UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 28, Page 3
April 22, 1993
Student service; Internships experiences enhance classroom teaching

     Dedicated, hardworking, motivated and, most of all enthusiastic,
describe the seniors majoring in family and community services who are
interning at numerous public and private social service agencies.
     Lauren Spindel, an intern at Ronald McDonald House affiliated with the
A.I. du Pont Institute in Wilmington, reflected the general feelings of the
13 participating students when she said of her job, "I love it, and I learn
something new every day."
     Serving a variety of organizations and agencies, the Family and
Community Services Internship Program is sponsored by the Department of
Individual and Family Studies of the College of Human Resources.
     According to Elizabeth Bertera, assistant professor of individual and
family studies and coordinator of the program, the interns apply the
training and skills acquired in the classroom to their volunteer jobs.
     "It's an effective trade-off. The students provide a genuine service
to the community while getting hands-on experience in the workplace.
Another plus is that our students are better qualified to find jobs upon
graduation, with some continuing to work for the organizations where they
interned," she said. Students majoring in family and community services
determine what areas interest them, such as working directly with children,
seniors or families, with community agencies, or in administration or
research. For the nine-credit internship during senior year, they interview
with agencies that match their career interests and, upon acceptance, work
as volunteer employees for a minimum of 30 hours a week.
     Once a week, they also meet for a seminar, taught by Bertera, which
gives the students an opportunity to share their experiences. The students
perform a variety of jobs. Deborah Cohen is working with the Head Start
Program. In addition to helping out in the classroom and accompanying staff
on home visits, she is working on a needs assessment to determine where a
new Head Start program should be started in Wilmington.
     Michelle Lupow works with the American Heart Association of Delaware,
where she does everything from fundraising to visiting schools to talk
about heart-related health, in the guise of the Tin Woodsman, based on the
"heartless" character in The Wizard of Oz.
     Jennifer King works at Family Court of Delaware, where she meets the
public and explains court procedures in custody, visitation cases and in
other areas of its jurisdiction.
     Alicia Babbit of Newark wants to be a hospital social worker and is
getting experience at Christiana Medical Center, where she interacts with
new mothers, some of whom have babies with health problems, telling them
what services are available to them.
     Beth Bodner of New Jersey also works there, helping neurosurgical
patients obtain support services after they are discharged. She intends to
go to graduate school.
     Beth Stout of Wilmington, along with Spindel, interns at Ronald
McDonald House. They work with resident families and with young patients at
the A.I. du Pont Institute, both in the hospital and when they are visiting
Ronald McDonald House. The interns do informal counseling, plan activities
and help train volunteers.
     Linda Ogilvie, resident house manager of Ronald McDonald House, said
the two interns "have great interaction with the kids and families and have
developed a variety of programs for them, from aerobics for the adults to
arts and crafts and parties. The girls are mature, have good listening
skills and enjoy taking on different projects."
     The family and community services internship program began in 1977
under the leadership of Lila C. Murphy, professor emerita. Bertera came on
board to assist with the program in January 1991. Bertera has bachelor's
and master's degrees from the University of Puerto Rico and a doctorate
from Bryn Mawr College.
     Throughout her career, Bertera has worked as a social worker in
different capacities-a clinical social worker with the University of
Southern California Medical Center, a child welfare worker, in a midwife
training program and at Johns Hopkins Hospital where she received the
Social Worker of the Year award in 1981. Before joining the Delaware staff,
Bertera was a family therapist with the Family Services of Delaware
Protective Services and helped develop a health promotion program for a
YWCA senior center.
     Her varied experience and her association with the Delaware social
services structure have been helpful in coordinating the internship
program. She acts as a liaison between the participating organizations and
students.
     "We have placed a total of 45 interns, and the feedback from the
participating organizations has been positive. The program provides an
outreach service for the community while giving students invaluable
experience in preparing them for entry level jobs in their fields," Bertera
said.
     Other students participating in the program are Ava Maria Angelini at
Sienna Hall (Catholic Charities Inc.), Nicole Bruno at Family Service
Delaware Inc., Melissa Sue Greenwell at the Family Court of Delaware, Julie
Hariton at the Latin American Community Center, Amanda King at the 801
Shelter in Dover and Wendy Ann White at Big Brothers/Big Sisters of
Delaware.
                                        -Sue Swyers Moncure