Women's Studies Interns

Students: The course syllabus changes every semester so do not rely on this web site version for the most current information about internships that are available this semester . You do not have to be a women's studies minor to take this course. Last updated December 2007

Internships offer male and female students who are juniors or seniors a unique opportunity to combine academic work with on-the-job experience in professionally supervised programs that serve the needs of women and girls. Students will choose one of the internships described in this syllabus. Do not contact any of the agencies on your own before coming to class. If you have an internship idea other than those described in this syllabus, you may with Dr. Nielsen to determine whether it meets the criteria for receiving academic credit. In the first class meeting you will be given more detailed information about each internship. In the first class you will choose your internship & the professor will make the arrangements for you to meet your supervisor. Your weekly work hours & the details of your specific project will be arranged when you meet your supervisor. If you fail to show up for work or fail to turn in work on time, you will be dropped from the course. If a problem arises during your internship, it is your responsibility to let Dr. Nielsen know immediately.

Class meeting times
Dr. Nielsen will meet with you in small groups every other week throughout the semester to discuss your internship work and to provide any assistance you might need in working more effectively with your supervisor. These group meetings will be arranged after your internship schedules have been set up so that the campus meetings will not interfere with your internship work. At the end of the semester the class will meet from 4:00-6:30 for students to make their presentations and turn in their final papers.

Safety Requirements To minimize risks to your safety, you must abide by these requirements: (1) I will talk with the supervisor about any potentially dangerous aspects of the work such as: unsafe places to park my car, leaving belongings unattended, avoiding certain roads or buildings (2) At no time will I meet with people or work in any setting other than the designated internship site or places approved by my internship supervisor. (3) I will not participate in any task that might expose me to physical harm such as driving through neighborhoods that I have reason to believe are unsafe. (4) I will immediately contact Dr. Nielsen if I am placed in a situation where I feel physically threatened, sexually harassed, or unsafe.

Course Credits
You can either register for 80 hours of internship work in one semester for 3 hours course credit or you can register for 40 hours of internship work for 1.5 hours of credit. If you only register for 1.5 hours, you can sign up for another 1.5 hours of credit in another semester. This course is only offered on a pass/fail basis.

Course Requirements
Due Feb 10 - Book Report Write a 3 page, single spaced, typed paper on your book, answering these 3 questions: What information most surprised or upset you and why? How might you use information from this book during your internship? What are 5 of the most important points this book is trying to get across? The book will be assigned by your supervisor on the basis of the particular type of internship you are doing.

Due March 1 - Web Site Research Project: Turn in a 3 page single spaced paper describing the best resources on the web that provide information relevant to your particular internship project. These resources might be agencies, research bases, or government documents. Your supervisor can give you several ideas for starting your search.

April 29 - 4:00-6:30 Final paper and class presentation
Turn in a 4-5 page, single spaced, typed paper answering these questions: What was your internship project & how did you go about accomplishing your goals? What was most meaningful or most informative & why ? In terms of personal or professional development, how do you feel your internship has affected or has changed you? Supervisor’s Evaluation Form must be stapled to your final paper. You will be reading your paper to the class and answering questions about your internship in the final class meeting.

Domestic Violence Advocacy Center - DVAC
The DVAC program is run by WFU law school, the Legal Aid Society & Forsyth County Bar Association. The 5 internship options are described below.
Intern supervisor: Professor Suzanne Reynolds WFU Law School sreynolds@law.wfu.edu 758-5725

Court Watch The goal of court watch is to hold judges accountable by having people record what is happening in a courtroom. You will sit in the courtroom where civil domestic violence cases are heard and write down the information about the judge’s behavior on a form designed to assess his or her performance Your written assessments will be turned in to the DVAC (Domestic Violence Advocacy Center) office at Wake Forest Law School. Periodically DVAC will publish the results to various organizations and media. In this way, you will be helping to put pressure on judges to apply the domestic violence law as it was intended to be applied. You will work with law students who are officers in the DVAC program and de-brief with them on a regular basis. You must be available to attend court at least twice a week at these times: Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri 10:00-12:30.

Legal Aid Internship You can intern at the Legal Aid office where you will perform various tasks for the staff attorneys and paralegals who handle domestic violence and other kinds of cases. These duties would include interviewing clients and performing general clerical tasks.

Domestic Violence Unit When a victim chooses to pursue the batterer through the criminal justice system, this judicial unit provides help with her case. The intern will assist in providing services to these victims.

Public defenders office The public defenders office provides representation to indigent people accused of crimes. An intern will provide general office assistance to the lawyers and staff of the local office.

