ITIruJUIT@@lDn@Un@ni1 ~ IWDnIT)j)@~@ ffini1@l @@ffin~ ill rnn~U@IT]7 ill TILQID)j)ffi@U @ruJ ~UDn@l@ruJU~ n TILQID)j)ffi@U @ruJ @ni1@fi@~ n~ ~~ffi~fi~~fi@~ ll&5 rn@nDn~firn~ ffirn@l This year's annual report in addition to reporting on activities undertaken during program year 1974, reviews the scope and impact of the Intern Program during its first three years. Organized to give the reader an oppor tunity to view the program from various perspectives, the report has sections on student involvement, benefits to participating agencies, and college par ticipation. Through graphs, pictures, charts and short narrative sections, the report gives an overview of the impact the Intern Program is having on educational and service institutions in Georgia. It is our intent to increase the public awareness of the size, scope, and benefits of the Intern Program and hopefullY,to promote the growth of field experience education in Georgia. MICHAEL A. HART The Georgia Intern Program provides undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities for active involvement in specific projects with public agencies. This program offers a comprehensive service-learning experience which enchances the educational process and meets agency needs for manpower. Basically following the servicelearning concept, which holds that active participation by a learner can result in personal growth and development as well as completing a needed task, the Intern Program now serves as an educational resource for all institutions in the University System and many of the public and private colleges in the state and nation. The project approach to a field experience is used to fulfill the aims of a service-learning experience. Cities, counties, multi-eounty agencies. and state agencies submit projects for interns to complete within a specified time. Agencydefined projects in this program differ from traditional internships where students are expected to test theory in the field. Through the Intern Program students, agency personnel, faculty, and community are engaged in a shared learning experience from which all can benefit. The program provides additional avenues of communication between institutions of higher learning and programs of social and economic development. Resources of the universities and colleges are more accessible to the community and means for relating curriculum, teaching, and research to contemporary societal needs are provided. Besides providing opportunities for students interested in participating in tasks related to solving social and economic problems the program in cooperation with academic institutions allows students to receive college credit for their efforts. The Georgia Intern Program strives to provide a constructive educational alternative for students desiring to serve the needs of Georgians. HISTORY In the spring of 1971, groundwork was laid for a state internship program designed to provide opportunities for college students to actively participate in public service agencies. A pilot project was introduced the following summer. Attitudes of participating agencies and colleges toward the effort were evaluated and the following fall the Georgia Intern Program be came a regular activity of Governor Carter's Office. In recognition of the program as an educational experience. the Board of Regents, University System of Georgia, in April of 1972, encouraged schools in the System to provide opportunities for their students to partici pate on a credit basis. Each campus also named a coordinator to handle recruitment and publicity. Coordinators have also become an important ad visory resource on educational policy. During the past three years most Georgia colleges have modified their curricula to include courses for internships offering up to a full quarter of academic credit. This broad base of support has allowed the program to attract students from nearly all institutions in the state and from all academic majors. Students have an option to enroll for either major or elective hours since nearly all academic majors allow credit. Students are normally placed in projects for an academic quarter on a fulltime basis throughout the year. From the initial involvement of providing services to state agencies during the summer, the program has grown into a statewide, yearround effort. The program's base of operations has expanded to include all public and many private non-profit agencies in the state. With expansion has come greater diversity of projects and a wider geographic distribution of intern placements. Funding of the program has come primarily from the Governor's budget for administrative costs and from state agencies for the support of interns. As the geographic scope of the program has expanded and many projects beyond the scope of state agencies has been identified, funding for the program has been broadened to include federal and local agencies. Federal funds used originally to supplement stipends for students with state agencies were used primarily this year to support students in nonstate government agenices around the state, provide funds needed for field support, and cover the expenses for regional seminars. Federal funds were secured from the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Coastal Plains Regional Commission, the National Science Foundation, the American