In the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at Appalachian, many of our doctoral students complete one or two-semester internships during their coursework, where they acquire insight that develops their research direction and expands career opportunities. Here are highlights from internships undertaken in Summer 2021.
Amy Myers is currently working as a school librarian at West Wilkes High School in Millers Creek, North Carolina and is exploring the relevance of that work to non-traditional educational settings. This summer, she completed an internship with The Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, Virginia, where she helped develop educational materials to support students learning about the 1927 “Bristol Sessions” and their importance to the development of early commercial country music. She created resource guides for students and teachers, as well as specific lesson plans for 4th, 8th, and 11th graders, and facilitated their first use in work with local students who came to visit the Museum. The internship gave her valuable hands-on experience in developing curriculum and facilitating trainings for other educators, educating the public (both adults and children), and supporting visitor services/public engagement. Amy is confident this internship will complement her degree program and move her toward future career opportunities. She encourages others to “follow their aspirations -- because it is worth the work!”
Barbara Ross is an instructor at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. Her internship is with an inter-organizational research and data collaborative that includes the Center for Racial Equity in Education (CREED), EducationNC (EdNC), myFutureNC, and The Hunt Institute. These four organizations are working together on the “Listening to the NC10” initiative, which explores the legacy and impact of North Carolina’s ten Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Her internship responsibilities include qualitative data analysis, data reporting, and coding of interview transcripts. Barbara says that the internship compliments her degree program by giving her hands-on research experience that will serve her well in her dissertation work.
Kelley Bendheim recently finished an internship with the Office of Early Learning at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NC DPI). She is especially interested in education policy and policy implementation regarding early literacy. She worked closely with the Director of the Office of Early Learning on the implications of SB 387, which established the Early Literacy Program within DPI, requires the participation of certain early reading instructors in training in the “Science of Reading,” and has other far-reaching implications for early literacy in North Carolina. She helped consider policies that would come out of the legislation and develop implementation plans. Kelley stressed the importance of mentor selection, and how illuminating it was to work at the heart of a dynamic site of policy change for our state. The internship gave her a clearer vision of the role and capacities of NC DPI to impact local school practice and an improved understanding of the administrative process.
Tony Coggins is currently an English teacher at Charles B. Aycock High School in Wayne County, North Carolina. He completed his internship with the North Carolina State Textbook Commission which functions under NC DPI. The North Carolina State Textbook Commission reviews existing and future textbooks for instruction. He reviewed hundreds of digital textbooks and resources for high school math and CTE classes, facilitated a week-long exploration of these resources in virtual breakout rooms of teachers, and wrote reports and recommendations for DPI concerning textbook adoption. Tony felt that both the internship experience and the coursework from the degree program have better prepared him to continue his career in public education with a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in curriculum development and materials selection.
The internship experience is an open invitation for doctoral students to seek opportunities to grow their knowledge and experience base while serving their communities and expanding their professional networks. Congratulations to these recent interns -- and to all our students who are preparing to begin their internships this year!