INTERNS

Continued from page 1

This internship program is the first paid internship in the center’s history since it opened in 1985, Girard said, and hopes it will continue into the fall semester. Maillard said that while the funding is “one-time,” she sees herself asking to extend the program by the end of the semester.

Kelly Hennessy, a sophomore majoring in childhood education, is one of the three new interns to start working at the child care center this semester. She first applied for the position in the fall, when all positions had already been filled. Because the program had been extended between late December and early January, Hennessy got the opportunity to join the center in the spring semester.

After her first week on the job, Hennessy said both the children and the staff at the center were welcoming. She said she does a lot of work reading together with her students and helping them make connections through discussions.

Her students are primarily toddlers and so-called “wobblers” — children

12 to 18 months old, just starting to walk and talk.

Hennessy’s favorite part of the job so far is the children starting to excitedly call her name — “Kelly!” — and swarm her when she steps into the classroom.

“The first couple of days it was great working with them, but when they don’t have a connection with you and they have a connection with the other teacher in the room, it’s like, ‘I want you to give me attention!’” Hennessy said. “But I’m so happy because now they all want to play and talk.”

Besides her work at the child care center, Hennessy has to balance class and activities at her sorority Sigma Delta Tau, also trying to frequent the gym. She said an appropriate balance of school, work and personal life is important in working with children because “kids can be a lot sometimes.”

Nonetheless, she sees herself working with young children in the future.

The program provides students with experience valuable to their resumes and the centers with extra helping hands, relieving the financial strain on both parties.

“This work is aligned with their coursework and they’re being paid for it, so it’s wonderful for both students and for us,” Girard said.

A previous Cardinal Points article explores the challenges child care centers face in staffing and budgeting in the wake of wage increases statewide.

“With the state of childcare in America, we’re so fortunate to have programs like internships,” Girard said.