Revolutionary Bicentennial Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Economic Opportunity and the Economic Development Adminis tration through the Southern Regional Educational Board. The involvement of almost 1,400 students in the public policy process has proved invaluable to public service agencies, numbering over 200, as a manpower resource; while serving as a base for new learning opportunities for 108 colleges in Georgia and around the nation. The future of the program appears bright and the Georgia Intern Program, now the largest program of its kind in the nation, plans to expand and continue to promote the active participation of students, colleges, and public agencies in service-learning opportunities. During the program year 1974, a study was undertaken to determine what, if any, impact the intern experience had on students from the perspective of career exploration or vocational choices. The analysis was broken down into three (3) steps: (1) Were career plans changed or formalized as a result of the internship? (2) If these plans were changed, how significant was the change? (3) What is the present vocational status of the former interns in the labor force? The one hundred ninety-eight (198) students examined in the study were a representative cross section of the total program's participants during the period '71-'73. Sixtythree percent (63%) stated that the internship had a direct influence on their career pursuits or choices. Fifty-one percent (51%) of this group stated that their vocational goals had significantly been affected by their participation in the program. One intern responded, "I feel that my internship was the most substantial and beneficial aspect of my undergraduate program in realization of my vocational goals." Another intern stated that, "It made me realize that I would definitely stay in my chosen field, but it also showed me aspects of the field I had never imagined before." Twenty percent (20%) of the interns acknowledging change in their vocational plans stated unequivocably that their vocational goals had been substantially changed by their experience as an intern, even to the extent of exploring careers never considered previously. A former intern now employed as a juvenile probation officer stated, "I had never given any thought to doing this type of work as a career before I became an intern." Another intern presently employed by a local planning agency replied that he "cannot express how much the program helped me in determining my career pursuits. Prior to my participation I had not considered working for any planning agency." In addition to the twenty percent (20%) acknowledging substantial change in vocational plans, a number of interns noted that academic plans or academic majors were also altered. n The study showed that fortynine percent (49%) of all interns employed are in the public sector. This is broken down into seventy ..even percent (77%) working in public service agencies, nearly half being state government employees, and twenty-three percent (23%) are in the field of education. Fifteen percent (15%) of the respondents were offered employment by their host agency. A study aimed at assessing the Impact of internships all public servIce agencies revealed that interns have made significant cOl1trtbutions to agency programs. A questionnaire was sent to former Intern supervisors to collect data on 3 points: (ll Did the agency receive significant benefit as a result of hosting an Intern ') (2) Explanation of this benefit and its impact on the agency. (3) Were the benefits only immediate, or were long lasllng benefits seen? An analysis was made of the responses to identify characteristics of projects which supervisors felt were the most beneflri.,l. The Identified intern prOlects exhibited three dIStinct characteristics: 1) Type of benefit. i.e.. concrete, Identifiable changes In program content or format; intangible changes; or a combination of the two; 2) Time span, i.e., long or short range impact; 3) Type of activity, i.e., Internal studies, new programs, etc. Nine percent (9%) of the projects had a concrete or tangible benefn, thirtyfive percent 135%) intangihle and fjfty.six percent (56%) a com bination. The supervISors felt sl'ventyfive percent (75%) of the projects would have a longterm Impact on the agency. Seven distinct types of project activity were identified. Two activities comprising fiftyfive percent (55%) of the projects Involved internal opera tlons. Data Collection/AnalySIs for Internal Use and ReVISion of Internal Procedures accounted for thirtyfollr percent (34%) and twentyone percent (21%) respectively. The orientation or approach followed by the interns were classifIed into three groups: 1) Research, 2) AdminlStrativeManagement and, 3) Com munltylnvolvement. The breakdown of responses showed Research thirty eight percent (38%), AdministrativeManagement thlrtytwo percent (32%) and Communltylnvolvement thirty percent (30%). Interns have prOVided valuable assistance in a broad spectrum of topical areas ranging from health to transportation. The enthusiasm with which intern participatIon In public service has been accepted IS typified by one supervisor who commented. "As much as I hate filling out forms, I could not let this Internship and Its benefits to the agency go unnoticed." ACADEMIC MAJORS 1974 1972 1973 51" Psy . Poli. Sci. History, Soc. Sci., Gov't. This year's distribution of interns by academic majors has changed a little in comparison with former years. Students from a wide variety of majors continue to participate, with the only substantial increase in the cate gory of architecture and engineering. COMPOSITE DISTRIBUTION OF PROJECTS BY TOPICAL AREAS 1974 .r :; m 8 0" '-"< 20% 10% This year's distribution shows a more equal distribution of participation among the nine topical areas in comparison with past years. The composite graph indicates the highest percenlage in the area of public administration, while the 1974 chart shows this calegory closer to the majority of calegories in level of participation. 