Learning contract

Learner: ____Student Name____________________

Learning Experience: ________ Social Work Skills in Nonprofit Operations, Client Support, and Project
Coordination at Pathway Community Center______________________

What are you going to learn? How are you going to learn it? (Resources and Target date for
(Objectives) Strategies) completion
1. Develop administrative and organizational Participate in daily office tasks such as data entry, report writing,
skills. email and phone communication, and organizing donations. End of internship
2. Improve interpersonal communication, Assist international students and customers, handle customer
especially in cross-cultural and multilingual interviews, and navigate language barriers with the help of team
settings. support and translation tools. End of internship
3. Gain experience in service evaluation and Attend team meetings, contribute to case plan formulation, and help
case planning. assess project outcomes with supervisors. End of internship
4. Strengthen customer service and crisis Interact with clients at the food center and thrift store, identify
response skills. needs, and refer them to appropriate services. End of internship
5. Learn how to support and implement
community-based initiatives. Assist in planning and running organizational events and activities. End of internship

How are you going to know that you How are you going to prove that Advising faculty member
learned it? (Evidence) you learned it? (Verification) feedback (Evaluation)
Supervisor review and sample Faculty advisor review based on
Completion of daily administrative duties, accurate documentation of tasks (e.g., reports, submitted evidence and supervisor
records, and reports. communication logs). feedback.
Positive feedback from clients and coworkers on Reflection journal with specific examples Advisor evaluates growth in
communication and customer service. and feedback from team members. communication and cultural competency.
Contribution to meetings and planning documented
through meeting notes and supervisor Supervisor report on participation in case Advisor assesses understanding of
acknowledgment. discussions and service evaluations. casework and program design.
Participation in community initiatives and Activity logs, photos (if appropriate), and Advisor evaluates based on level of
customer interaction logged. supervisor statement. engagement and initiative.
Advisor grades reflection for depth,
Final reflection paper summarizing internship Submission of written reflection with critical thinking, and linkage to learning
learning outcomes and challenges. references to specific experiences. goals.

I have reviewed and find acceptable the above learning contract.

Date: __________

Student:____________________

Advising instructor:________________________
Agency profile and one-page description of organization

Agency Profile: Pathway Community Centre

Mission:

 To serve the local community by meeting practical needs, teaching skills, and fostering connections.
 To offer hope, dignity, and inclusion in the spirit of Jesus’ love.

Core Values:

 Compassion – Caring for every individual with respect and kindness.

 Inclusivity – Welcoming all people, regardless of background or circumstance.
 Empowerment – Providing tools (food, financial guidance, skills) to help people thrive.
 Community – Partnering with churches, schools, and agencies to extend support.

Location & Accessibility: Operates in a shopping center across from Clovercrest Baptist Church for easy
community access.

Organization Description:

Services Offered:

 Emergency Food Relief

 Provides food hampers to individuals and families in need.
 Partners with churches, schools, and organizations to expand food distribution.

Financial Support & Budgeting Assistance

 Helps community members facing hardship with financial guidance.

 Promotes long-term stability through money management skills.

Craft Connections Group

 Weekly Wednesday morning craft sessions for creativity and social connection.
 Encourages skill-building and community bonding in a relaxed setting.

Community Impact:

 Practical Assistance – Addresses immediate needs (food, finances) while fostering dignity.
 Holistic Support – Combines material aid with social inclusion and skill development.
 Faith-Based Compassion – Reflects Christian values through service, not proselytization.

Partnerships & Outreach:

 Collaborates with local churches, schools, and agencies to maximise reach.

 Engages volunteers and donors to sustain and expand services.
Vision for the Future:

 Grow food and financial aid programs to serve more families.

 Expand community-building activities (e.g., workshops, support groups).
 Strengthen networks with other service providers for seamless referrals.
List of agencies, resources and networks associated with the agency

Partner Agencies & Referral Networks:

Food Support & Emergency Relief

 Vinnies
 Foodbank Australia – Primary food supply partner.
 SecondBite – Fresh food redistribution program.
 Local Churches & Schools – Collaborate on food drives (e.g., [List specific names if known]).
 Salvation Army – Cross-referrals for emergency aid.

Financial & Welfare Assistance

 Centrelink Social Workers – Access to government support services.

