The following agencies may be of interest to students pursuing internships. Students should meet with their faculty sponsor in making decisions about pursuing internships. Some agencies indicate desire for students to make contact as early as possible; often the end of the semester prior to the internship is best. This is a SAMPLING of possible internships -- others may be arranged to meet student interests and community needs:
Advocacy Center (P.O. Box 164, Ithaca) Agency works with those who are, or have been, in abusive relationships and with children from abusive homes living in the shelter, as well as those impacted by sexual abuse. Variety of opportunities from education to advocacy to assessment depending on length of internship and level of commitment. Extensive training provided in critical intervention skills. Contact: the Volunteer Coordinator or Heather Campbell, Education Director, 277-3203
Alcohol and Drug Council of Tompkins County (201 E. Green St., Ithaca): Several possible positions for students fully committed to the field. Areas of internship can include education/training as well as clinical (though clinical is often limited to graduate students, there may be a possibility for a placement for an undergrad with experience, and a commitment to 15-18 hours a week over two-semesters). Talk with the professor before contacting the agency. Contact: 274-6288
Better Housing for Tompkins County, Inc. (950 Danby Road, Suite 102, Ithaca): Better Housing is a non-profit organization that works to improve the housing of low to moderate income residents in Tompkins County. They have programs that do minor home repairs for seniors and disabled people, major rehabilitation of homes owned by low income households, first-time home buyers program, and affordable apartments for low-income seniors and disabled persons. Interns identify groups of people who are homeless, paying a high percentage of monthly income for housing, have Section 8 Voucher or who cannot find affordable housing in Tompkins County so have moved to a surrounding county. Develop a survey to explore their experiences/challenges with finding affordable housing, set-up focus groups to identify needs and solutions, prepare a report on the findings. Contact: John Spence, Development Coordinator at 273-2187 or exdir@betterhousingtc.org
Catholic Charities (324 W. Buffalo Street, Ithaca): The Samaritan Center provides urgent assistance for Tompkins County residents which include: help with security deposits, utility shut-off notices, car repairs and/or insurance payments, prescriptions not covered by insurance, etc. Duties would include assisting with interviewing applicants for services from the Samaritan Center, one of several programs of Catholic Charities of Tompkins County. Interviewers screen applicants for a variety of services, follow-up by checking information provided by applicants, and working with staff to prioritize the applications. Making referrals to other agencies in the community is also an important part of the interviewing process. Contact: Barbara Classen, Director, 272-5062
Catholic Charities Tioga Outreach Center (464 Broad Street, Waverly): Their mission is to help build communities that care for all people by reducing poverty, promoting healthy individual and family life, collaborating with faith communities and advocating for justice and peace. They offer services such as: Food Pantry, Clothing and Household items, Financial Assistance, Budget counseling, etc. Contact: Angela Klopf, Outreach Director, (607) 565-7580.
Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services (334 W. State Street, Ithaca): Full service alcohol and substance abuse recovery services provider. Student placements are available at Outpatient Unit in downtown Ithaca. Community Outreach and Life Skills Educator internships are available in our Outpatient, Supportive Living and Residential Programs. Contact: Al Alfaro, 273-5500
Cayuga Medical Center (101 Dates Drive, Ithaca): Has a wide range of placements and opportunities for students. Contact: Jeanine Kuehl, 274-4011
Challenge Industries (402 E. State St., Ithaca): A non-profit location rehabilitation center serving the vocational needs of people with developmental disabilities, offering assistance for circumstances affecting work. Internship title: Employment and Training Services Consumer Assistant. The Assistant will provide work skill development, job coaching, oversight and support to workers with disabilities in our internal and community-based worksites. In conjunction with the operations department, develop and maintain wage assessments, production set up, and quality control. Two students needed. Special skills needed to perform the job as described: Demonstrated track record of creativity, initiative, excellent verbal and communication, organization, and team building skill necessary. Patience, dedication and a sincere interest in working with people with disabilities in a vocational setting. Located one block from the Commons, no transportation necessary. Contact: Michael Alvich, Coordinator of Employment and Training Services, 272-8990 or mikea@aboutchallenge.org
Community Dispute Resolution Center (120 W. State St., Ithaca): Provides assistance to individuals in Tompkins County who are interested in solving conflict and a wide range of disputes through mediation services. Intern may be responsible for a wide variety of administrative and direct services. Everyone in the office shares the duty of answering phones, writing contact letters, and other clerical work. Student works with all aspects of a case, including sending it off to Albany. There are opportunities to observe mediation and if desired, become a mediator. A 40-hour training session is offered to students interested in becoming a mediator. A two-semester commitment is preferable but not required, and supervision is based on the student's needs. Agency is committed to learning the student's objectives up front to determine whether it will meet students and agency's needs. The agency is located on the bus route. No transportation is necessary. Contact: Judith Saul or Sandra Blake, 273-9347
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County (615 Willow Avenue, Ithaca): Family & community development program offers a "community social work" internship working on family issues, e.g., with the Coalition for Families. We have programs in nutrition, health, financial management and youth development. Also, our parenting education efforts work closely with trained social workers and could be a fascinating look at the gray area between social work practice and non-formal education. It would be great to have highly responsible and creative interns to help with a variety of tasks in these projects. Contact: Nancy Potter, 272-2292 x127 Urban Outreach Program at Cornell Cooperative Extension is always looking for good interns to assist with the summer camp program. The camp is designed to meet the needs of underserved youth in Tompkins County, so anyone interested in making a difference in the life of a child would most certainly feel fulfilled being a part of the team. Contact: Shari Haldeman
Cornell University: Police Department: (Barton Hall) Contact Sgt. Philip Mospan 255-1111.
