Psychology Department

Psychology Home
 
 

Volunteering, Community-Based Learning, and Internships

In addition to academic work inside the classroom, Muhlenberg's Psychology students frequently engage in volunteer work, community-based learning experiences, and internships.  These experiences are invaluable ways for student to explore their career interests and to learn about civic engagement, community, leadership, and important social justice issues.  Muhlenberg's Community Service & Civic Engagement Office administrates many of the volunteer opportunities and emphasizes the goal of Muhlenberg and Allentown communities connecting in meaningful, reciprocal relationships in which each party learns from the other.

Volunteering

Students interested in volunteering are encouraged to visit the Community Service & Civic Engagement Office, both on the web and in person (lower level of Seeger's Union).

Community-Based Learning

Community-based, or service, learning combines lessons within the classroom and in community to reinforce knowledge and address community needs and desires. Service-learning courses engage students, faculty and community in mutually beneficial relationships allowing for programs/projects that enhance community and provide students the opportunity for reflection on experiences. For example, students in Dr. Sinno's Fall 2010 Advanced Developmental Psychology Lab partnered with South Mountain Middle School to aid South Mountain in increasing family engagement and community connectedness. Students developed measures, and collected and analyzed data from a representative sample of middle school students, family members, teachers and administrators. Students in Dr. Harring's Health Psychology class have done many projects, including designing, implementing and evaluating community interventions to address childhood obesity in collaboration with the Allentown Health Bureau and St Luke's Community Health Program. Psychology of Adolescence, Psychology of Women, and Child Psychopathology are additional examples of classes which often include a service-learning component. 

Internships

An internship is a work experience characterized by intentional learning.  During this experience, the student assumes a responsible role in an organization and actively reflects on what he or she is observing or learning. Muhlenberg Psychology students have held internships in many different settings. Check out the list of opportunities below for leads on possible internships. This list is not complete (and may not be up-to-date); it is just a starting point.  Muhlenberg students may want to check with Dr. Scuitto, Dr. Bips, Dr. Richmond, or Dr. Tjeltveit about clinical and school psychology internships. Contact Professor Wolfe at wolfe@muhlenberg.edu with additions or corrections.

Muhlenberg Psychology Majors
Declared majors can access a list of internship sites with contact information via Blackboard.

Muhlenberg Career Center  - Jobs & Internships Resources
http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/aboutus/careercenter/students/job/jobs.html

American Psychological Association list of research & internship opportunities
http://www.apa.org/education/undergrad/research-opps.aspx  

Muhlenberg College Admissions Office
See Dr. Harring for more information about these competitive internships.

Lehigh Valley Health Network Summer Scholars Program
The Research Scholar Program provides structured educational research opportunities for undergraduate students. The summer session spans 8 weeks, and the fall and spring sessions span 10 weeks each. Within each session, students apply for positions offered by health network departments. Each position involves a combination of research, as well as professional and clinical observations. The program offers educational experience for students and additionally provides valuable assistance to health network departments. For more information, visit: http://www.lvh.org/researchscholar. 

Lehigh Valley Hospital - Hospital Elder Life Program, Allentown PA
This is a research driven initiative which may be of interest to Muhlenberg College students who want to work with older adults, but also an opportunity for other students to get more applied research experience.  Please contact the Muhlenberg's Office of Community Service & Civic Engagement if you want more information.  

Market Research Internship, Marketing Department - The Morning Call, Allentown PA
The internship responsibilities will depend largely on the active projects during the term of the internship, but examples of responsibilities include:  assist with tabulation and analysis of research using SPSS, analyze and assemble research data to create audience and marketing profiles, assist in developing a program of research to monitor the competition, assist with news content analysis, organize and conduct panel discussions. This is an unpaid internship.  For more information click here.

Center for Children and Families - Summer Treatment Program, Buffalo, NY
This is one of several Summer Treatment Programs around the country.  For more sites, see the links below. The CCF hires Undergraduate Counselors, plus several Developmental Aides and Research Assistants for the STP each summer. The STP is for children and adolescents with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Conduct Disorder (CD), or Oppositional-Defiant Disorder (ODD). The STP is conducted every summer. For more information, see STP Program Overview. Interns are compensated with either a stipend or academic course credit, which must be arranged by the student through his/her own university department or the University at Buffalo prior to the beginning of the program. The University at Buffalo currently offers twelve credits for participating in the program. During the first week of the program, all employees will undergo intensive training conducted by the Center for Children and Families staff. The selection process is highly competitive and interested students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Students who wish to apply for more than one position should submit only one set of application materials. Positions are available for high school students, undergraduate students and recent graduates. To apply, please complete an Application for Summer Internship (PDF).

Additional Summer Treatment Program Sites
For information and to see if the programs are recruiting interns, contact these sites directly.

Wediko Children's Services in New Hampshire
Wediko is a non-profit agency located in Boston with 70 years of experience dedicated to children whose learning, social development and self-direction is lagging. During the summer months, Wediko operates its Summer Program 100 miles north of Boston in Windsor, NH. It is the nation's oldest short-term residential psycho-educational program, serving children and adolescents, ages 6-18, with serious emotional and behavioral disabilities. Wediko offers paid positions for professionals and pre-professionals. Much of our recruiting is conducted on the undergraduate and graduate level. Many applicants are interested in job and graduate school options for the future. One of the most exciting parts of working at Wediko is the diversity of professional training, including: special education, therapeutic recreation, counseling and school psychology, research, social work, psychiatric and community nursing, and psychiatry. Senior Wediko staff will talk about these professional growth opportunities in the summer. A strong Wediko reference travels well - both in job-hunting and in the graduate school application process. The ability to meet the physical demands of a rugged 450-acre campus is required. We do not have a set application deadline. Hiring decisions are made on a rolling basis. For more information and to request an application, visit our web site at http://www.wediko.org/staff/wediko-summer-staff.

Davidson-Broughton Summer Study Program, North Carolina
Davidson College sponsors an eight-week summer program for undergraduates which includes coursework and an internship at Broughton Hospital in Morganton, N.C., a state psychiatric facility serving western North Carolina. Students complete one practicum course credit in which students work in the hospital and meet weekly. Participants work with hospital professionals as observers and assistants in patient treatment programs. In past years placement options have included the Divisions of Adult Admission Division, the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Division or the Specialty Services Division, which includes the adolescent, geropsychiatry, and medical units. For more information, visit http://www3.davidson.edu/cms/x31462.xml.

Opportunities in Related Disciplines

Search for a non-scientific summer job at the National Institute of Health: http://www.jobs.nih.gov/

NIH Summer Internship and other Programs: http://www.training.nih.gov/student/index.asp

Department of Energy opportunities for life scientists: http://www.scied.science.doe.gov/scied/sci_ed.htm

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Internship Program: http://orise.orau.gov/doescholars