focus.
• I really enjoyed the retrospective meeting towards the end of the summer. I think that it was a great space to discuss how the program had been for us so far.
• Tiny workshops are best when they are engaging the audience throughout, and not just at the end for questions. I think checks of understanding during the workshop helps with both engagement and also making sure that everyone is grasping what is being discussed/taught. If we could focus the tiny workshops on topics that are closely relevant to the students' work, that would be great. Other workshops that may not directly relate to the training topics can be scheduled as optional.
• Informing students of the "optional" feature for meetings on Google Calendar is important, so they know whether they are expected to be there or just if they want/are available to attend.

Overall, I am super satisfied with my experience with the DACS team, Christina as my mentor, and Jane who helped me out a lot as well! It has been wonderful to work here with such a welcoming and supportive environment. I am excited to continue working with the team during the Fall semester! 😊