Cornell University: Department of Human Resources (130 Day Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca): This office does employee training and development. Great opportunity for students interested in private sector human resources development careers. Varied opportunities according to each program. See your professor before contacting. Contact: Lisa Kendall (Senior Consultant-Work and Family Services), 255-3649, Chet Warzynski (Director-Employment Services), 254-8370, Paul Bursic (Director-Benefits), 255-7074.
Dispositional Alternatives Program (Family and Children's Service) (530 West State Street, Ithaca): Strives to divert youth from the Family Court System or to prevent placement outside of the home resulting from Family Court action. Contact: Tina Emery, Intern Coordinator, 272-0900
Drop-In Children's Center (506 First Street, Ithaca): The Drop-In Children's Center is a not-for-profit New York State licensed and nationally accredited childcare center serving children 6 weeks to 5 years old. The full-day program serves 31 and the drop-in program provides 18 spaces for flexible, short-term and emergency care. The atmosphere is warm, multicultural and family-like. The majority of our participant families are low-income. Internship responsibilities include assisting with care of young children and possible administrative tasks. Contact: Lynne Jackier, Executive Director, 272-7117
Eagle Broadcasting (1751 Hanshaw Road, Ithaca): For experience in a media organization. Eagle owns four local radio stations: FM - Lite 97, Q Country and AM - WHCU 870, WTKOldies. Contact: Connie, 257-6400.
Educate the Children (205 Dey Street, Fall Creek): Practices a unique integrated community development program which emphasizes and builds off the interconnectedness between children's education, women's empowerment, and agriculture. By focusing on these three areas, ETC is able to maximize the impact it has on a community while paying particularly close attention to the advancement of women and girls. Interns would help with filing, mailings, outreach, events planning and many computer-based projects. Contact: Chris London, 272-1176.
Even Start Family Literacy Project Groton Site (Groton Elementary School, 516 Elm Street, Groton) The Even Start program works with families at or below the federal poverty level. At least one adult in the fam8ily must qualify as "low literacy", and the family must have children between birth and age 8. Our family educators work intensively with each family, through both home visits and center based programming, to provide adult education, early childhood education, parenting education, and interactive parent-child activities. We employ a strengths based approach to all of our work. Our goals are to break the cycle of inter-generational poverty and illiteracy, and to teach parents how to become their children's first teachers. Our Groton site is looking for volunteers to help with Center Based Programming on Wednesday and/or Thursday mornings from 9am to noon. Volunteers would help develop, plan, and deliver literacy-focused activities for children (infants to age 4). Some lessons are designed for parents and children together; other lessons are for children only. Volunteers would also be welcome to help with planning and program development during other weekday time slots, and to engage in other of the program (parenting, adult education, life skills, community resources, home/school relationships, etc.) as meet their interest. Contact: Judy Kern, Family Educator, 898-5306 x493
Family Court of Tompkins County (320 North Tioga Street, Ithaca): The Family Court of New York State conducts hearings on matters of foster care review and placement, paternity, spousal and child support, custody, child neglect and abuse, family offenses, persons in need of supervision (PINS), juvenile delinquents and guardianships (of persons), and marriage consents for persons under 16 years of age. Contact: Cheryl Lidell-Oberaure, Chief Clerk, 277-1517.
Finger Lakes Independence Center (215 Fifth Street, Ithaca): Education outreach program is looking for volunteers to speak about their first-hand experience with disability; particularly interested in volunteers willing to talk about their personal experience with learning disabilities. Other volunteer options are available. Contact: Larry Roberts, Program Director, 272-2433 or flic@clarityconnect.com
Food Bank of the Southern Tier (945 County Route 64, Elmira): Provides food and other grocery products to a network of 200+ member agencies throughout six counties in the Southern Tier. In addition to food, the Food Bank operates several programs designed to address the issue of hunger and food insecurity including cooking and nutrition education for low income individuals, food stamp outreach and community education and advocacy efforts. Interns will be trained to conduct surveys of emergency food providers and their clients in Tompkins County and/or throughout our six county service area if they have access to transportation. Contact: Natasha Thompson, Director of Agency Services, 796-6061.
