By Molly Wampler
Correction: It has come to the attention of The Trail that a number of statements in an article published Sept. 29 were false. Below is the revised article. with appropriate factual accuracy.
This summer, 39 University of Puget Sound students participated in one of three Summer Immersion Internship Programs sponsored by Experiential Learning at Puget Sound.
Through the Summer Fellowship Internship Program, the University helps connect students with various organizations in the Tacoma community. “This program is a special opportunity for students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to intern with nonprofits or government agencies,” Renee Houston, the Associate Dean for Experiential Learning and a professor of Communication at Puget Sound, said. With funding from donors and the University, 23 interns were awarded a fellowship this summer to cover living expenses, and on-campus housing was offered for a low fee.
Experiential Learning at Puget Sound has also taken great strides to make the process of getting class credit for summer internships simpler for students and faculty members. Nine students participated in the Summer Academic Internship Program this past summer, and earned class credit for their local internships by completing supplemental course work with other summer interns. An online class was an option for the seven students in the Intern Away Program this summer which offered the same unit of class credit for national internships. For those interning in Tacoma, the same inexpensive on-campus housing was offered; however, students were still responsible for paying the cost of a summer class.
Interns are also connected with various Puget Sound alumni throughout the summer, and this mentorship opportunity helps students connect their internships to professional life after college.
Despite being introduced to the University only two years ago, Experiential Learning at Puget Sound has already given undergraduates countless opportunities to involve themselves in educational experiences outside of the classroom. “Everything we do is always centered on how we [can] help students connect their academic learning with experiences [through] a reflective component,” Houston said. “[Reflection] deepens students’ learning, it transforms their knowledge, it clarifies their values, it develops their critical thinking skills,” she said.
Experiential Learning at Puget Sound recently launched a new internship program for sophomores called RISE, or Reflective Immersive Summer Experience, which will begin this spring semester. Students enroll in a .25 unit class which focuses on the development of their personal, civic and professional skills. Experiential Learning at Puget Sound then helps students find their own summer internships. “This program coincides beautifully with that moment when students are choosing a major,” Houston explains, and she hopes that eventually every eligible sophomore will participate.
“The common thread across all Experiential Learning programs is reflection,” Houston said. “When we look at Experiential Learning as a learning process, that reflection is really the transformative moment.”
For more information on other experiential learning opportunities, visit www.pugetsound.edu/academics/experiential, or stop by Experiential Learning’s office in the basement of Howarth Hall in room 005.