Professional Development in a Community-based Internship Program

Abstract

Background & Rationale: The community-based internship program (CBIP) I am apart of is a mixture of hybridized high-impact educational practices. The purpose of this study is to identify professional skills developed during the CBIP through a large public urban university and achieved outcomes of the CBIP. Students in the CBIP engage in personal and group reflection, both in-action, and on-action based on their experiences in the internship. Methods: The course combined with the complementing work experience is aimed at the development of critical thinking and effective communication skills as well as a sense of intercultural competence and individual, social, and environmental responsibility. The goal of the program is not only to provide students with an opportunity to earn their work study award at a non-profit or school, it also seeks to provide a learning experience that develops civic responsibility and prepares students for their future careers. Results: Through this community-based internship program and the supplementary course, I was able to develop professional skills such as communication, team work, leadership, and flexibility. Additionally, through the CBIP objectives I was able to develop a sense of civic responsibility, better preparing me for a career in Social Work. Conclusions: The goal of the program is not only to provide students with an opportunity to earn their work study award at a non-profit or school, it also seeks to provide a learning experience that develops civic responsibility and prepares students for their future careers. My experience at my community-based internship has achieved this goal