1972 30% 20% m n 0 ? l> ~ ;; ~ I :D m gCc:. o' ::> ~ ::> "to 0 ~ J: ~ :;. r ~ ~ n'" I " en m n0 .: n 0 0" lc>. en :'": '-"< '- I-- --i ~ 0 !; 10% '- f-- I-- lf-f0% 30% 1973 c- 20% I-- l- I10% l- I-- ~ I-- l- 0% 30% COMPOSITE 20% I-- I-- I- 10% - I-- I-- - f- I- 0% INTERN PROFILE During the program year 1974, the Georgia Intern Program placed 467 students enrolled at 65 institutions of higher education. The interns were placed in 76 public agencies. The average age of these interns was 21.8 years which is slightly older than the average of 21.4 years for all participants since 1971. Marital status statistics remain the same from program year 1973, with 81% of the interns single and 19% married. Based on statistics for the program from 19711974, an average of 16% of the intern participants were married. Male/female participation during the past year showed a 59 percent/41 percent ratio as compared with a 62 percent/38 percent ratio for the program since its inception. Minority participation has maintained an average of 18%. Undergraduates comprised 82.5% of the program's participants during the program year 1974, compared with 76% for the overall program history. The remaining percentage in each case was engaged in some form or post gradua te study. Annual Participation in Georgia Intern Program COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES REPRESENTED IN GEORGIA INTERN PROGRAM SUMMER1~1-SUMMER1~4 Those institutions participating during the 1974 program year we marked by an asterisk (*) Students from thirtyeight instate schools and twentyseven schools out-ot'stale participated in the Georgia Intern Program during the past year. Interns from Georgia colleges represented ninety-four percent (94%) of the students participating in the program this year. The overall average partici pation by students in state colleges is eightynine percent (89%). GEORGIA SCHOOLS Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College' Agnes Scott College' Albany Junior College' Armstrong State College' Atlanta University'" Augusta College' Berry College' Brenau College' Brunswick Junior College" Clark College' Clayton Junior College' Columbus College' DeKalb Community College' Emory University Emory University School of Law' Fort Valley State College' Gainesville Junior College Georgia College at Milledgeville' Georgia Institute of Technology' Georgia Southern College' Georgia Southwestern College' Georgia State University" Gordon Junior College John Marshall Law School' Kennesaw Junior College' LaGrange College Medical College of Georgia Mercer University' Mercer University at Atlanta" Middle Georgia College Morehouse College' Morris Brown College' North Georgia College' Dglethorpe University' Piedmont College' Savannah State College' Southern Institute of Technology' Spelman College' Tift College University of Georgia' Valdosta State College' Walter F. George Law School Wesleyan College' West Georgia College' Young Harris College OUTOFSTATE SCHOOLS American College' Antioch College' Auburn University' Bennington College Boston University' Clemson University Columbia University Dartmouth College' Davidson College Duke University ~ Eckerd College Fisk University Florida State University' Furman University GardnerWebb College Hampshire College Harvard University Howard University Indiana University Lee College' Louisiana State University Michigan State University' Middle Tennessee Stale College' Mount Holyoke College New College' New York University Northeastern University' Northwestern University Ohio State University Presbyterian College Queens College RandolphMacon Women's College Rider College Sam HOllston State College Smith College' Syracuse UniverSity' Texas Western UniverSIty Troy State College' Tufts University' Tulane University Tuskegee Institute University of Alabama' University of California - Davis~ University of Colorado University of Michigan University of New Hampshire University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill University of North Carolina - Charlotte' University of Notre Dame University of Pennsylvania' University of the South University of Tennessee University of Vanderbilt UllIverslty of VirQinia' University of Wisconsin' Vassar' Virginia Institute of Technology' Wake Forest University Washington University Western Carolina University William and Mary College Yale University' PARTICIPATING AGENCIES Administrative 5er"vices. Department of Fiscal Division Gener-al Services Division Pet'sonnet Community Development. Oepaf'"lment of Industry Division International Division Planning Division Research Division EJteCUtiYe