2008 Woodie Awards
Inside Washington students complete 1st internship week
Ann Koblenzer
Issue date: 10/12/07 Section: Campus
While most Miami University students pass Bell Tower and King Library on their walk to class, this semester 13 Miami students are getting a change of scenery-by studying and interning in Washington D.C.
Inside Washington initially began as a summer program, and although it was designed for journalism, political science and communication majors, was open to all students. Due to the success of the summer program, the university decided to pilot a semester-long program.
Students in the summer program, which was eight weeks long but will extend to nine weeks this summer, spend the first three weeks in a course that involves meeting with lawmakers, lobbyists and media figures, among others. For the remaining weeks students are then placed in an internship, which generally matches up with their major or area of interest.
It was due to the success of the summer program that the semester-long pilot program was born.
While students still spend the initial five weeks in a course, one benefit of the semester-long program is that it allows students to be in their internship for 10 weeks. The semester program also allows time for the students to design a research project of their choice and learn more about the different groups of people within Washington.
"(The research project) gave the students an opportunity to take a personal interest and dive in and do research and I think they found that pretty exciting," said Cheryl Gibbs, clinical faculty within the journalism program. Gibbs was present in D.C. as the faculty member responsible for the course in the initial weeks of the program.
Howard Kleiman, a Miami communication professor and founder of the Inside Washington program, noted the benefits of students being able to be in D.C. for a semester.
"Personal growth may be the most long-lasting benefit of participating in the program," Kleiman said. "Students come back just so confident in their ability to do new situations. You walk away having done that, feeling like you can virtually handle any situation."
Inside Washington initially began as a summer program, and although it was designed for journalism, political science and communication majors, was open to all students. Due to the success of the summer program, the university decided to pilot a semester-long program.
Students in the summer program, which was eight weeks long but will extend to nine weeks this summer, spend the first three weeks in a course that involves meeting with lawmakers, lobbyists and media figures, among others. For the remaining weeks students are then placed in an internship, which generally matches up with their major or area of interest.
It was due to the success of the summer program that the semester-long pilot program was born.
While students still spend the initial five weeks in a course, one benefit of the semester-long program is that it allows students to be in their internship for 10 weeks. The semester program also allows time for the students to design a research project of their choice and learn more about the different groups of people within Washington.
"(The research project) gave the students an opportunity to take a personal interest and dive in and do research and I think they found that pretty exciting," said Cheryl Gibbs, clinical faculty within the journalism program. Gibbs was present in D.C. as the faculty member responsible for the course in the initial weeks of the program.
Howard Kleiman, a Miami communication professor and founder of the Inside Washington program, noted the benefits of students being able to be in D.C. for a semester.
"Personal growth may be the most long-lasting benefit of participating in the program," Kleiman said. "Students come back just so confident in their ability to do new situations. You walk away having done that, feeling like you can virtually handle any situation."
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