YFE 595: The internship is a cooperative educational program between the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State University and approved employers in youth and family professions. Students will participate in supervised field experiences in organizations serving youth and families to acquire the skills and knowledge related to their professional interests. (Student must be a graduate student in the YFE program.)

Objectives

An internship in Youth and Family Education will provide students with an opportunity to:

• Have an off-campus learning experience relevant to their academic program in an organization serving youth and families
• Explore their career interests in depth
• Establish career goals related to their aspirations in youth and family education
• Prepare for employment in their future career
• Develop professional work habits
• Understand the relationship between classroom theory and practical application

Operational Principles

The student intern shall:

• Have well defined work activities that are regarded as worthwhile by the cooperating agency, the intern, and the supervising professor.
• Develop specific learning objectives that are reviewed throughout the work period.
• Be supported by the supervising professor and a cooperating agency representative whose roles are to:
  • assist with task identification
  • learning objectives
  • carrying out tasks
  • counseling the student
  • carrying through with ideas and projects initiated
• Contract as an independent agent with the cooperating agency to do the work and pursue the learning objectives
• Meet regularly with their agency supervisor and supervising professor to permit feedback and accountability among all individuals.
• Assess the worth of the internship experience by producing a mid-experience report and a final report to the supervising professor.

Enrollment Procedures

1. Students seeking internship experiences will complete a course application form stating the kind of internship desired and geographical location. Students are responsible for securing their own internship positions.
2. No later than one month prior to the beginning of the internship semester, the student must arrange an interview with a representative of the cooperating agency. The supervising professor and the agency representative will determine whether an available position will provide an experience that supports the student’s academic and career objectives. They also should be assured that the student’s interests and academic preparation will satisfy the demands of the cooperating agency.
3. Upon approval of the agency representative (including a detailed list of activities to be performed during the internship), the student will submit the “Plan for Internship” to their internship professor. Then the internship agreement will be completed.
4. The student will then register for the course following normal University registration instructions.

Internship Evaluation

Before the field experience, the student prepares an “Internship Plan” to which the cooperating agency representative and supervising professor agree. The plan specifies learning objectives. The student also submits a mid-experience report and a final report. The cooperating agency supervisor will rate the student’s professional behavior during the internship.

The Student’s Grade is Based on:

Internship Plan - 20%
Mid-Experience Report - 20%
Final Report - 20%
Employer Evaluation - 40%

Checklist of Tasks to Accomplish

_____ Create resume, write cover letter, and conduct job search
_____ Get organization’s sexual harassment policy
_____ Develop a Plan for Internship
_____ Keep a Daily Journal
_____ Submit the Mid-Experience Report
_____ Have the Internship Evaluation Form completed by the cooperating agency representative
_____ Submit the Final Report

Conditions to be Established Before Intern Begins Work

• Nature of the internship
• Supervisory arrangements
• Responsibilities of the intern
• Whether a car is required
• Length of internship
• Number of hours expected to work
• Number of credits to be earned
• Compensation, if any

Responsibilities of Participants

Student:

• Seeks placement opportunities.
• Creates a resume, writes a cover letter, develops a job search strategy, arranges for job interviews, and procures an appropriate employment site.
• With approval of internship agency and supervising professor, develops a “Plan for Internship.”
• Determines with supervising professor an appropriate number of hours to work.
• Completes the tasks and activities listed on the “Plan for Internship.”
• Conforms to normal work hours of the cooperating agency, including overtime if requested.
• Supports the agency, maintains confidentiality, and works for agency’s best interests.
• Requests prior permission from agency and supervising professor for leave periods.
• Submits a mid-experience report and a final report at agreed upon times.
• Completes a daily journal of the internship experience and submits to supervising professor at agreed-upon intervals.

Supervising Professor

• Assists the student in developing the “Plan for Internship” to:
  • be academically relevant to student’s career objectives
  • involve initiative, creative opportunities, and meaningful responsibilities
  • provide opportunities to gain knowledge and skills that link classroom learning with community level experiences
  • include appropriate supervision and direction by qualified individuals
• Has periodic conversations with agency supervisor to determine how intern’s work is going
• Discusses with intern (in person or by phone if at a distance) at designated intervals insights gained and how the experience relates to attainment of learning objectives and career objectives
• Provides feedback to intern during discussions and after reading the mid-experience and final report

Cooperating Agency

• An agency representative approved to supervise the intern interviews the student prior to enrollment in the course.
• The agency provides a description of the intern’s responsibilities and activities during the entire internship period. The internship should provide a learning experience not available within the intern’s academic program. The final approval for registration is made by the supervising professor.
• The agency is expected to provide opportunities for the intern to take part in a variety of educational experiences and specific projects.
• The agency assigns a specific individual to supervise the intern and this individual regularly reviews the intern’s performance.
• The agency and the intern collaborate to prepare a mid-experience report; a final report will be submitted in the same manner in the last week of the internship.
• The agency supervisor completes an evaluation of the intern’s performance; the form is forwarded to the supervising professor.

More Information . . .

• Guidelines for the Mid-Experience Report, Internship Journal, and Final Report
• YFE 595 Plan for Internship Form & Letter
• Cooperating Agency Representative Internship Evaluation Form

For more information contact:

Dr. Joan S. Thomson
Email:

- or -

Dr. Tracy S. Hoover
Email:

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