Department Georgia Manpower Planning Council Governor's Office State Energy Office Georgia State Crime Commission Human Resources, Department of Commissioner's Office Orug Abuse Services Section LegalSer-vices Planning and Budget Office Planning and Development Unit Public Relations & Press Informatton Community Services Division Appalachian Olikt Care Project Consumer Service Unit Foster Care Advisory Board Housing Assistance Unit Social Services Court Services SPecial Projects Commission on the Status of Women TteLine Youth Development Centers Martella Regional Mental Health Division Community Services Section Mental Health Hospital Services Section Bainbridge Stare Hospital Central State Hospital Georgia Regional Hospital Allama. NW Georgia Retardation Center Soulhwestern State HOsPital Program and Management Analysis Physical Health Division Disease Control Section Health Improvement Section Adull Health ChikJ Health Maternal Health Vocational Rehabilitation Center Division Labor, Department of State Board of Workmen's Compensation Natural Resources, Department of Earlh and Water Division Env;ronmental Protection Division Water Quality Control Game and Fish Division Game Management Fisheries Management Parks and Recreation Division Planning and Research, Office of Rea.tion Planning Section Resource Planning Section Land and Water Conservation Fund Unit Site Planning Section Special Projects Sect ion Historic Preset"wtion Unit Unicoi Outdoor Experiment Station Program and Management Analysis Unit Public Information 8r Magazine Circulation Offender Rehabilitation, Department of Lee Correctional Institute Georgia Rehabilitation Center for Women State Board of Pardons and Paroles Yarbrough Rehabilitation Center Planning and Budget, Office of Inlergo~nmentalRelations Public Safety, Departmem of Division of Inwstigation Driwer 5et'"vices Georgia Crime Information Center Personnel Revocation Sectton Public Service Commission Regents, Board of, The UniYef"sity System of Georgia Public Information Rural Development Center Revenue, Depan:ment of Motor Vehide Unit Secretary of State Archiws and History Department Transportation. Dep;wtment of Planning and Programming Division Albany, City of Albany Information and Referral Center fOl" the Elderly Augusta, City of Columbus, City of Columbus Bicentet'Wlial Commission Conyers, City of Cordele, City of Decatur. City of LaGrange, City of Morrow, City of Rome, City of Valdosta. City of Villa Rica, City of Warner Robins, City of Waycross, City of Atlanta Regional Commission Central savannah Ri,.. APOC Coostal APOC Coosa Valley APOC Georg;. Mountains APOC Geota State CoI'- As shown in the preceeding sections, during the program year 1974, the Georgia Intern Program involved more colleges, more agencies, and more students than in any previous year. This growth in all components of the program demonstrates that the service-learning concept of internships is being' accepted in Georgia. Promoting student involvement in meaningful internships; meeting the needs of colleges, agencies and students as a liaison or broker; and providing technical assistance and training for participants and other student programs, will take on added significance for the Intern Program as experiential education becomes more institutionalized. Last year's annual report stated as a goal the development of materials to assist all participants in maintaining quality internships. Handbooks for faculty, students, and agency personnel were prepared and distributed to all participants. A number of agencies and colleges from other states have requested copies of the handbooks. A new program for graduate students was implemented. While the initial response from students has been modest, Georgia Tech has designed a pamphlet promoting lhe concept and it appears the program will grow. Faculty internships have been discussed. The benefits of research oppor tunities and personal development for the faculty, and the expertise available for the agency, make this an attractive option for the program. A goal for next year will be to explore this area of the program further. Specialized internships for medical and law students were developed in conjunction with the Atlanla Urban Corps. An expansion of these projects as well as the development of other specialized internships seems both feaSible and desirable. While internships were deSigned primarily to provide offcampus learning opportunities and technical assistance to public agencies, the impact of Internships on students' career patterns needs to be examined more closely and Internships need to be provided the support necessary to meet student needs in career education. Students have a definite need to be exposed to new career opportunities and to develop work skills. Career exploration should be gIven serious consideration as one of the overall goals of the program. DUring the past four years, and particularly during 1974, the Georgia Intern Program has become an integral part of the campus and public scene in Georgia. Undergraduate students have been the keystone of the Intern Program. As new styles of internships or additional goals are developed in the future, care will have to be taken to insure that this group of students is offered the opportunity to be involved in meaningful and educationally viable public service projects.