The New England Center for Children’s (NECC) internship program for undergraduate and graduate students is an important component of NECC’s mission to create a global network of educators, researchers, and programs for individuals with autism. This summer, NECC will welcome its largest-ever class of summer interns: 60 interns from 36 colleges and universities across the country.
For nearly three decades, NECC has been working on a pipeline for direct-care staff through its internship program, providing a steady stream of smart, hard-working, college students with a passion for special education and a desire to grow in the field. Four years ago, NECC began offering paid summer internships as well as subsidized housing to encourage participation in the program.
“Internship programs are integral to introducing, recruiting, and training young professionals in the human services industry,” shared Ellen Graham, MA, CAGS, program director of graduate studies and internships. “In NECC’s intern program, undergraduate students are introduced to autism education and applied behavior analysis (ABA) in the best possible way by working alongside NECC’s educators and researchers and gaining hands-on experience working with children with autism in the classroom and residential settings.”
In addition to the hands-on learning, interns receive training on NECC’s award-winning programs and are invited to a speaker series that focuses on different aspects of working in the field of special education and autism.
“Through NECC’s training and internship experience, we hope these interns will learn as much as they can about working in a special education classroom and residential environment,” said Graham. “Many of our past interns have enjoyed their experiences so much that they’ve decided to return to NECC. While this is an added bonus, knowing that we are properly preparing the next generation of educators to work with children with autism is the most important goal.”
This summer, interns will be joining NECC from:
Bates College
Boston College
Brandeis University
Bridgewater State University
Bryant University
Bryn Mawr College
Colby College
Colgate University
Davidson College
George Washington University
Gordon College
Hamilton College
Lafayette College
Marist University
Mary Washington University
Mass College of Liberal Arts
Merrimack College
Middlebury College
Providence College
Rochester Institute of Technology
Roger Williams University
Salve Regina University
Skidmore College
St. Anselm College
Syracuse University
Tufts University
Tulane University
University of Connecticut
University of Miami
UMass Amherst
University of Toronto
University of Rhode Island
University of Rochester
Washington University in St. Louis
Western New England University
Worcester State University