Catalog Course Description
An internship is a high impact learning experience where knowledge and theory from students’ program of study are integrated with shadowing, volunteering, or paid employment with a private company, not-for-profit organization or government agency toward the intentional development of transferable knowledge, skills and abilities and practical application of professional competencies. The semester prior to the internship, Academic and Career Advising Center staff assist students with preparing their application materials and searching and applying for English Studies related internships within the local community, stateside or abroad, as well as in defining learning objectives, educational and career goals, and professional deliverables to be met throughout the course of training and practice. During the semester of the internship course, under the mentorship of a dedicated professional who has the education and/or background and expertise of the students’ discipline of study, students immerse in a remote, hybrid or in-person professional setting. Through guidance, support and regular feedback from the mentor and the internship course instructor, students strive to satisfactorily learn and practice their internship position and achieve their learning objectives. Students follow a course curriculum including: 40 contact hours at the host site per credit hour registered; participation in classes, meetings or workshops as scheduled by the course instructor; timely completion of homework assignments in support of student learning outcomes, professional readiness and career exploration; and end of semester evaluations. Internships culminate in a letter grade determined by the above criteria. Written pre-approval of the internship by the course instructor and Academic Director is required.
3.000 TO 9.000 Credit hours
Student Course Description
For Spring 2024, I interned with The Telling Room (TTR), a nonprofit writing center that serves the Portland and Greater Portland communities. TTR works with students ages 7-18 in various styles of writing including poetry, fiction, personal narrative, and more. During my internship, I co-taught an after-school program, Word Play, which focused on ages 7-10 years old and their exposure to the world of creative writing. We did everything from erasure poetry, and exquisite corpse stories, to map-making and world-building! In addition to Word Play, I traveled across Southern and Midcoast Maine from York High School to Brunswick Elementary teaching students a blend of writing workshops and residencies. The biggest takeaways from my experience are the tips and tricks of creative writing, student-need-based teaching, and the importance of impact.