 Financial Counselling Australia – Free budgeting and debt advice.
 St Vincent de Paul Society – Hardship support (e.g., utility bills, vouchers).

Community & Social Inclusion

 Local Neighborhood Houses – Joint workshops (e.g., cooking, job skills).

 Mental Health Organisations (e.g., Beyond Blue, Lifeline) – Referrals for counselling.
 Multicultural Services – Translation/language support for non-English speakers.

Volunteer & Donation Networks

 Volunteering Queensland Recruits and trains volunteers.

 OzHarvest – Food rescue collaborations.
 Local Businesses – Sponsorships or in-kind donations (e.g., supermarkets, bakeries).

Resources:

 Food Pantry & Thrift Store – On-site emergency supplies.

 Craft Group Supplies – Donated materials for workshops.
 Client Database – Secure records for tracking aid and referrals.
Reflection on learning experience:

1. Why I Chose My Objectives

I chose these goals in order to match the requirements of the Pathway Community Centre with my professional
development during my internship. Since the position entails client service, administrative duties, and project
management, I sought to hone critical abilities for charity work, including communication, organisation, and crisis
management. Improving cross-cultural communication was essential to helping clients and international students
who were experiencing language problems in a diverse workplace. I also gained an understanding of program
development by taking part in case planning and service assessments, and my ability to evaluate needs and make
the right referrals was reinforced by direct client connection. Finally, I was able to prepare for future positions in
social services by gaining practical experience in event planning and teamwork through my support of community
activities.
2. The Way I Sought to Carry Out the Objectives
In order to accomplish my goals, I worked on structured projects and looked for guidance and introspection. I
ensured accuracy and efficiency by methodically handling data input, report authoring, and donation monitoring as
part of my administrative talents. I provided support to international students and clients with cross-cultural
communication and recording conversations to aid my approach. With supervisors, I reviewed project results,
attended team meetings, and learned about harvesting case planning and evaluating services to make more
advanced suggestions for enhancing the services offered. I interacted with clients in the food centre and thrift shop
to respond to customer service crises and triage those who were at risk, professionally bringing them to appropriate
services. I supported community initiatives through event preparation, logistical coordination, and teamwork to
ensure everything ran smoothly. I actively reflected on my work, sought out feedback from my managers, and
maintained a notebook to track my growth, all to ensure I continued to advance my skills. I enhanced my learning
experience throughout the internship by integrating self-assessment and hands-on experiences.
3. Struggles Faced in Achieving the Objectives
I encountered multiple obstacles during my internship. One major challenge revolved around a client who did not
speak English (the language barrier). Unfortunately, this created numerous problems with servicing clients on time.
Additionally, accuracy was difficult to obtain while balancing data entry, report writing, and donation tracking,
especially during busy periods at the food centre and at the thrift store. Another problem was adjusting to crisis
situations since I did not feel comfortable making snap decisions when some customers needed urgent attention or
referrals. Participating in some team meetings and case planning sessions was also difficult for me because I was
not familiar with the organisation's policies, and I was scared to provide any input. Lastly, event organisation was
difficult because there was a lot of coordination and collaboration needed to run events, and there were
inefficiencies caused by unpredictable volunteer work patterns. These issues were a challenge for me in regard to
adaptability, time management, and communication skills, and yet these challenges gave me priceless learning
opportunities.
4. How I Overcame (or Did Not Overcome) These Struggles
I collaborated with bilingual team members and used translation tools to solve language problems and facilitate
communication. My relationship with clients expanded as I became more comfortable employing simplistic phrases
in their languages. I developed a specific prioritisation strategy for managing the administrative overflow and
assigned myself the most critical tasks first while ensuring that my work was accurate. At times, though, I struggled
with feeling overwhelmed, particularly with regard to ad-hoc tasks. I relied on de-escalation efforts, sought
guidance on referral protocols, and shadowed more experienced colleagues to become more comfortable with
managing crises. Even when I had improved, I still sometimes felt uncertain about the decisions I made. I started
out by recording the discussions held in the team’s meetings, and later started giving suggestions as I became more
familiar with the processes. Despite ongoing coordination challenges, communication and clearly defined roles
mitigated some of the inefficiencies that were present in teamwork during events. While other aspects required
additional focus, I managed to overcome most of my challenges through sustained effort, mentorship, and self-
reflection.
5. Resources Available Through the Placement Organisation
The Pathway Community Centre provided a number of educational resources, which helped me. Supervisors and
other employees served as my primary sources of guidance concerning client relations, case management, and other
