All Children & Society students are required to participate in at least two Connecting Experiences as part of their BDP work. Take a look at what some Children & Society students have done recently for their BDP Connecting Experiences.
Spotlight
Past Connecting Experiences
Connecting Experience Spotlight
Michelle Horsley
Majors: International Business, Spanish
Type of Experience: Internship, Community New Start
Mentor: Yolanda Padilla, Social Work
How did you find out about this internship?
I found out about Community New Start by word of mouth. I have some friends who volunteer with them and my interest grew as I heard more about the program. CNS is a Christian-based after school program in the St. John’s area of Austin. I was eager to get involved in the Hispanic community and interact with kids, so I got in touch with the director to see if I could help out!
Describe the work you did for Community New Start.
My job at CNS was multifaceted. I did everything from analyzing data to interacting with kids at camp. I organized the office, restructured the inventory system, and played kickball every Saturday in the St. John’s neighborhood. I also performed research on the Hispanic culture and how grades correlate with involvement in the CNS after school program.
How did this experience connect to your BDP?
This internship really helped me understand my BDP because I got to see how children interact within their niche. I familiarized myself with the education system and performance of Hispanic children when compared with other elementary students. I analyzed lots of grades and it was interesting to see how family structure ties into achievement in school and behavioral discipline.
In what ways has this CE shaped your plans for the future?
My experience with CNS shaped my desire for interaction with the Hispanic community in the future. I developed a greater love for the Spanish language and desire to interact with the growing Hispanic population in Austin. I also developed an interest in language acquisition and linguistics through speaking with kids in Spanish and English. I now am investigating my interest in Speech Pathology and am very enthusiastic about the next connecting experience I will complete!
Read about past Connecting Experiences for Children and Society.
Past Children & Society Connecting Experiences
There is no “list” of possible Connecting Experiences to choose from because Connecting Experiences are designed to fit your own personal interests and goals. With that in mind, here are some of the internship and research experiences Children and Society students have had in the past. They might help you get started brainstorming what you might want to do for your Connecting Experiences.
Past Internship Placements
- Active Life
- Any Baby Can
- American Lung Association’s Asthma Education Program
- Americorp for Community Engagement and Education
- Austin Area Urban League
- Austin Child Guidance Center
- The Biscuit Brothers production studio
- Capitol School of Austin
- Cartoon Network; Los Angeles, CA
- Center for Child Protection
- Child and Family Research Institute
- Communities in Schools
- Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas
- Easter Seals Central Texas
- GENAustin
- Girlstart
- Girls’ Inc. Summer Camp; San Antonio, TX
- HABLA Lab
- Office of the Attorney General of Texas, Child Support Division
- Posada Esperanza
- Safe Place Child Care Center
- The Settlement Home
- Summerbridge; Fort Worth, TX
- Texans Care for Children
- Texas Autism Project
- Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
- UT in DC Program at the Archer Center
- Williamson County Child Advocacy Center; Georgetown, TX
Past Research Projects
In the past, students have conducted research on
- Bilingual training needs for speech-language pathologists
- Causes and treatment of autism
- Children’s physical activity
- Drug prevention programs for adolescents
- Effectiveness of state welfare programs
- Effects of divorce on children and families
- Emotional development in children
- Health care delivery in Latin American countries
- High school dropout rates in the Mexican immigrant community
- Homeless children and health care in Mexico City
- Juvenile justice, youth, and violence in the Americas
- K-12 education in Roma, TX
- Language development in infants
- Music therapy for children with special needs
- The New Parent Outreach Project
- Physical attractiveness and adolescent self-perception
- Schizophrenia in adolescents
- Television and electronic media’s effects on children’s health