Children’s Law Center You will work with the executive director and director of operations on a variety of topics – high conflict custody disputes, child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, and educational issues with the public school system. In addition to general office work, you will help investigate the facts related to these topics and accompany the directors to court appearances.

Criminology & Juvenile Delinquency

Center for Community Safety - U.S. Dept. Of Justice www. wssu.edu/ccs
The center’s goal is to reduce violence, especially juvenile crime. You will work with researchers, police, clergy & community leaders to gather & disseminate data on local crime, present seminars on crime prevention, design ways to prevent or reduce crime. CCS is a training & resource center for researchers & practitioners that blends research with action. In an effort to help victims heal more quickly and get on with their lives, the center needs help developing techniques & materials for the general public & for people who deal directly with victims & for victims
: Intern supervisor: Rick Pender penderr@wssu.edu 750 3483 500 West Fourth Street

Juvenile Justice - Legal Advocate for children(2 semester internship) A Guardian ad Litem is a trained volunteer appointed by the court to represent a child or teenager who has been abused or neglected. After being trained, you will work throughout the year with an attorney to represent these children in court. You will be visiting the homes & interviewing the families on your own. Annie Cahoon 761-2384 annie.l.cahoon@nccourts.org
Hall of Justice    http://www.nccourts.org/Citizens/GAL/Default.asp

Family Services: CONTACT Helpline for raped or battered women (2 semester internship) An excellent internship for anyone interested in social service work, psychology, gerontology, non-profit management and other human services fields. Working with social service professionals, you will be exposed to a variety of populations, learn about the management of crisis lines, volunteer coordination, training, public relations, marketing, making and taking crisis line calls, and all areas of non-profit work. There is extensive training for these programs. Training is held two evenings a week from 6 pm-9 pm. Interns Supervisor: Leisa Fink lfink@familyserv.org 723 4338 ext. 281.

Family Services: CONTACT Reassurance – An excellent internship for anyone interested in social work, gerontology, crisis management, mental health, and programming for the frail elderly and the homebound and isolated individuals in our community trying to remain living independently. Four hours of training will be included in this program. Contact: Leisa Fink lfink@familyserv.org 336-723-4338 ext.281

Crisis Control Ministry – This Christian based ministry assists people in crisis to meet essential life needs and to become self-sufficient. Your work as an intern might include such activities as helping people with housing issues, providing food and prescriptions, interviewing clients, maintaining client files, serving on committees, and planning community events.
Interns Supervisor : Vicky Jones 724 7875 volunteer@crisiscontrol.org www. Crisiscontrol.org

Agencies Serving Hispanic Families

These two internships are only available for students who are bilingual.

Casa Guadalupe You will work with social service workers to provide a variety of services for Spanish speaking families. Your work will also probably involve immigration issues. You must be fluent in Spanish.
Lisa Reyna 727-4745 603 Peters Creek Parkway casag@casaguadalupe.org cssnc.org/casaguadalupe

Hispanic American Community Care Medical Center
You must be fluent in Spanish. You will help doctors provide free medical care to Spanish speaking patients during these hours: Mon & Thurs 3:30-8:30 PM, Tues & Wed. 12:30 – 4:00. Diabetic patients are seen on Tuesday 12:30 – 4:00 . The gynecological clinic is on Wed 12:30 – 4:00 & Thurs 3:30 – 8:00 PM. Interns supervisor: Rex Hanby 703 1516 2135 New Walkertown Road 27101 drcare1@bellsouth.net

Children’s Home You will be working with teenagers who, for mental health reasons, cannot safely live at home. This residential treatment program provides counseling & educational experiences for these young people & their families. www.tchome.org 1001 Reynolda Road Supervisor: Linda Coleman 721-7699 lcoleman@tchome.org

Lesbian & Gay Youth You will work with the gay and lesbian youth group which meets on the first Monday night of each month (Sept meeting is on the 10th) and the African American group which meets every Sunday evening.
This is a both a social and support group for teens ages 15-19 who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or questioning their sexual identity You will also attend the monthly board meetings on the second Thursday of each month. You will work on the newsletter, web site, the outreach program for the Hispanic community, and the annual awards and fund raising banquet on Saturday evening October 27. Sponsored by Parents & Friends of Lesbians & Gays national organization www.pflagwinstonsalem.org Internship Supervisor: Thomas Farmer thomasfarmer@triad.rr.com 785 3318 youth group leaders: Eric Richard & Meribeth Robinson web site & newsletter: Scott Money

Big Sisters (2 semester internship) You will be a mentor for a girl from a low income family who needs guidance in dealing with home, school, and personal problem. Rebecca Edwards Rebecca@bbbsnc.org www.BBBSNC.org 107 Westdale Ave. 724‑7993

