Community agencies as participants in an alternative high school internship program

• Main Author: Allen, Joyce Kay
• Other Authors: McElhinney, James H.
• Format: Others
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Community and school.; Non-formal education.; High schools > Curricula.
• Online Access: http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/handle/handle/174775; http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/387420

The purposes of the study were: first, to identify what personnel in community agencies providing internships judge they contribute to a student intern's learning about (a) the role of the agency in the culture: (b) his competency to perform specific services; (c) his understanding of his cultural heritage; and second, to identify how community agencies are influenced as they provide experiences for student interns. Data were collected by interviewing and analyzed by a descriptive-survey design.FindingsCommunity agency personnel judged their agencies contributed to students' understandings of roles of thecommunity agencies in the culture by providing:orientation sessions, on-the-job training, and opportunities to observe a variety of adult, professional, and organizational contacts direct involvements in the agencies' functionsCommunity agency personnel judged the agencies contributed to students' competencies to perform specific services by: - assuming some of the agencies' responsibilities - acquiring specific personal qualities and knowledge - working in students' interest areasCommunity agency personnel judged the agencies contributed to students' understandings of their cultural heritages by providing opportunities for students to associate and communicate with professionals. Community agency personnel judged the agencies did not accommodate and/or build upon cultural/ethnic differences of students; neither did they plan for students to learn more about themselves while in agenciesCommunity agency personnel judged the agencies were influenced as they provided experiences for student interns by receiving services, improving public services, and improving employees' moraleConclusions Community agency personnel judge they contribute importantly to students learning while the students fulfill internship responsibilities in agenciesCommunity agency personnel judge the cooperating agencies are influenced positively but to a limited extent as they provide experiences for student interns