果冻传媒's Washington Semester is a 14-week program where students work at an internship four days a week and take two evening classes. In addition, students attend weekly field trips, do community service, and are required to attend a congressional hearing and a protest or rally. Students live in apartments in Rosslyn, Va., where the program is located. A consortium of small Lutheran schools called operates the program.
果冻传媒 University's Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Civic and Urban Engagement links students to the local community to explore hands-on experiences in their major field of study, their future career path, or an area of personal interest. Having students engaged in these experiences enhances the economic, social, cultural, and educational capacity of the community while preparing students for a lifetime of active citizenship by helping them learn the challenges and rewards involved in trying to create positive change in their community. Participating community partners gain student power to complete projects critical to their mission. The Hagen Center offers a Community Internship Program every summer, and since 2014, every spring semester as well.
Students may apply for these internships by responding to the attached materials. We will interview and select participants for these internships.
Students may design an internship in the usual manner but add on participation in the orientation, weekly sessions and final presentation of the Hagen Center. We assume that the design for these internships and the assignment of credit will involve a faculty advisor in the appropriate department or program. The Hagen Center will require that one credit assigned to the internship be designated as requiring full participation in these Hagen Center elements in order to assure that students feel a responsibility to participate fully. Students choosing this option will need to apply for inclusion in the Hagen Center program once they have designed their internship in consultation with a faculty member of the department or program where the internship is to receive academic credit.