Foodnet (Nutrition for the Elderly in Tompkins County, Inc) (2422 North Triphammer Road, Ithaca): Foodnet assists the elderly of Tompkins County in remaining independent through the maintenance of a healthy diet. Foodnet also provides opportunities to socialize and makes referrals to other services. Contact: Stephen Griffin, Nutrition Program Director, 266-9553.
Franzisca Racker Center (formerly Special Children's Center) (1052 Wilkins Rd., Ithaca): Center provides a wide range of services for people with special needs. The agency provides educational services to children with physical and mental disabilities at all educational levels and to their families, as well as support services to adults with special needs. Interns can work in a range of areas including: group work with children and adults, family support services, administration services, etc. On bus route. Contact: Gail Walker, 272-5891.
Friendship Donations Network (110 Rachel Carson Way, Ithaca) FDN is a food rescue program. It is non-profit, tax-exempt and all volunteer run. FDN food is donated by most of Ithaca's supermarkets. Each day a different church takes responsibility for running food pantry or soup kitchen for the poor. About 2000 lbs of food is donated daily; about 2000 persons per week benefit from the food. FDN could benefit from 4 inters for as long as possible. On Tuesdays, they need help to pick up food from a donor and with preparing for the Wednesday pantry from 1:00 to 3:30. On Wednesdays, they need help at the pantry from 9:00am to 3:00pm. They also need help picking up food from donors. Intern responsibilities would include picking up food from donors; sorting food; packaging food; display and serving customers; and clean-up. Training can be done easily on the job. Contact: Sara Pines, 272-6758 or mailto:spines@ecovillage.ithaca.ny.us
Glove House (572 Warren Road, Ithaca) Group home for youth. Provide mentoring, homework assistance, assist with recreational activities. Contact: 257-7035
Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) (318 N. Albany St., Ithaca): This is a multicultural agency providing recreation programs as interventions for youth. Internships are arranged with a variety of program possibilities; opportunities for participating in program design and development, and one to one work with youth at risk (ages 4-10 years). There are varied hours and opportunities. Interns are encouraged to determine where in the program they will work best, and to initiate special projects based on individual skills and interests. An orientation dinner is required. May be beneficial to contact center during semester prior to internship. Contact: Jenna Stroud, 272-3622.
Hospicare and Palliative Care Services of Tompkins County (172 E. King Road, Ithaca) Hospicare brings medical expertise and respectful, compassionate care to individuals and their families at any stage of a life-threatening illness and provides information and education about advanced illness, dying and bereavement to the entire community. Hospicare provides services to people in their homes, in nursing homes, in the hospital and at the six-bed Residence located on East King Road. Volunteers may provide companionship, transportation, respite for caregivers, run errands, record personal histories, help with meal preparation and provide support to bereaved families. Volunteers are an integral part of the services Hospicare offers. They are asked to commit to 2-4 hours a week. There is flexibility in terms of scheduling (depending on patient or family needs), however, shifts at the Residence for meal preparation are 8-10am, 12-2pm and 5-7pm. Contact: Wendy Yettru, Volunteer Coordinator, 272-0212 or volprog@hospicare.org, For more information see www.hospicare.org.
Cancer Resource Center of The Finger Lakes (formerly Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance (IBCA)) (612 West State Street, Ithaca): Agency provides information, support and advocacy for anyone affected by breast cancer. Internship opportunities include outreach and support services. Possibilities to coordinate walk-a-thon, write/edit newsletters, brochures, or articles for publication, and other special projects based on intern's past experience and capabilities. A good knowledge of computers is beneficial. Transportation is not necessary; agency is located on bus route. Contact: Sharon Kaplan, Outreach and Events Coordinator, 277-0960
Ithaca City School District: Students with an interest in internships in an educational setting may consider working with teachers, social workers, or related staff in the local school system. See the instructor to discuss possible placements.
Ithaca City Court (Drug Treatment Court) (118 E. Clinton Street, Ithaca): The Ithaca Drug Treatment Court is comprised of ten agencies and a legal staff who all work together with court staff judge to provide an alternative to incarceration for community members who are in court and struggling with drug and/or alcohol problems. "Internship requires a fair amount of clerical work each week but it is done within a very interesting context - working as an equal with agency and court personnel. No two days are alike. The hours are flexible and in addition to the clerical assistance there are many interesting projects." Intern would be welcome to join in fully in both the team meeting and in court. Contact: Send a formal cover letter and resume in the mail to the above address (letter should start: “Dear Judge Olds”). Include all of your contact information and your availability for the semester.
