During my time in Berlin, I will be working with a local non-profit organization that works to increase tap water awareness, decrease plastic bottle water waste, and water accessibility. I will be working primarily on researching water policy and doing local outreach. This industry intersects community organizing, academia, and politics.

Within community organizing, there are a number of skills that are necessary to be successful. Being empathetic and understanding of people’s lives and experiences is vital within community organizing. Oftentimes you will be working with communities that come from a variety of backgrounds that are completely foreign to you. Therefore, by doing research and practicing empathy, individuals can approach this community correctly. For example, when I was working with community leaders in Homewood, PA with food security, I made sure to do thorough research on the history of the area and people before even attempting to speak with them. Especially since food security is such a sensitive and personal topic for people, I had to tailor my questions to be understanding and not be triggering to the interviewee. Practicing empathy also makes community members more comfortable around you, and are more likely to want to open up. But then protecting their confidential information and experiences throughout the process is vital. 

Since I will be doing lots of research during my time at a tip:tap, therefore I will be working within the realm of academia. It is very important to be thorough when working in academia. For example, when developing a publishable paper, there are numerous steps that need to be completed to the fullest level. With initial research, be sure that you are reading a wide scope of perspectives, opinions, and sources in order to gain the most insight. Then, writing requires attention to detail and making sure you are communicating the message in the most effective way. I sometimes struggle with making sure that I am writing in a way that is understandable to everyone and contains the whole message. In order to do this, being thorough in your writing and research is key. 

Another key skill is to know when to ask for help. Academia, at least for me, can feel very isolating and lonely. It is easy to get caught up in your own thoughts and ways that getting out of a problem can be very frustrating. But, knowing when it is time to ask someone for assistance is a valuable skill that shows a level of vulnerability that is difficult to get past. When I was researching for my eDNA project, I would run into issues and feel stuck with no way to get out of my problem. But gathering the confidence to reach out for help made me progress much more smoother.

Within Berlin, I think that community outreach is going to be the most different and require different strengths. Berlin has a long and complex history that intersects many cultures and countries. Learning this history and knowing the intricacies within it will also require empathy, and lots of research as well. There is also the language barrier that will be difficult for me to overcome during my time at the non-profit. While many Germans do speak English, it is not their native language, therefore creating a more authentic connection will be harder. But, during my time here, I have seen that people are very friendly towards any attempt at German. 

Another skill that I will have to use during this internship is being open-minded. There are endless things that will be new to me from social customs to subject matter and tasks. For example, if my boss needs me to work on something I have never done before or might not have an interest in, it will be vital that I keep an open mind on where this task can take me. It is possible that I might try something new in the workplace that I turn out to love. If I didn’t maintain an open mind, this might not be possible. Also, keeping an open mind can include being open to cultural differences in a way that you integrate it into your life. For example, I will be working within public policy and the governmental side as well. This will involve learning about Germany’s environmental policies and governmental regulations that could be super helpful to take back with me and use in America. This cultural exchange is vital for the progression of all countries and maintaining open-mindedness will make acknowledging and welcoming the differences that much more effective.