Various (youth/family)

COMMUNITY PARTNER

Phoenix Day Child and Family Learning Center

ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP

Duties

Phoenix Day offers a wide variety of opportunities for individuals interested in working with young children as an early childhood educator, families as a teacher or case manager, or in the non-profit field working directly with administrative staff.

Within the classroom the ECH intern would initially observe the classroom environment becoming accustomed toward assisting/participating in the environment, lesson planning, and facilitating developmentally appropriate activities for the children through out the early education day. The intern will also be given opportunities to develop skills in recording observations, perform assessments, prepare parent communications, as well as participating as a member of the ECH classroom team.

In relation to case management, the intern would have the opportunity to sit in on teacher/parent meetings, assist and eventually perform assessments/evaluations under the supervision of Phoenix Day's case manager, and assist in the enrollment process of in-takes for both on site and off campus private.

As an intern in the non-profit sector, the intern would have the opportunity to observe and work along side the Executive Director, Community Administrative Coordinator as well as having access to the expertise of the Development Director and Financial/Human Resource Director. Tasks may also include assisting with the research and writing of grants creating press release material, working with/creating marketing and fund raising ideas/projects.

Population served

Phoenix Day serves a high risk working poor population in the south central Phoenix valley as well as the working families who commute into the downtown area for work. Phoenix Day's student population is from ages 6 weeks to 5 years. The community out-reach component services individual children, adults, and or families within the working poor, working class, and elder populations. Bilingual case management is also available for the communities population.

Community need/impact

Depending upon the program of study the interns are enrolled in, they would be ensuring and contributing toward the healthy social, emotional, cognitive, physical and educational development of young children, 6 weeks through 5 years of age, as it pertains to the center's mission. Interns would be engaged with individuals of the community as they navigate the public system/private sector for health-care and other health related services which meet the diverse needs of our population.

Phoenix Day has been servicing individuals and families of Phoenix since 1915 by providing affordable high quality early care and education for children. In the mid 1990's Phoenix Day introduced case management for it's students which addresses the social, emotional,physical, and educational needs of it's enrolled children as well as creating HealthLinks which is a community out-reach referral component, in collaboration with health clinics, which provides enrollment opportunities to find free or significantly reduced health care services. Phoenix Day also serves as a "one touch" agency which provides emergency referrals to services as well as serving as a food box station for the neighborhood elders living in the community through St. Mary's Food Bank.