Ithaca Housing Authority, the Three Pillar Foundation (800 South Plain Street, Ithaca) The Ithaca Housing Authority (IHA) administers Ithaca's public housing, and vouchers for Section 8 rental assistance. "Three Pillar Foundation" is an 8 week personal financial management course that IHA offers to its adult and child constituents. The intern will be working with the children in a casual classroom environment on parallel topics, and at the same time, as the adult classes. Classes are in the early evening, generally once a week for eight weeks. There will also be some pre-class training time required. Contact: Marion Deats, 273-8629 ext. 247 or marion@ithacaha.com
Ithaca Times (109 North Cayuga Street, Ithaca): Gain experience working in an independently run newspaper. Contact: Jim Bilinski, Publisher, 277-1012 or jbilinski@ithacatimes.com.
Ithaca Youth Bureau (1 James Gibbs Dr., Ithaca): Provides major recreation/youth education programs in Ithaca divisions: Big Brother/Big Sister Program: Matches a child with an adult for one-on-one mentoring. Contact: send cover letter and resume to Katie Foley, 1 James Gibbs Dr, Ithaca, 14850. Paul Schreurs Program: One-on-one and/or group tutoring for youth at risk. One-year commitment is preferable, but not necessary. On bus route. Contact: Eloise Barrett, 273-8364. Youth Employment Service: Variety of programs helping young people to find work during school year/summer. Contact: Jackie Merwin, 273-8364. Recreation Department: Provides a variety of programs (sports, expressive arts, lessons, special events) for youth and families. Contact: Liz Vance, 273-8364. Recreation Mainstreaming Services: Provides opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities. Contac: Joanie Groome, 273-8364.
Lakeside Nursing Home (1229 Trumansburg Rd., Ithaca): 260 bed facility for anyone who needs 24-hour skilled nursing care and/or rehabilitation services. Interns may work in social work department; opportunities include assisting and running support groups, providing one to one support to residents, and learning assessment and case management skills. Also may include providing emotional support to residents, working on behavior intervention plans, and working as a part of an interdisciplinary team. Director is interested in providing learning opportunities that coincide with course work. Staff orientation and training is provided. Two-semester commitment is preferable, but not necessary. Located on bus route, but transportation can be helpful to assist with outings. Contact: Director of Social Work/Volunteers, 273-8072 before 4pm.
Lama Law Firm: Gain experience in a busy law firm. Contact: Ciano Lama 257-5643.
Lansing Residential Center (250 Auburn Rd., Lansing): 100-115 bed facility for juvenile delinquent girls, ages 12-17. Uses educational model, not psycho-pathological model in treatment; emphasis is placed on learning skills, anger control, decision-making, basic educational skills. Opportunities for working one-on-one with teens in this detention center. Tutoring, overseeing work, some possible time doing recreation with teens. Accepts limited number of interns who are assigned to work with a counselor. Transportation required. Contact: D. Cooper, 533-4262.
Learning Web (515 West Seneca St., Ithaca) The Learning Web, now in its twenty-second year, offers experiential education and career exploration opportunities to over 400 Tompkins County youth each year. Programs include volunteer and stipend based apprenticeship programs, work-site tours, community service projects, a homeless Youth Outreach project. Experiential education, youth empowerment, apprenticeship placements dictated by youths' interests, individually tailored learning contracts, and the one-to-one guidance of adult mentors are key aspects of all Web programs. Youth who participate in Learning Web programs possess a wide range of needs and interests - from the highly motivated student seeking educational enrichment, to the average student who needs to see the "real world" relevance of her school work, to the middle-school student just beginning to explore adult roles, to the high school student seeking specific career skills and experiences that can be leveraged into a job. This diversity of youth served helps to ensure that participation in Web programs carries no stigma for youth, a program asset we value highly. We may have a shared internship position available working in both our Youth Outreach Program Computer Lab and in our Career Exploration and Apprenticeship Program. It is a very small informal lab where youth age 16-21 and young adults to age 25 come to use the internet, play games, do word processing, do school work, etc. You don't need technical skills but would need a solid knowledge of Microsoft Word, the internet, etc. Lab Assistants help out youth setting up email accounts, doing school projects, learning how to use the internet, doing resumes, etc. We sometimes offer little mini-workshops like scanning pictures to transfer onto t-shirts, designing a web page (you wouldn't need to know how to do that though) etc. The young people participating in this program are generally older and are living on their own - they face many challenges and the office atmosphere can be hectic at times. The Exploration and Apprenticeship Program serves younger youth, generally ages 12-17 who are still living at home. Interns assist staff with the employment prep workshops they offer once per week for youth with employment/academic barriers. They might also take young people on exploration tours/visits to workplaces in the community. The position requires that the intern have a reliable car and a clear driver's record (they may need to drive youth home after the meeting or take them on the tours - it's not a ton of driving) this means no speeding tickets in the past 2 years or other moving violation, no DWI's etc. We'd need to get a copy of the intern's driver's record if they were to be offered the position. The hours would be generally between Monday and Friday and between 9am-5pm. Minimum of 8 hours per week commitment. If interested, email (with resume included) Sally Schwartzbach at sally@learning-web.org, 275-0122