administrative responsibilities. Furthermore, the company employed multilingual staff and had access to translation
aids, which assisted in overcoming customer communication barriers. My skills were further enhanced through
training workshops on cultural competence and crisis management. For administrative tasks, I was able to optimise
my workflow with the use of databases, report templates, and organisational software. The creation of team
meetings helped promote the sharing and resolution of issues collectively. The centre’s partnerships with other
social service agencies also streamlined the process for referrals. My organisation benefited from receiving
customer records, activity logs, and gift inventories as accompanying documents. I sometimes wished for a better
preboarding experience, but the materials that were provided to me during my internship greatly supported me in
reaching my internship objectives.
6. Main Themes That Emerged During My Placement
Several important themes from my internship with the Pathway Community Centre shaped my understanding of
social services and nonprofit work. The first was the importance of flexibility, which stemmed from attending to
administrative tasks, aiding different clients, or dealing with unanticipated emergencies. There was always a new
challenge to tackle, whether it was a new problem or planning an event on short notice or dealing with language
barriers. Cultural and communicative competencies fueled another vital takeaway. Interacting with international
students, clients who did not speak English, and people from different socioeconomic classes demonstrated the
importance of patience, active listening, and sensitivity. Though there were some misinterpretations, every
interaction helped change my approach to talking with them. The intersection of professional distance and caring
was yet another focus. I came across several people who required assistance in accessing food or using the thrift
shop and needed care but not too much that the services were not offered effectively. Over time, I learned the
balance between disconnecting people from supportive services and providing them with emotional assistance.
7. Evaluation of My Performance Over the Placement
From the integration of hands-on experience and self-assessment, I optimised my learning experience throughout
the internship. After evaluating my performance, I believe I met most of my internship objectives, but I do
acknowledge areas that required further development. Inputting data, organising donation call logs, and routing
reports at the right time were some of my strong points, which aligned with my preset goals. My ability to
communicate has improved, especially when interacting with people from different cultures. Despite my early
difficulties with language hurdles, I improved my ability to use translation software and gained confidence while
speaking with clients. Colleagues' feedback showed that I was resourceful and friendly when helping vulnerable
people and international students. I am aware, nevertheless, that I could have done a better job in the areas of
assertiveness and crisis response. In the beginning, I questioned my judgment and hesitated when clients required
urgent referrals. Even though I got better by watching more seasoned employees, I still lacked the self-assurance to
take the same bold actions as more seasoned pros.
8. Personal and Professional Development from the Placement
I developed both professionally and personally as a result of my internship. Through everyday struggles and
encounters with customers in need, it improved my empathy, resilience, and adaptability. I gained emotional
intelligence and strengthened my commitment to social justice. In my professional life, I acquired hands-on
expertise in nonprofit operations, including service evaluations, administrative tasks, and direct client care. My
communication, cooperation, and organising abilities all increased, particularly in cross-cultural contexts. My
cultural competency increased as a result of overcoming language obstacles, which improved my communication
skills. I also learnt how to multitask under duress from the internship. All things considered, this experience helped
mould me into a more competent, self-assured, and socially conscious person and equipped me for future positions
in nonprofit or social services.
8. Career Options and Directions Inspired by the Placement
My professional goals have broadened as a result of this internship, which has also strengthened my interest in
nonprofit and social services work. I have a keen interest in case management because it allows me to directly assist
and recommend to needy people. After helping to design and evaluate events, I also enjoyed coordinating
programs, particularly in community outreach. My administrative abilities, such as data entry, reporting, and
communication, have demonstrated the importance of administrative tasks like volunteer coordination. My interest
in multicultural advocacy or working with multinational NGOs was also prompted by assisting in bridging
linguistic and cultural divides. Overall, I now see a variety of professional avenues where I may contribute
significantly.
Summary and reflection of supervision experience:

My skills related to learning, professional development, problem-solving, and all else were shaped by
the supervision I received while interning at the Pathway Community Centre. Besides offering
organised guidance, my primary supervisor, alongside other seasoned staff, permitted me to refine my
skills through hands-on experience. The combination of assistance and autonomy facilitated my
achievement of the goals and strengthened my self-confidence in my position.

