CCWT Videos

Designing Meaningful and Evidence-Based College Internships

Dr. Mindi Thompson, CCWT Director

In this webinar, CCWT’s Executive Director Dr. Mindi Thompson shares what CCWT and other scholars working in the college internship space have learned from students about college internships and elements that contribute to positive internship experiences. Mindi summarizes research findings, shares students’ perspectives, and highlights evidence to support best practices. She shares information about how CCWT used this evidence to develop and launch CCWT’s inaugural internship program. Participants will gain a better understanding of current knowledge and learn strategies to design meaningful internship opportunities for all students.

NOTE: Claudia’s (the CCWT Student Intern) audio is patchy at the beginning of this video, but the rest of the sound, including the presenters’, is clear throughout the video.

Work-Based Learning: Paving the Way for Career Success through a General Education Course

Dr. Mita Banerjee & Kaila Bingen, University of WI-Parkside

January 2025

When structural barriers prevent students from participating in internships, institutions of higher education can offer alternative solutions to ensure equitable opportunities for all learners. This session will explore the conception, implementation, and continuous evaluation of a new experiential learning course that meets general education requirements. Utilizing a mixed-method design, presenters will share early positive outcomes from the UWP 294: Work-Based Learning course demonstrating how students develop crucial career readiness skills that enhance their future professional prospects. Utilizing a course model based on NACE career readiness competencies and best practices in experiential learning, participants will learn how students’ current work experiences scaffolded with relevant coursework can serve as a viable alternative to internships.

Webinar Slides Accessible Here

To learn more about their work, CLICK HERE to visit Mita’s and Kaila’s website.

May 2024

Not All Internships are Created Equal: Research Findings and Strategies to Enhance Internship Experiences and Outcomes

Dr. Ran Liu & Dr. Mindi Thompson

In this webinar, Dr. Ran Liu and Dr. Mindi Thompson delve into the critical disparities characterizing college students’ internship experiences and outcomes, focusing on differences in supervision quality, student satisfaction, paid vs. unpaid internships, and their impacts on career outcomes. Synthesizing findings from CCWT’s college internship study, data from the National Survey of College Internships (NSCI), and other literature, we discuss how these disparities also vary according to students’ socio-demographic backgrounds. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the prevalence of internship disparities and actionable insights on strategies to promote equitable internship experiences for all students.

Racialized Poverty Among College Students: Intersecting with First-Generation College Students Status and Paid Internship Opportunities

April 2024

Researchers and career counselors have become increasingly interested in understanding college students’ experiences of poverty and identifying the role of paid internship opportunities in poverty experiences based on structural, cultural, and historical dynamics. Drawing from data from CCWT, Dr. Kim will explain multidimensional poverty and display different structures and natures of poverty that college students experience across racial identities. She will also explain if first-generation college students are more vulnerable to racialized poverty and if paid internship opportunities would alleviate poverty experiences and provide reflection questions and future directions highlighting ways to support invisible student groups with intersecting identities.

Key words: College students, first-generation, poverty, race, internships, Early Career Scholar, Early Career Scholars