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Psychology major Christen Dean ’04 is testing her psychology knowledge by helping to address school bullying in cooperation with a youth outreach program at Nitschmann Middle School in Bethlehem.
“I really like how I am able to put to use the knowledge I have gained [in the classroom] thus far,” she says. “This hands-on experience is also valuable in that it has reinforced my desire to work in the school system.”
She is developing projects for an after-school program called Youth As Resources (YAR). A collaborative effort of the Bethlehem Partnership for a Healthy Community, the Bethlehem YMCA, and the community, it gives at-risk children an opportunity to create a service project that addresses a community problem. Dean works with other college interns to develop specific parts of the project. All students work under the supervision of lead intern Jennifer Lengel and YAR director Dorinda Frey.
“This program helps to foster positive relationships between youth and adults in the community as both groups work towards united goals,” Lengel says. “The community initiatives are youth-designed, youth-led, and youth-implemented to solve a community problem that the students feel is a growing concern in their world.”
YAR students at Nitschmann have decided to address school bullying and the intolerance of ethnicity. They are planning a multicultural fair that will help the school and surrounding community learn about cultural backgrounds.
“Christen works closely with children of various ages to plan and facilitate weekly meetings to design a project, create a budget, write a grant proposal, and follow through with the project,” Lengel says. “She also acts a mentor as she teaches and encourages responsibility and leadership by organizing games and activities, and spending quality time with her assigned group of students.”
The internship is part of an experientially based Lafayette course, Advanced Applied Psychology, taught by Ann V. McGillicuddy-DeLisi, Metzger Professor of Psychology. Students apply their knowledge of psychology to a nonacademic field setting. Each field placement reflects the interests of the student. A total of 80-100 hours will be logged at the field placement, and students keep a journal of activities related to it.
“Through the internship course in psychology, all students who enroll create their own integration of formal academic study and hands-on experiences in various settings and subfields,” McGillicuddy-DeLisi explains. “The advantage is that they gain substantial experience in their engagement in genuine work in the field, while integrating that experience with theoretical and research literature that they pursue under the guidance of the academic facilitator.”
“I decided to do this internship because it will provide me with experience needed to help me begin studying school psychology in graduate school,” Dean says, adding that most of the children involved in YAR are Hispanic, which gives her an opportunity to practice her Spanish speaking skills, a topic that interests her as a Spanish minor.
McGillicuddy-DeLisi says that Dean is benefitting from the internship in many ways. She is learning how to collaborate with people who have a common goal, and apply what she has learned about education and psychology to a real world setting.
“Christen is definitely taking full advantage of these opportunities,” she says. “[She] is highly motivated and well-trained for this experiences as a result of her coursework and previous experiences.”
“This opportunity to work with at-risk youth has given Christen a distinctive learning experience,” Lengel says. “She has been able to witness first hand the importance of child psychology in the educational classroom. Students are faced with problems every day, from the simple process of maturing to many at-home issues. Christen is able to use her psychology experience to help counsel and guide these students through some of the roughest moments of their lives. Christen’s connection and dedication with the students show that she has been taking full advantage of her insight into child psychology and the amazing inner workings of an adolescent mind.”
At YAR, Dean supervises and facilitates the activities of the 20 youth enrolled in the program. In addition, she is supervising the organization of entertainment and activities for the multicultural fair, says Lengel.
Dean says the fair will represent various countries.
“[The countries] will be represented with traditional food, costume, music and games,” she explains. “[The children’s] main goal is to educate people about other lesser-known cultures in hopes that acceptance will be a result.”
The internship has given her confidence to work with children of all ages, Dean comments. Learning how to write grant proposals in a manner that is effective and intelligent is also a priority for her. She also hopes to equip herself to handle middle school aged children, to become a valuable member of the organization, and to act as a proper mentor to the youth.
“Christen is a very dedicated and hardworking intern who is always going the extra mile to give superior work,” Lengel says. “Together with her ability to communicate and develop trusting relationships with students, I believe that she will find nothing but success in her future endeavors. She is a valued member of our team, and we would be lost without her.”
After graduation, Dean is looking to attend graduate school to study school psychology. Lafayette has encouraged her participation in academic experiences geared towards psychology.
“By working in a school setting with children of different ages, races and cultural backgrounds, peers and other faculty, I will hopefully have gained experience and the confidence to face that challenge head on,” Dean says. “Being a part of this organization has reaffirmed my desire to work with children in a school setting and hopefully my intended degree will ensure my satisfaction in future endeavors.”
“Christen always maintains a very positive attitude concerning her responsibilities with the children at the center,” Lengel adds. “She is always prepared, and treats her students with respect and generosity. She never fails to deliver work products in a timely fashion, and often goes above and beyond the stated criteria to be sure her best work is presented. If Christen decided to make a career out of working with children, such as these youth, I believe she would find much success. Her kind heart, dedication, and work ethic are superior features that will guide her to greatness in a field such as this.”