WFU Medical School: Women’s Health Center for Research, Leadership, Education
The Center is dedicated to developing excellence and innovation in research on women’s health and gender differences and educating health professionals and the public about women’s health issues. Working with researchers & medical staff, you will gather data, conduct research, educate the public, or help design programs. The federal government requires everyone to attend a 3 hour safety training workshop which is held every Monday afternoon from 1-4 at the Piedmont Plaza One Building in the Kitty Hawk Room.
Interns Coordinator: Diana Cornelison dcorneli@wfubmc.edu 713-4222 Piedmont Plaza II, Suite 101

Patient Education on Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination
Patient awareness of HPV is very varied. HPV causes many problems for women including genital warts and cervical cancer. This study aims to look at the impact of patient education on a woman’s willingness to be vaccinated with the new HPV vaccine. .

Efficacy of a Testosterone Patch for Women with Decreased Libido in Menopause
Many postmenopausal and perimenopausal women suffer from decreased libido (sex drive). This study investigates the use of a testosterone patch to help women suffering from low sex drive. .

Gender Differences in Energy Metabolism
A study is being conducted of gender differences in a genetically altered mouse model. Assistance is needed with data collection using MS Excel spreadsheets and also some data analysis. Limited laboratory work is also available for an interested student.

Mental Health Anxiety and Depression in the Primary Care Setting
Undergraduate students are needed to help with a study of mental health anxiety and depression among people in a primary care setting, as well as the impact of physical health on psychiatric symptoms. Interns will be involved in participant recruitment and data collection & l have the opportunity to observe and participate in diagnostic interviews with participants.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Research Project Dr. Islam Khan in the Department of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology, is pursuing immunological research related to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). SLE is a disease of female preponderance since lupus strikes women 8 or 9 times as frequently as men. A student is needed to perform some basic immunological techniques (training provided). .

Legal Internships
" The opportunity to pick the brain of the area's legal community provided me with candid information and advice that will help me in my future legal career. " "I saw the effects of violence in terms of broken arms, bruised bodies, and eyes swollen shut. These months have truly had an impact on my life. I am more understanding, compassionate, and patient. I also have a greater respect for our judicial system & the people involved in it." " I did background checks on defendants and edited digital photographs taken at crime scenes by police officers. I am only 21, and while I witness women younger than me in abusive situations, I am just beginning to realize the extent of this violence. "Prior to this internship, I had an image of lawyers as power & money hungry people. I'd never thought about the positive impact a lawyer could have on a woman's life. I hope that when I go to law school, I will practice law that helps women in the same way that I saw the lawyers helping abused women & children at Legal Aid." " As a politics major, I have flirted with the idea of becoming a lawyer. But I was not sure it would be purposeful. I now know that a lot of good can come from working in the criminal justice system."

Internships with Victims of Physical Abuse "Although I never before considered myself a research nut, I enjoyed the internship project immensely. I was able to apply the research on abused children to a very real cause." "This internship incited in me a desire to help victims of domestic violence to the point where I am now considering a career in this area. " "As my senior year began, I found myself experiencing something unexpected: boredom. I had tons of extra time and nothing to do with it. My internship exposed me to the real-life working of the justice system. " "By helping abused women, I strengthened my communication skills and my patience through the numerous times I had to contact the sheriff's department and the detention center. I was also able to overcome my quiet, shy nature. "

Internships in Social Services & Education "I think all WF students should be required to leave their safe comfort zones full of people just like themselves and venture out to experience what the lives of others are like." "While Wake Forest provides us with the opportunity to make something of our lives, is also shelters us from the world that surrounds our tiny campus. In this internship I saw that there are people in our community who have no control over the outcomes of their lives. " "In my internship with teenage mothers, I created slogans and designed flyers for teenage parents. I also got to share my own poetry and stories about my own life as a teen mom and a student at Wake Forest who has a child."This internship literally changed my life. I fell in love with social work & decided to go to grad school in social work instead of my original plans to go for a degree in l counseling."

Medical Internships "In examining biases in medical training that work against equal heath care for women, I reviewed a huge medical textbook." "I learned how to write a proposal for a company for funding. I also learned computer programs that enabled me to make graphs for drug purchases for a medical department." ‘My internship really opened my eyes about women's health issues.. Many times over, I was surprised by what I read about women's health and medical school education. Thanks to my internship, I am more equipped to identify bias or insensitivity when it comes to women's health as a future doctor." "Before doing this internship, I might have looked down on women who were pregnant out of wedlock or pregnant at a young age. I am now ashamed that I might have ever felt this way at one time."