Internships

The Department of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies so strongly recommends that all WGSS minors complete an internship at some point in their academic career that we have now incorporated a small practicum into our capstone course, WS 499. Some students also choose to do a more extensive internship. Whether paid or not, for credit or not, students, employers, and graduate schools clearly value this kind of early work experience. Dr. Krajewski supervises internships in Women's Studies.

In WGSS, you can do an internship in two ways:

  • WS 499: Senior Seminar (Fall only, 3 credits). A 3-5 hour (over the semester) practicum is required as part of the capstone course in the minor.
  • WS 450: Internship (Fall or Spring, occasionally Summer, 1-6 credits). You can also arrange a more extensive internship. The expectation is 37 hours over the semester per credit hour.

Some WS minors do internships under their major department. You would then be supervised by someone in your major department and follow their rules. Check the department's website or contact the department chair or the advisor assigned to you by your major department for more information.

Initiating an Internship:

Make an appointment to discuss an internship with Dr. Krajewski. Discuss the practicum for WS 499 (offered fall only) with Dr. Krajewski in the prior spring.
Contact the site supervisor before you agree to an internship. You should be clear about their expectations in the following areas:

  • How much supervision and training is provided?
  • What skills will I gain?
  • What is expected of me?

Exploring Internships:

You can arrange an internship that is:

  • local (perhaps in your hometown during the summer)
  • national
  • international (through International Education)

You are welcome to develop a new internship (other than those listed below) in any field you like. Talk to Dr. Krajewski about your interests – she can help you identify potential sites. Career Services can also work with you to create a specialized internship.

Current Internship Opportunities:

These internships are just a sampling of what is possible, including only the sites where prior WS minors have interned. Explore your interests with Dr. Krajewski.

Community Liaison Program

Interns offer resources and referrals to people in poverty at several community sites and follow up on calls to people needing housing, food, gas vouchers, and other assistance.

Couleecap (Community Action Program)

Duties vary depending on the interests of the intern. Couleecap (see www.couleecap.org) has a strong Youth Program and Transitional Housing Program. Both programs work with low-income clients.

Domestic Abuse Reduction Team (DART)

DART pairs a police officer with a domestic violence advocate for intervention in the cases of domestic considered most dangerous. Interns train to answer the phone, record cases on the computer, ride along to visits to victims’ homes, attend court hearings and agency meetings with collaborating agencies, and more.

Domestic Violence Intervention Project

DVIP assists individuals experiencing abuse or the threat of abuse in their family. The intern gains experience with the criminal justice system and community agency coordination. Interns may also attend meetings with collaborating agencies.

First Call For Help

Interns assist the professional staff at the telephone helping service in crisis intervention or telephone counseling. An extensive training period is required.

GALAXY (Gay Alliance of La Crosse Area Youth)

Duties vary depending on the interest of the intern. GALAXY workss to educate, empower, and support LGBT youth, ages 21 and under, through weekly meetings, panels and presentations, special events, and other activities. The group provides a safe, supportive, chemical-free space in which youth can learn about risk prevention, develop leadership skills, explore healthy life choices, and learn how to make a difference in their communities. The program is open to youth in the city of La Crosse and surrounding communities, including Minnesota and Iowa. Check this website for more about the organization: http://www.ywcalax.org/galaxy/

Gundersen/Lutheran Hospital Eating Disorders Program

Students accepting an internship position with this program may gain hands-on counseling experience, and will learn about developing treatment programs and forming treatment teams.

Margaret Sanger Papers Project

We seek applications from graduate or advanced undergraduate students to work with the editorial staff at the Project's offices in New York City. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to become proficient in primary and secondary research, and the process of editing historical documents for publication. Interns can apply for internships working with the book or digital edition. BOOK INTERNSHIP: Interns will be working on Volume IV of the Selected Papers of Margaret Sanger, covering the years 1922-1966 and focusing on her efforts to create a global birth control movement. Interns will work under the supervision of editors on specific topics, tracing people, places, events and issues covered in the documents. The research will be used to produce annotation and introductory material for the volume. Research will be conducted in the Project's offices, using the comprehensive microfilm edition and other primary sources, as well as at local libraries and with resources available on the Internet. DIGITAL INTERNSHIP: Interns will be working on a digital edition of Sanger's speeches and articles, on texts written by Margaret Sanger in the 1930s.  Interns will be proofreading the texts, adding XML encoding, and drafting subject index entries for the documents. Interns will conduct research as needed to verify dates, titles, and publication information, or to identify the names of people, organizations and books mentioned in the documents. More information and application information can be located on our website, at: http://www.nyu.edu/projects/sanger/aboutmspp/internships.html  The deadline for applications is March 1, 2008.

New Horizons Shelter and Women's Center

Children's Program Interns participate in planning and leading children's weekly group sessions, research funding sources, and collecting resource materials, and participate in speaking engagements whenever possible.

Safepath at the Women’s Health Center at Franciscan Skemp

Interns train as advocates and answer crisis calls, work with victims on the phone or walk-ins, do public relations work for Domestic Violence Awareness Month or Sexual Assault Month, and general office staffing.

Salvation Army

Interns work with clients one-on-one, facilitate educational groups, and network with area agencies that might have resources for shelter clients.

Victim Witness Program

Interns do a variety of tasks in the office of the La Crosse County District Attorney, from accompanying victims to court to working with the files to explaining the law and victims’ rights to clients.

WGSS Internship

Interns do a variety of public relations tasks, from making brochures to advertising Women’s Studies events to arranging women’s studies programs to producing our calendar of events. Or you could be in charge of producing The Vagina Monologues during spring semester.