Lehman Alternative Community School (111 Chestnut St., Ithaca): This is an "alternative" middle/high public school (grades 6-12) with approximately 260 students. The school is progressive, un-graded, and quasi-democratically run. Students have opportunities to teach some courses, with faculty leading discussion groups, canoe and bike trips, etc. Intern would be assigned to working with faculty/student project or program usually based on the intern's individual interests and/or area of expertise. Positions available depending on the school's need at time, half a year-to-year commitment depending on the projects involved. Transportation is not necessary, on bus route. Contact: Jon Raimon (Intern/Volunteer Coordinator), 274-2126
Lifelong (119 West Court Street, Ithaca) A not-for-profit organization, providing recreation, education, health services, and information to adults in the community ages 50+. Each semester we have a lifelong learning program, with a great variety of subject areas offered. If a student from most any school wished to give a presentation (or course), it would be great. We currently have an IC student facilitating the poetry writing group, and have had students from both Ithaca College and Cornell offer presentations and courses. It would especially be helpful to have someone who wanted to give a class in computer skills, the arts, philosophy/religion, wellness - really, just about anything! Also, there are opportunities for marketing/publicity, advertising, research studies, and journalism for our agency. Center hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm, although we do offer evening classes, and have accommodated students for evening research projects and other special projects. Contact: Joshua Everly, Program Director, 273-1511
Loaves & Fishes of Tompkins County (210 North Cayuga Street, in the Parish Hall of St. John's church) volunteer to work a couple of hours per week for a semester in this community kitchen. Monday's, Wednesday's and Friday's we serve a noon meal. Food prep begins at 9:30am and ends around 11:30am. Serving and clean up go from 11:30am to 2:30pm. Tuesday and Thursday nights we serve at 6:00pm and as on the other days, prep for it before and service begins at 6:00pm. There may be opportunities for a one-time commitment. Periodic volunteer orientations. Contact: the 'Kitchen Coordinator', 272-5457. (**Note - this may not be sufficient as a field placement on its own, but could be if combined with something else - please talk to professor if you are interested in this placement.)
Longview (Danby Rd., Ithaca): Locational care facility for elderly population. Opportunities for one to one work as well as group recreational work with elderly population. Internship may include doing needs assessment, program planning, and group work in a variety of recreational and therapeutic area. Facility is expanding and recently moved to a new location near Ithaca College. All arrangements for internships are made through Ithaca College Gerontology Department in cooperation with the Sociology Department. Contact your Sociology faculty intern professor as well as Chris Pogorzala (Ithaca College Gerontology Department)
Louis Gossett, Jr. Residential Center (250 Auburn Road, Lansing): 150 bed residential facility for juvenile delinquent males, ages 14-17. Similar program to Lansing Residential Center, but for male population. Transportation required. Contact: Norm Pure (for facilities/administrative programs), 533-5000, and Charles Olson (for education programs) 533-5061.
MacCormick Center (Office of Children and Family Services) (300 South Road, Brooktondale): Residential center serving ages 14-20 years; similar to Lansing Residential Center/Louis Gosset. Intern opportunities in working on groups and programs in areas of recreation, social skills, and education/tutoring. Can be based on intern skills, interests, and areas of expertise. Contact: Mr. Burleigh, 539-7121
Mental Health Association of Tompkins County (518 W. State Street, Ithaca, website: www.mhaedu.org): In cooperation with State and National Mental Health Associations, this agency develops, maintains, and coordinates the citizens movement working towards empowerment of individuals, groups, and, families participating in mental health services. Provides advocacy and other mental health services, including education and information/referral services. Transportation is helpful, but not necessary. Wide range of opportunities including direct services, information/referral, administrative, and clerical. Currently seeking interns and short-term project helpers. Interns would likely be interested in the Respite (for children) Program and the AS Friends (working with adults for a semester or a year). Short-term, there is and editing project - that is, putting out our late winter edition of States of Mind, a desktop magazine. Required: good English skills and the ability to work on a Mac platform. Contact: Catherine Wedge, Community Educator, 273-9250.
