Internship Program Overview

We have an INTERNSHIP PROGRAM for undergraduate and graduate students who serve as volunteers for agencies that need on-site evaluation coordination. We train and manage interns as they perform various program evaluation activities. All of our student interns are trained at the SOLVE INSTITUTE where they undergo rigorous professional and intellectual development.

Internship Tracks

SHAPE (Sociology/Social Work/History/Anthropology/Psychology/Education/English)

• The SHAPE program targets undergraduates and graduate students interested in careers in public health, mental health, and social service. Specifically, SHAPE provides students an opportunity to build skills in the areas of program evaluation, and clinical research.

• Undergraduate students in the majors listed above must have at least a 2.5 grade point average.

• Preference is given to (but not limited to) students from disadvantaged backgrounds regardless of race or gender.

• Students must attend a half-day orientation offered at the beginning of each semester.

• Students must obtain a human subject participant certificate (offered on-line and is free) after orientation.

• Depending upon interest, students will complete four additional workshops in preparation to “SERV”.

SERV (Student Evaluation Research Volunteers)

• Students completing the SHAPE requirements are able to “SERV” as interns.

• Students must complete 240 service learning hours with no compensation to develop skills needed in program evaluation and clinical research.

• Once students complete their 240 hours of customized learning, students are eligible (but not guaranteed) to receive small stipends as they are made available by the host agency.

PERC (Program Evaluation Research Coordinator)

• After completing a SERV assignment, students may elect to collaborate with the host agency to use client data for practicum or master thesis.

PERM (Program Evaluation Research Manager)

• PERM serves as our vehicle for hiring our interns as project managers for staffing new research grants and contracts.
• PERM participants must complete 80 hours of project management and leadership learning modules.

SMART (Social Marketing and Research Trainee)

• For our social marketing services, we often seek the assistance of students to help with planning and implementing key component of the social marketing and research process.

• SMART participants must complete 80 hours of social marketing and research learning modules.

The purpose of the SOLVE Institute is to help students learn how to conduct program evaluation and clinical research for agencies with limited capacity and serving high risk populations. Students add value by complementing the service provision staff with program evaluation and client assessment activities. Students prepare for such tasks by attending classes offered in key areas that are typically under-funded or not funded by program grants.

SERV (Student Evaluation Research Volunteers)

• Service learning
• Worksite Etiquette
• SERV Project Management Protocols
• Fieldwork Safety Protocols
• Fundamentals of Social Statistics
• Focus Group Support and Management
• Conducting Intake Assessments
• Participant Observations
• Literature review
• Data Collection and Management 
• Data Management & Analysis 
• Writing and Researching for Publication
• Graduate-level workshops and classes

• Motivational Interviewing

• Best Practices for In-taking Clients

• Client Process Monitoring

• Developing Culturally Appropriate Client Data Collection Tools

• Human Subjects Participation and Protection

• Research Ethics

• HIPAA Regulations

• Initial Assessments 
• Logic Modeling
• Program Description
• CQI /Process Monitoring and Evaluation
• Outcome Monitoring and Evaluation

Evaluation Research Track

• Navigating the IRB process
• Developing Theoretical Frameworks for Research Inquiry
• Qualitative evaluation research designs
• Quantitative evaluation research designs
• Mixed methods research designs