Anahi Francis (bottom row, third from right) and seven other students from the Faculty of Education and Health Professions interned at Monitor Elementary School.
Students in the College of Education and Health Professions transition from the classroom to real-world learning environments through internships and practicums. In the fall 2023 semester alone, 1,865 students completed internships and clinical placements, preparing them to work after graduation, serving many communities within and beyond Arkansas.
The university prepares students for many caring professions, including education, nursing, speech-language pathology, public health, recreation and sports management, counseling, occupational therapy, athletic training, and human performance research. Direct training allows you to gain sufficient knowledge in your chosen medical or educational field.
Anahi Francis, a graduate student teacher candidate, is currently participating in an internship at Monitor Elementary School in Springdale, where she is teaching in first- and third-grade classrooms. She is one of her 250 student teachers who have interned at her 47 school buildings in Northwest Arkansas and dedicated approximately 121,000 work hours to local schools.
Prior to her internship at Monitor Elementary School, Francis participated in a field experience where she was able to practice leading classes while learning from experienced educators.
“I got a real sense of what it's like to work in an elementary school,” she says. “These hands-on experiences immersed her in the educational field and helped prepare her for her career.”
Students in the University's Nursing, Communication Sciences, and Disorders programs embark on internships at various clinics across the region as part of their specific degree programs.
This academic year, more than 1,000 Eleanor Mann School of Nursing students are completing practicum hours at 70 clinical facilities in Arkansas and surrounding states, with students completing basic skills training and then completing training in acute and community settings. is moving on to working with actual patients.
In the classroom, counseling students gain experience primarily through mock sessions with classmates. But when second-year graduate student Kat Paddon embarks on an internship at Pinnacle Counseling in Rogers this spring, she will see patients directly for the first time, an opportunity she feels will be essential to her post-graduation success. There is.
Throughout this academic year, we are hosting 91 counseling students participating in practicums or internships at approximately 30 unique locations on campus and in the community. This experiential learning opportunity for students is divided into her three divisions: Mental Health, Rehabilitation, and School Counseling.
These students have spent a total of more than 20,000 hours in internship and practicum settings this year, participating in training and outreach units, and providing direct patient services in addition to continuing their education.
“For us to be able to do the job one day, we need hands-on experience that you don't really get in the classroom,” Paddon said.
With a wide range of internship options available, Paddon is committed to finding sites that match each student's skills and needs, and is determined not to “blindly force students into a career.” I feel lucky to be able to study in this program.
Additionally, this year, Communication Sciences and Disorders students will complete clinical placement hours in more than 30 school districts, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and outpatient clinics throughout Northwest Arkansas, totaling more than 22,000 direct clinical hours by the time they graduate. You will gain experience.
Occupational therapy doctoral student Kayleigh Mahar spent time completing clinical rotations at a pediatric therapy clinic and said the experience helped her improve her skills and develop her professionalism.
“I was able to apply the occupational therapy processes I learned in my coursework to real clients and build strong relationships with the children I worked with and the staff around me,” she said. “I am very grateful for this experience.”
Mahal's training both in and out of the classroom prepared her for this semester's clinical rotations, the final step in preparing occupational therapy students for their careers after graduation.
This academic year, more than 130 exercise science students in the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation are providing approximately 18,000 hours of service through internships at 40 locations. Students can choose from a wide variety of internships, including sports training, medical sales, and prosthetics and orthotics.
This year, public health students will complete approximately 20,000 hours at 50 unique facilities, including the American Heart Association, Ronald McDonald House Charities in Arkoma, and the Fayetteville Senior Activity and Wellness Center. Contributes to group training.
“We strongly believe in the importance of providing meaningful and innovative experiential learning opportunities for our students. Internships and practicums, where students can receive hands-on training, are It is an integral part of all degree programs,” said Dean Kate Mamiseishvili. “I am so proud of our students for serving Arkansans while continuing to improve their skills.”
For more information about the university's departments and programs, please visit the College of Education and Health Professions website.