Multicultural Resource Center (MRC) (615 Willow Ave, Ithaca): The Multicultural Resource Center creates dialogue around diversity issues in Tompkins County. MRC facilitates community leadership on these issues and helps empower people to embrace our communities' ethnic and cultural diversity. MRC provides information, program collaborations, contacts, diversity workshops, books, tapes and cultural celebrations to increase local awareness and understanding of the rich variety of cultural identities in our communities. Contact: Audrey Cooper, 272-2292 ext 135.
Northeast Kids Count (Northeast Elementary School, 425 Winthrop Drive, Ithaca) After-school program that serves approximately 80 children each afternoon from 2:00-5:30, providing a safe, enriching, positive environment where each student can unwind and de-stress after a long day. Contact: Kimberly Pantle 257-9400.
Oak Hill Manor (602 Hudson Street, Ithaca) Provides support and companionship to seniors at this residential center. Appropriate for placements with a maximum of 4 hour per week, providing one-on-one companionship and support for special events to seniors. Internships may vary, opportunity to work with activities director or social workers. No transportation necessary, located on South Hill. Contact: Debaura Dahl 272-8282.
Opportunities, Alternatives and Resources (OAR) (518 West Seneca Street, Ithaca): Agency advocates for Tompkins County residents who are or have been incarcerated in the Tompkins County jail or have been released from state prison. Desirable knowledge, skills, and abilities include: shared commitment to mission, goals and values of OAR; ability to maintain confidentiality; ability to work cooperatively and in consensus. Interns assist with direct services to help insure that clients are provided with an attorney, have access to community services, and maintain contact with family. Interview and training required prior to beginning internship. Please contact during semester prior to internship. Hours are negotiable. Contact: Internship Coordinator, Rachel Vanderpool Rosario 272-7885.
Patchwork Therapeutic Riding Center (90 Old Peruville Road, Groton): Provides therapeutic experiences with horses. Volunteers/interns are always needed. Contact: Lorraine Aichele, Director, 898-3808.
Planned Parenthood of Tompkins County (314 W. State St., Ithaca): Opportunities for internships in variety of areas; possibilities include patient services, sexuality education, public policy, administration, and business. Competitive placement. Generally requires a two-semester commitment and should be set up in the spring prior to the year you want to do the internship. Transportation is not necessary, but helpful. On bus route. See professor for more information. Contact: Dianne Lucas, 273-1526 (ext. 126).
Prisoners Express Program: The Prisoners Express program sponsored by the Durland Alternatives Library promotes rehabilitation by offering inmates information, education and the opportunity for creative self-expression in a public forum. Participation in this program fosters self-exploration, enrichment and knowledge. The Durland Alternatives Library has a number of ongoing programs as parts of its Prisoners Express project. See website: www.prisonersexpress.org.
Reconstruction Home (318 S. Albany, Ithaca): A skilled nursing facility serving mainly geriatric population. The goals of the program are to promote the maximum level of independence, maintain the individual's present level of functioning, and restore and rehabilitate the individual to the highest level of functioning. The program provides support and education for families and other caregivers, fosters socialization and peer interaction, and provides referrals to community care givers. The intern will be responsible for assisting with care planning, including assisting with group and individual activities, providing information to families, and assisting with referrals and documentation and general day to day functioning assistance. Willingness to work with geriatric population is a must. May be beneficial to arrange internship at the end of the semester prior to starting. Monthly orientation provided for general information. We are the only not for profit skilled nursing home in the area, and the only one with an Alzheimer's Unit. No transportation necessary, located within walking distance from the Commons. Contact: Beth Pittman, Activities Director and Volunteer Coordinator, 273-4166 x118.
Red Cross of Tompkins County (201 W. Clinton St., Ithaca): This is a multi-function agency with a variety of services, including programs for the homeless, various social services, emergency preparation, etc. Also possible placement for students interested in grant writing and program planning/development. Possibilities change from semester to semester. No transportation necessary. It's on the bus route. Contact: Cheryl Vosburgh, Public Support Specialist, 273-1900 x 24.
Southern Tier AIDS Program (local organization: AIDS Work): (215 North Cayuga Street, Ithaca) Contact: 272-4098.
Suicide Prevention & Crisis Services (124 East Court Street, Ithaca): One-year commitment. Work involves crisis counseling by phone, and related activities. Must begin in the fall semester and attend extensive training (can be counted toward hours of your internship). Talk with professor before contacting. Contact: Christina Culver, Coordinator, 272-1505.
