Activity suggestions for internship

The following are suggestions and ideas for appropriate activities for PSU student interns while in internship. They are divided within each hour distinction by primary and secondary sites but many activities can be done at both elementary, middle and high school level. Direct and Indirect hours are listed as well for intern reference.

For 200 hour interns, that are with you one day a week, you can still explore a lot together. The following is a list of ideas for work in both Primary and secondary schools. You can also borrow activities from the 400 hour list

• At the either level, it is useful to have a small caseload of around 5 students to work with individually on any kind of counseling issues. (DIRECT HOURS)

• Interns may shadow counselors for their duties- it okay to allow them to learn through watching. If you are with your Site supervisor watching them teach a lesson or do a 1:1 or a group these are (DIRECT HOURS) if you are with your supervisor in a meeting or training, these are (INDIRECT HOURS).

• They may go to any trainings that the counselor goes to (INDIRECT HOURS)

• Interns may attend 504, IEP, and any SIT or behavior team meetings, if a student is there it is  (DIRECT HOURS),  if there is no student there, it is  (INDIRECT HOURS)

• They may run small groups (DIRECT HOURS)

• The can run affinity groups like: QSA clubs, or Black student unions (DIRECT HOURS)

• Classroom guidance lessons on Erin’s law (DIRECT HOURS)

• 5th grade, 8th grade transition presentations, freshman orientations (DIRECT HOURS)

• Guidance and credit tracking for seniors (DIRECT HOURS if with a student)

• Presentations by grade level (DIRECT HOURS)

• Assist with career related learning (DIRECT HOURS if with a student)

• New student Interviews (DIRECT HOURS)

• Working on CGCP (professional performance portfolio)  (INDIRECT HOURS)

• Presentations on “how to use the school counselor” (DIRECT HOURS)

The following is a list of ideas for work with ELEMENTARY/ MIDDLE SCHOOLS.

At the Elementary level, many things from the above list may be assigned during a 400 hour internship. Here interns have a chance to take a deeper dive into school counseling.

Additional ideas:

• Teacher support- in classroom and pull out (DIRECT HOURS)

• Check in/ check out (DIRECT HOURS)

• Peer conflict training using restorative justice or Kelso’s wheel or whatever system your school uses (DIRECT HOURS)

• Collecting data for school wide curriculum  (INDIRECT HOURS)

• Some data entry synthesizing for staff or for data collection for School targets data analysis  (INDIRECT HOURS)

• Help counselor prepare for presentations to staff (DIRECT HOURS)

• Tracking attendance  (INDIRECT HOURS)

• Pre assessments for classroom for curriculum delivery with students- (example Strong kids)  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Lunch Bunch  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Home visits  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Social skills groups  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Case management (INDIRECT HOURS) or  (DIRECT HOURS) depending if a kiddo is with you

The following is a list of ideas for work with HIGH SCHOOLS.

At the High school level, many things from the above lists may be assigned during a 400 hour internship.  Here interns have a chance to take a deeper dive into school counseling.

Additional ideas:

For the 400 hour internship, 

• They may have a larger caseload for individual meetings (DIRECT HOURS)

• They may emailing teachers to get information on kids for meetings  (INDIRECT HOURS)

• Check ins for students asking to see the counselor, crisis, or teacher requests  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Crisis Response  (DIRECT HOURS)

• DHS calls  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Threat assessment  (DIRECT HOURS)

• SRP Suicide Response Protocalls  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Planned interventions  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Crisis Response differentiate  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Curriculum Design or delivery  (DIRECT HOURS)

• State testing- help to prepare nervous kids  (DIRECT HOURS)

Ideas for intern activities in High Schools 

• Helping students with FAFSA  (DIRECT HOURS)

• College job applications/resumes/ visits  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Graduation requirements meeting  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Credit retrieval sign ups  (DIRECT HOURS)

• D/ F’s meetings  (DIRECT HOURS)

• ACT /PSAT support and preparation  (DIRECT HOURS)

• State testing- help to prepare nervous kids  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Student support with school activities such as prom with students  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Assist with back to school night, student led conferences/ Parent teacher conferences  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Student visits/tours to the high school, middle school, elementary school   (DIRECT HOURS)

• Chaperoning a field trip to work on building relationships with a group of students  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Help to identify school preferences (example: Jeff/Madison/ etc)  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Meetings with parents and consultation with specialists to prepare  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Action Research  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Student resource meetings for Title X, students in transition, other clothing/food resources  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Meeting with students transferring in from out of town  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Cumulative file (spend time looking at them)  (INDIRECT HOURS)

• Transcribing curriculum and lessons that a supervisor might like put into a document  (INDIRECT HOURS)

• Update school website/ resource lists/ phone numbers  (INDIRECT HOURS)

• Seasonal supports such as holiday resource giving with families  (DIRECT HOURS)

• Resource networking meeting  (INDIRECT HOURS)

• Help with OHP applications  (DIRECT HOURS)

• ASCA program audit  (INDIRECT HOURS)

• Comprehensive guidance plan creation/ audit   (INDIRECT HOURS)