Team building is hard when you’re an intern and everyone is competing. But these 60 interns from Medtronic pulled together and did some great charity work for people in New Haven who need wheelchairs. Great job, guys!

It’s common these days for companies to always be on the lookout for ways to give back. That could explain the popularity of our Charity Workshops, such as the one we did for Medtronic this past July. Medtronic takes things a step further, and even their interns get to give back to the community. We were glad to help!

Interns are Hesitant at First

Interning for a big company like Medtronic is an eye-opening experience itself. But then throw 60 interns together in a hands-on team building workshop and you can bet there’s a little bit of anxiety!
But that’s no obstacle for us – we’re old hands at getting crowds to loosen up and try new things, especially when it comes to communicating and collaborating.
The day of our Wheelcharity™ workshop for Medtronic, we had not only a large group of nervous interns but also some national news that was weighing heavily on everyone’s minds. That made for an initial gloomy atmosphere as the participants wandered into the “cafeteria” space where the workshop was held (no longer used as a cafeteria, however).

Icebreakers- They Work Every Time!

Overcoming a gloomy atmosphere, nervous participants and a large group that didn’t know one another… all in a day’s work for our experienced and talented facilitators! Icebreakers like “Air Counting” and “Say What I Say” bring everyone together on the same page so collaborative activities that build teams can happen for real results.
The group made it through a total of five icebreakers, and then teams were formed and the real work began. Our favorite collaboration-builder, Commercials, was a great hit and everyone turned on creativity to produce some very impressive results.

Wheelchairs Went to Wheels for the World

Giving back came in the form of building wheelchairs for a total of nine people who really needed them (did you know wheelchairs are extremely expensive?). Teams built their wheelchairs, then tried them out for safety, and finally we had a charity presentation and pictures.
The representative from Wheels for the World presented very engaging and informative talk and offered material for those who wanted to stay afterward for a minute or two and learn more.
The Medtronic interns gained a lot more than they’d bargained for, and giving back brought everyone together to accomplish the workshop goals in a truly successful manner. Great job!