Summer 2026 Recap and Fall News
One thing about DITA is that every summer seems even better than the last. (Don't worry, we fully appreciate what each unique cohort brings to the table! No favorites!) Summer 2026 brought a batch of fresh faces, the trusted wisdom of returning host sites, a whole lot of newfound confidence, and plenty of laughter along the way. Read on for some of the ways Cohort Number Eight showed up to work and showed off their new skills! Just in case you don't make it to bottom of this email: reminder that Host Site Applications for Summer 2027 are now open—you can apply today to host a DITA intern!
Orientation and Painting Workshop at ASLD
This year's DITA interns got to spend two afternoons at the Art Students League of Denver (which is a fun old building and also DITA's administrative host entity). The cohort got acquainted with one another before their first day of work at the beginning of June, and came back at the end of the month for a painting workshop.
ASLD faculty member Jenna Almond Williams guided interns through a painting exercise designed to help them pause and reflect while making decisions about the future. Williams taught interns to externalize their inner critics by writing down negative thoughts and putting them in a jar; with critical thoughts out of the way, it's easier to focus on what's in front of us.
Spotlight on Confidence at DCPA
For the July Learning & Networking Session, interns headed to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. A panel of DCPA employees shared about their career paths in the arts (which can often be winding and unexpected!) before Rick Mireles ('26 DITA supervisor and DCPA Director of Community Engagement) guided interns in a series of exercises on projecting confidence while networking and public speaking.
Celebrating Another Successful Summer
After ten weeks, interns gathered with their supervisors and the DITA team at Lighthouse Writers Workshop to celebrate a successful summer. Following DITA tradition, each intern gave a short presentation about their experience throughout the summer: what they learned, how it changed their perspective, and what they're looking forward to with the skills they've gained.
Some highlights of the summer, as shared by interns:
Bolu learned that being a leader isn't just about being the loudest person in the room, and that you can find out a lot just by listening at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
Quincy tried everything from grant research to social media content creation to using power tools to charcuterie board curation at Union Hall...all key skills to have in the arts nonprofit sector!
Batt realized while interning at Opera Colorado that the adult world is not that scary, and learned that every good job should meet at least two of the following criteria: good pay, good projects, and good people.
Venus overcame the intimidation of working their first real job by getting out of their comfort zone and being brave at Biennial of the Americas.
Daniella gained an appreciation for the progressive power of history and that everyone has a a story, and realized her own ability to give tours even as an introvert while interning at The Molly Brown House Museum.
Kris practiced beginning again and is on the journey to be just like their favorite mentors after a summer at Theatreworks.
Farrah took on the museum fast track when she assisted with curation and research at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, and the slow track as she learned to move carefully around fragile objects from the collection!
Pilar was given the freedom to experiment with staging, rigging, videography, and light/audio support during concerts at The Levitt Pavilion.
Ivan helped develop programming for young people to connect over a shared love of words at Lighthouse Writers Workshop, a job he described as "even more fun than working at a vegan restaurant!"
Ella kicked off her internship with 4 days at one of Colorado's largest arts conferences, the Colorado Creative Industries Summit, and also learned valuable skills for integrating accessibility into marketing.
Lilyth happily spent many hours in the basement of Museo de las Americas photographing dozens of items in their collection, and along the way learned to trust her own skills in the face of imposter syndrome.
It was an amazing summer with Cohort Number Eight—we can't wait to see where they take the skills they've gained this summer!
As for DITA, we're gearing up for next year: applications to be a DITA Host Site for Summer 2027 are now open. Apply today to be part of the DITA magic next year!
Thanks for reading being a thread in the DITA network. 🌟
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