02 Sep The future of hybrid work, internships, and learning models

Our 2020 spring, like most everyone, was much different than we anticipated. We paused our Business by Design course pilot and shifted our internships to virtual. This summer, we created hybrid internships and recently had our first-ever virtual Rêve Revival via webinar.

While it was for a very unfortunate reason (COVID19), the summer allowed us to experiment with a hybrid model of our program that we might not have otherwise tested out. Rêve interns worked remotely four days per week, with one morning in the office together. This model turned out to produce an amazing summer experience, based on the feedback from our Revival end of summer project showcase. We are more excited than ever that we can actually scale the program even better than we anticipated.

Now that our summer programming has concluded, we shifted our focus to fall and potential pilot partnerships. Given that many schools are going hybrid, they are very interested in providing enrichment opportunities to fill some of the gaps.

Enter the future of hybrid models. From working, learning, and even participating in internships remotely, we are shifting and figuring out ways to make our experiences in new situations work effectively when we can’t collaborate in person.

From online collaborative Miro boards, project management platforms, such as Basecamp, Zoom breakout rooms, webinar presentations, and remote team building activities, the new ways of work and learning are positively falling into place. Rêve’s initial data from pre and post-professional skills assessments this summer tell us that interns still increase their professional skills in a similar pattern in a virtual environment, compared to in person. Based on informal surveys, interns were comfortable and productive working remotely. Seventy-five percent of Rêve’s summer interns chose the virtual webinar format of Revival, rather than an in-person model, and closed out their summer experience with creative and professional presentations of their business models.

What does this mean for the future? It is still an uncertain time for us all, and time will tell when we fully return to our work and learning spaces. For now, we are shifting, improving, creating, and thinking in an innovative way about providing meaningful and productive experiences for young people. Taking away or pausing opportunity is not an option. We must grow, try new things, fail, correct, and keep moving forward. Young people do not have the luxury to wait it out, they need opportunities to build their future now more than ever.

There is a famous quote that says “Nothing is certain, except change.” We are embracing this and striving to develop our new normal. We are excited to offer another hybrid model of Business by Design this fall and continue to see the impact of our new model as this year progresses. Here’s to the future!