Leading the Internship Pilot with Project Management Tools

I had the privilege of leading Modern Natured's first-ever internship pilot program which ran from June 3rd to August 31st, 2024. In partnership with the University of Ghana. This 100% virtual pilot aimed to provide students with hands-on experience while emphasizing the importance of collaboration, efficient project management, and using the right tools to get the job done.

A core aspect of this program was introducing our interns to essential project management tools like Asana, Google Suite, Slack, and Kanban boards. These tools played a pivotal role in streamlining communication, organizing tasks, and keeping everyone aligned on deadlines and progress. Asana was used for task management and project tracking, allowing us to assign tasks, set deadlines, and monitor progress in real-time. The Kanban boards offered a visual way to track workflow and priorities, ensuring that nothing was missed.

In addition to zoom, Slack became our go-to communication platform, ensuring seamless conversations, whether for quick questions or more detailed discussions. We also relied on Google Suite: Docs, Sheets, and Drive to create, share, and collaborate on documents effortlessly. Using these tools, we were able to foster a collaborative environment where everyone had a clear view of tasks and responsibilities, making our workflow smoother and more efficient.

Throughout the program, the interns were involved in key areas such as branding, social media strategy, and campaign development. Interns like Priscilla Agbenyo, Matthew Aninga, and Samuel Ntiamoah showed impressive growth as they used these tools to manage projects, communicate effectively, and meet deadlines. These tools gave them a solid foundation for collaboration, which is essential in any professional setting.

Feedback from the participants was overwhelmingly positive, with 85.7% of the interns expressing their willingness to recommend the program. Despite the challenge of balancing academic responsibilities, the interns thrived in this hands-on, tool-driven environment and developed valuable skills that will serve them well in their future careers.

I’d also like to thank Professor Mr. Oliver Ashiaby and the University of Ghana for their support in making this internship program a reality. The success of this pilot reinforced the importance of leveraging technology to enhance collaboration, efficiency, and learning in the workplace.

I’m excited about the potential for future internship programs, and I look forward to seeing how these tools will continue to empower young professionals in their careers.