CACC Programs » Federal Work-Study Community Service » Glendale Community College

Glendale Community College

Career Exploration, Academic Credit, and Federal Work-Study

http://www.glendale.edu/jobplace
Contact: Andra Verstraete, Student Employment Services Manager, Glendale Community College, 818-240-1000, x 5404, andrav@glendale.edu

Glendale Community College is a leader among two-year institutions in advancing community service in academic programs. The college is especially creative in utilizing its Federal Work-Study funds to serve the needs of its students and the community. A recent addition to the variety of community opportunities are internships in government agencies and community organizations for FWS-eligible students. The innovation is that the internships relate directly to the students’ academic interest and the students can receive academic credit for participating in an internship.

Government Internships

When a student expresses an interest in an internship opportunity, Glendale’s student employment office staff members assist students in finding job placements in government offices. The positions may be in Congressional district offices, state agencies, county, or city departments. Once the student secures the placement, he or she is assigned to a faculty advisor from an appropriate department who supervises the student’s progress. ( For example, a student who is working for an Assembly Member may be assigned to a political science professor; a geography instructor would supervise a student assigned to the planning department of a city office.) Then the faculty member, the student, and the agency supervisor meet to determine three learning objectives for the student’s internship. The faculty advisor also reviews the job description for the internship with the student and sets the requirements for successful completion of the academic course--final paper, project or presentations.

All interns are required to keep a journal that includes reflections on their experiences, and the students are evaluated by their supervisors at the end of their work. All of these elements are included in assessing the student’s learning and accomplishments in the faculty advisor’s grading (the course can be taken for either credit or non-credit).

Community Internships

The Community Internship Program utilizes the same process for internships at community agencies—assistance with placement, assignment to faculty advisor, agreement on learning objectives and requirements for academic course completion. An example of a community internship is placement of a FWS-eligible student at one of the the local YWCA’s domestic violence programs. Students who are interested in careers in social work or other related professions are excellent candidates for these jobs. Their work is tied to their academic learning with support and advice from appropriate faculty. The YWCA supervisor also develops job descriptions, participates in developing learning objectives, and evaluates the student’s performance. The student also is involved in ongoing reflection and producing a culminating project or activity.

Glendale’s FWS internship program included another unusual twist—Glendale’s students also serve in jobs at a nearby four-year university, obtaining additional technical skills, while operating in a university structure, and learning about university life. These FWS-funded internships are designed to give students service opportunities, familiarization with the university (to encourage college continuation and transfer), in addition to career exploration.