For several years I had heard about the Lee Pesky Learning Center and the strong, positive impact it has on students. I was honored to work with this nonprofit whose mission is to set children up for academic success through educator training, small-group literacy, individualized evaluations, academic intervention and coaching, and counseling.

My primary assignment was to design their annual Impact Report. This fiscal-year report highlights programs, outlines financing and funding sustainability for stakeholders, celebrates successes, and recognizes generous donors. I brought prior Canva experience from creating classroom materials, but this project required learning new tools and techniques within the platform. I will bring both the expanded process knowledge and the new design skills back to my classroom to improve my practice.

Working on the report taught me a great deal about document publishing: the necessity of precision and strategies for maintaining a consistent, unified design across a multipage publication. I focused on thematic consistency, placement of elements, brand-specific fonts and colors, and photo selection. The Executive Director and Advancement Coordinator shared a new vision for this year’s report—shifting toward stronger storytelling and richer imagery. I combined my visual storytelling background as an art teacher with my growing technical skills in Canva to produce a draft aligned with that vision. Through collaborative review, feedback, and revision, I delivered a final product ready for publication and distribution to clients, stakeholders, and the public.

As a secondary task, I audited the Lee Pesky Learning Center website for updates and additions. Using WordPress with the Divi editor, I added new staff and board member entries and linked to their profiles. Although I had used web development tools before, Divi presented a steep learning curve. There is more to learn before I feel fully confident, but I’m pleased with the progress I made and the small wins on this task.

This externship was deeply fulfilling. Contributing to their annual Impact Report—a major project for the organization—and helping update their website allowed me to learn new programs and strengthen existing skills. The value of the experience goes beyond technical abilities. On my first day I read a quote in their meeting room: “Skills expire. Attributes compound.” I want my students to understand that while skills can fade if unused, the attributes they develop—determination, persistence, collaboration, openness to feedback, and a willingness to try new things and take learning risks—will compound over time. Those attributes, cultivated across academic and life experiences, are what lead to long-term success.