Beyond the Classroom: An Internship Model That Builds Age-Friendliness & Career Readiness

ABSTRACT

Since 2015, the University of Rhode Island (URI) Engaging Generations Cyber-Seniors Program has provided over 500 students from 19 different majors with the opportunity to mentor older adults through internships and service learning courses. Due to the pandemic, interest in the program significantly increased from the community and from students in need of opportunities to work with individuals. As a result, a robust internship program was developed that focused on building age and digital inclusivity across campus and throughout the state. The program integrates a three-pronged approach where students complete field hours, enhance the Career Readiness Competencies employers seek in graduates as determined by the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE), and complete the components necessary to earn the Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center Interprofessional Teamwork in Geriatrics and Gerontology Certificate. This paper will describe the key elements of this internship model and present survey data related to the student experience.

KEYWORDS:

• Age-friendly
• internship
• service learning
• career readiness
• intergenerational program
• social capital

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Contribution to the field

This paper advances the field by offering an internship program model that incorporates intergenerational, gerontological education, and career readiness elements. This is a sustainable model that could be adopted by colleges/universities or community sites that serve older adults to help meet service learning, community based learning, civic engagement, or experiential education requirements within higher education. The program also serves as a model to help prepare future health and human services professionals for careers in an aging society while improving social connectedness and technology skills for older adults.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/15350770.2024.2364868

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this study came from the Rhode Island Office of Healthy Aging under Grant [AWD 08224], which was made possible by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This pilot project was also possible due to funding from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island Community Health Fund and the University of Rhode Island College of Health Science. The Introduction to Teamwork and Geriatrics Certificate was funded by a Health Resources and Services Administration Grant U1QHP28737 to the Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center.