Teen Pregnancy/Parenting Program (W. Clinton Street, Ithaca): TP3 provides comprehensive Medicaid case management services to pregnant and parenting teens up to age 21. An intern's field experience could include outreach, agency publicity, data analysis, assistance with grant writing and potentially some shadowing of case managers. Contact: 273-1055
Tompkins Community Action (701 Spencer Road - behind Buttermilk Falls Plaza): Advocacy, casework and services to poverty level population in such areas of the agency's winter heat program, food pantry, food co-op, etc. Opportunities for needs assessment, advocacy, direct service. We also have additional programs that might be of interest to students. Transportation is not necessary, but helpful. Contact: Cindy Martin and/or Cynthia Santos, 273-8816. Now offering family worker internships. This would assist students in learning basic social work case management skills. We have Head Start classrooms in all school districts in the county, including at our Longview site. Contact: Joann Neal, 273-8816
Tompkins Community Action's Super CAT (Cool After-school Times) at Dewitt Middle School (701 Spencer Road, Ithaca): Program provides supervised activities and enrichment from 3:15pm to 6:30pm for 11-14 year olds attending Dewitt Middle School on Warren Road. Daily schedule includes: snack, academic support, "club" activities (art, music, dance, video, computers, etc.), dinner and open recreation. Occasional presentations and workshops include: life skills, pregnancy prevention, drug and alcohol abuse prevention, conflict resolution and more. Interns would work with regular staff to implement a variety of lesson plans; opportunities are also available to facilitate workshops on topics related to the program. One-semester commitment minimum, days and hours are flexible. The school is on the bus route. Contact: Heather McCord, 257-3406
Tompkins County Human Services Coalition (100 West Seneca St., Suite 300, Ithaca): Information and Referral Service is a program of the Human Services Coalition. The program maintains a database of detailed information about community service, not for profit activities, and volunteer opportunities. Staff and volunteers use this database to help solve problems and find information about services offered in Tompkins County. Information and Referral produces three publications utilizing this database including the Community Service Guide and the Guide to Volunteer Opportunities in Tompkins County. Internship for students interested in learning about the organization and entry of information into data base records. Of particular interest to students who want a focus on community organizing, local government, and information science. Two-semester commitment is preferred, but not necessary. Interns should have 3-4 hour time slots open during the days at agency. No transportation necessary, located near Commons. Contact: Ed Swayze (Director of Information and Referral Service), 272-9331 or Fran Marzella franzella@hsctc.org
Tompkins County Department of Social Services (320 W. State Street, Ithaca):Foster Care Treatment/Placements, Independent Living, Family Preservation, and Home Finding (foster and adoptive parent services): Emphasis is on foster children and parents. Internship opportunities include conducting case planning and site visits, interviewing and assessing, and participating in case planning for teaching life skills towards independent living. May also involve recruiting and training foster parents, and following up with home visits and supportive services. Contact: Amy Chaffee or Penny Calderazzo (Treatment Foster Care), Dodi Smith (Independent Living), 274-5651, Tim Stevenson (Home Finding, Foster and Adoptive Parent Services), 274-5266. Adult and Long Term Care Services: Case management and administrative internship opportunities working with neglected/abused and vulnerable adults and seniors, frail elderly, adults with physical and mental disabilities. Case management interns will be expected to make home visits. Community outreach program on Elder Abuse and Protective Services. Can accommodate an intern 5-20 hours per week. Contact: Liz Norton, 274-5369 Planning Department: Opportunities include work on program planning and evaluations. Grant writing, best practice research, gathering and analyzing data, goal setting with units, developing and conducting surveys and some community work. Contact: Kathy Schlather, 274-5678
Tompkins County Health Department (401 Dates Dr., Harris B, Ithaca): Opportunity particularly good for students interested in home health care and elderly population. Background in health is helpful. Opportunities for home visits, case assessment, interviewing, and case planning are available. Contact: Melissa Gatch (Home Care Supervisor), 274-6604, Alice Cole (Public Health Director), 274-6644.
Tompkins County Living Wage Coalition (115 The Commons, Ithaca): The Tompkins County Living Wage Coalition (TCLWC) is a network of organizations, groups and concerned citizens that works for a living wage for all people in Tompkins County. Realizing that the struggle for living wages is long term and must take many shapes, the TCLWC tries to support living wage struggles and campaigns wherever and whenever they arise. Contact: 269-0409.