Structure and Approach to Supervision

The organisation employed a hybrid form of supervision that integrated more formal one-on-one
sessions with ad hoc check-ins, unsolicited guidance, and impromptu instruction. During the weekly
meetings with my supervisor, I had the opportunity to review progress, receive clarification on tasks,
and reflect on challenges. These meetings were particularly important for monitoring my goals, as we
went through my learning contract and made any necessary adjustments to my strategy. For example,
one of my supervisors helped me learn some de-escalation techniques, and when I was struggling with
crisis response, she connected me with a colleague who specialised in client referrals. Since the staff
were friendly and open to questions, informal supervision occurred routinely on a daily basis. This was
very beneficial when I was trying to deal with unpredictable elements, such as an irate customer or a
sudden change in the logistics of an event. With the positive environment fostered by the open-door
policy, I felt that I could look for help without being judged.

Insights from Supervision

Looking back, I think that reflection, as one of the elements of supervision, was the most helpful thing
to my practice. My supervisor kept asking engaging questions that prompted me to think about both
successes and failures, like, “What went well in that interaction?” and “How might you handle this
differently next time?” This approach certainly helped me in moving past just accomplishing tasks and
thinking in deeper, more complex ways. For example, after my supervisor helped me think through an
interaction I had with a client who did not speak English, using simpler words and pictures to explain
concepts that they later worked. Professional boundaries were also a separate lesson. My feelings of
sympathy towards clients made it difficult for me to remain objective, especially when clients
disclosed personal matters about themselves. Supervision taught me how to apply compassionate
detachment, allowing me to support people but making sure that I did not get emotionally entangled.
Simulated exercises in our sessions enhanced this skill and prepared me for potential scenarios in real
life.

Strengths and Areas for Improvement in Supervision

The supervision my experience provided me with was beneficial because of the individualized
feedback. My supervisor helped me focus on specific challenges I did not previously have a problem
with, such as assertiveness and responding to crises, but acknowledged that there was progress with
the administrative tasks. For example, some of them went as far as suggesting that I develop specific
outlines in advance after noticing my discomfort during team discussions, which helped improve my
self-efficacy in proposing solutions. There were some challenges, such as the variable availability of
the supervisors. Meeting times shifted during peak periods of some major community activities, which
left many questions unanswered for longer than ideal.
Placement Performance Report:
Placement Performance Report

Student STUDENT NAME

Supervisor Noel

Placement/Organisation Pathway

Scale: E

Competency Behaviour

E Excellent Intern performs exceptionally at all times, at the level of a qualified practitioner

G Good Intern performs above the level expected of a student

A Adequate Intern performs at the level expected of a student

P Poor Intern performs below expected level in some areas

VP Very Poor Intern is not safe to practise in this area independently

NA NA Not Applicable

Scale: Excellent (E), Good (G), Adequate (A), Poor (P), Very Poor (VP), Not E G A P VP NA
Applicable (NA)

ACHIEVED COMPETENCIES – General

1. Understood the placement organisation’s objectives Y

2. Communicates assertively and responsibly Y

3. Functions effectively in a helping team Y

4. Able to offer respectful feedback Y

5. Establishes appropriate boundaries in working relationships Y

6. Able to work well independently Y

7. Shows initiative Y
 8. Demonstrated competence in skills promoting a ‘working alliance’ with a client or Y
group of clients e.g. empathy, summarizing

9. Communicated lucidly and succinctly in speech and writing Y

10. Ethical in practice Y

11. Demonstrated respect and appreciation for issues of gender, culture, Y

religion, ethnicity, age status and sexual preference

Additional comments:

Throughout the time intern spent at Pathway Community Centre, they showed an eagerness to
engage with the material and reflect on their actions. In terms of administrative responsibilities,
they were very proactive and used their time to ensure that data entry, reporting, and donor
coordination were completed correctly. They demonstrated patience and inventiveness in
overcoming language hurdles when working with clients who could not speak English, which
significantly enhanced their cross-cultural communication abilities. Their suspicion of
emergency situations in the beginning was understandable, but their trust in customer referrals
and coordination was increasing and certainly admirable. He certainly has a lot of potential for a
career in social service, as long as they learn how to become more assertive in their decision-
making skills. Excellent work!

Agency/Site Supervisor’s Signature: …………………………………………………………………