2006 Summer Interns—A Voyage of Discovery [07/18/2006]

The USF Collaborative for Children, Families and Communities and the Children's Board of Hillsborough County welcome seven area high school students to its 2006 Amy Kohlberg Quinlan Internship Program in community based research. Begun in 2003 and supported through a grant from a private foundation, the program honors the life of Amy Kohlberg Quinlan, a social worker at the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute.

Program participants study the roles communities can play in helping today’s youth succeed and thrive. During the summer, interns meet key people that help shape the experiences of today’s youth in the Tampa Bay area. As members of a youth research team, interns investigate those organizations, events, activities, individuals and programs working to promote positive youth development. Within general parameters, each student studies a different aspect of the same subject—social capital, which is defined as the value of the positive social connections that people can draw on to solve individual and common problems.

“The summer internship is an exciting, energetic program,” says coordinator Melissa Van Dyke. “Young people have a different way of looking at social problems and social issues. My challenge is to introduce them to the research topics in a way that is intriguing and not intimidating.”

The program lasts approximately eight weeks, from June 5th through July 27th. During that time the students conduct interviews with both adults and teens, do background research on the Internet, make presentations and write articles about what they discover.

The 2006 interns are based in the USF Collaborative offices on the Tampa campus, as well as in two East Tampa locations: the East Tampa Learning Academy at the Sylvia Kimball Full Service School, and the Hundred Youth Movement at the CDC of Tampa, both located in East Tampa.

This summer’s interns have chosen and are addressing four research questions:

1) How can we effectively incorporate concepts about social capital into an FCAT prep program to benefit elementary school students?

2) What is the impact of parental support and participation on young people’s out of school time activities?

3) What are the hidden treasures (assets) of East Tampa that could support additional out of school time opportunities for youth?

4) How can out of school time programs encourage youth commitment and retention?

“The students’ energies are completely focused,” continues Van Dyke. “They submitted their documentation to the University’s Institutional Review Board for approval, and now they’re completing their research through focus groups, interviews and surveys.”

Selected from a field of nearly 50 applicants, the 2006 interns are Sundus Alsharif, Freedom High School; Amani Edwards, Thomas Jefferson High School; Angel Everett, C. Leon King High School; Brelin Luster, George S. Middleton High School; Abhinav Patel, C. Leon King High School International Baccalaureate Program; Ricardo Pena, George S. Middleton High School and Jonathan Porat, Hillsborough High School International Baccalaureate Program.

When asked to comment on any aspect of the internship project, here are their responses:

Sundus Alsharif: “No one knows how society will benefit from any research that’s conducted, no matter the size or length. That’s why I have pride in being here every day.”

Amani Edwards: “To accomplish a certain goal, it takes teamwork to overcome adversity and other hardships. We definitely have the teamwork part down!”

Angel Everett: “The good part is the fact that much of the work I’ve done here will save me from doing a lot of work once school starts. The bad part is the fact that school isn’t structured like the internship!”

Ricardo Pena: “This internship has taught me the importance of the revitalization of not only the East Tampa community, but also all of the inner city areas that are in the same predicament. I have been attending Middleton Magnet High in that community, yet I was completely oblivious to the revitalization of the area. Now I feel that I am much more knowledgeable about this community and it has changed my perspective of the world around me. Thank you, USF Collaborative!”

Jonathan Porat: “I applied for this internship hoping to receive some experience in academic research but already I have received much more than that. I have learned how to think inquisitively and critically. I have learned how to think more a like a researcher.”