Tompkins County Office for the Aging (320 N. Tioga Street, Ithaca): The mission of the Office is to help the elderly remain in independent living with a decent quality of life. We assess need, design, implement, monitor and evaluate them. Internships can be created around specific projects and, if desired, combined with "hands-on" experience with the elderly. Contact: Danielle Conte, 274-5490
Tompkins County Youth Services (320 West State Street, Ithaca): We are in the process of doing a comprehensive planning project that includes a needs assessment and inventor of community resources for young people. We have a couple of resource books we'd like to have updated which would involve contacting area organizations for their services. We also anticipate doing some focus groups or interviews with young people and will need help organizing, doing and recording this information. Computer skills, especially database, will be important. Contact: Kris Bennett, 274-5310
Tompkins Learning Partners (124 W. Buffalo Street, Ithaca): Provides services to adults in basic education and English as a second language. We are looking for volunteers who are willing to participate in on-going training and willing to commit to at least one academic year as computer tutors, language facilitators, or on-on-one tutors in reading, writing, math, or conversational English. Tutors and students meet for approximately 2 hours per week at a variety of locations. Contact: David Smith, Adult Basic Education Coordinator/Teacher, 277-6442
Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga (TST) Community School (214 Elmira Rd., Ithaca): Alternative, middle and high school setting working with troubled students surrounding a range of factors that create problems in completing traditional high school programs-pregnancy, learning disabilities, home/related problems, etc. Internship can include one to one work, classroom support, and agency observation. There are opportunities for program development, tutoring, and special projects. Interns may build mini-courses based on their own skills or areas of expertise. Requires a certain level of flexibility and initiative-much of the work is done in small group or one to one, and interns are reminded that there is necessary down time for students to "hang out." Orientation dinner is provided. No transportation is necessary, located on bus route. Contact: Janice Weltman, 273-9015.
Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga (TST) Youth Development Program (555 Warren Road, Ithaca): Youth Development Services at BOCES include class room presentations pertaining to substance abuse prevention and wellness, co-facilitation of support groups for children, one-to-one student support and a resource library with videos and books about drugs and social issues available for loan to school staff and parents. (Online brochure at: www2.tstboces.org/YouthDevelopmentFinalBrochure.pdf) Contact: Amanda Verba, Youth Development Coordinator, 257-1551 ext. 217 or averba@mail.tstboces.org
Tompkins Workforce New York (Tompkins County Office of Employment & Training WIA services provider) (Center Ithaca, Commons): Provides case management, skill training funding and training provider information and job search assistance/guidance to a universal population within a one-stop setting. Opportunities for interns could cover case management assistance including, but not limited to, assessment tools and evaluation testing utilizing current technology and follow-up for outcomes, customer satisfaction measurement, assisting in Resource Room of First Stop, assisting program in securing grants to expand services offered. Other project opportunities to design. Contact: Rayne Butler, Workforce Development Specialist, 272-7570 ext. 106
Women's Community Building (100 W. Seneca, Ithaca): this is a not for profit, self-sufficient building which has evolved through the years from a place where women could rent rooms in a safe and nurturing environment, to a building which now houses an alternative library, a variety of human services organizations, a commercial kitchen, an auditorium, and the Service League Shop. The building is owned by the City Federation of Women's Organizations, Inc. and is managed by a Board of Directors. Some rooms in the building are available for rent. The WCB office, where we would ask interns to work, can sometimes be chaotic and hectic, but the office staff enjoys a pleasant camaraderie and understanding of the concept "team work" and we always enjoy a good laugh together. Our interns help to open and distribute the mail, answer phones, file, wait on visitors at the office window, work on projects that often involve the computer, run errands, help with room set-ups for events, copying, faxing and other duties as needed. If an intern has a special interest, we would be happy to assign some work to him/her in that field as best we can. We consider the WCB to be a very fine place to work. We would be best served by an intern who could be here Monday-Friday any time during regular work hours. Training for interns would be provided during that time also. Contact: Gay Huddle, 272-1247
Women's Opportunity Center (315 N. Tioga Street, Ithaca): Program functions to help widowed, divorced, separated, and any other women who are or have been out of the work force to get back in. Internship opportunities include possibilities to attend and design informational workshops, and to assist with office work, public relations/outreach, and legal work. One-year commitment is required. Transportation is not necessary, but can be helpful. Open Monday - Saturday. Contact: 272-1520 or email info@womensopportunity.org
Youth Employment Service of Ithaca Youth Bureau (1 James L. Gibbs Drive, Ithaca): Youth Employment Service (YES) is a job referral and job support program. We work with Tompkins County teens ages 14-19. We visit local schools and GIAC to make our program more accessible. Teens complete an application, interview and provide us with references. Once they are members we can help them get and keep a job. Teens can work on application, resume, interview and phone skills. We also help employers locate teens to help them with odd jobs or in their business. Within the scope of our program we tailor the internship to both the needs/abilities of the intern and the needs of our program. Duties could include: interviewing teens, or providing job coaching support to 1 or 2 teens. Our office is open 9-5 Monday-Friday. We can be flexible about the schedule within those hours. The internship schedule would also help determine the duties, since some things (i.e. visits to schools) are done at specific times each week. Contact: Suki Tabor, 273-8364 or yes@cityofithaca.org
