The live event has passed. Please see the recording of this event below.

COVID-19 has changed our personal and professional lives in many ways. When it comes to working with students, it can be particularly challenging how to provide them with an opportunity to observe and practice what they have learned in the community.

On May 28, 2020, NCFR hosted a virtual, live Zoom web session on how to manage internships and practicums during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This interactive session served as an opportunity for family scholars to ask questions, share resources, and provide tips for best practices. Presenters Erin Lavender-Stott, Ph.D., and Valerie Albert , M.S., will share one university's specific challenges and adjustments they've made.

Following the presentation was a discussion time for all attendees to ask questions and share their experiences — what has worked, and what has not worked. Included below is a document summarizing useful tips from the meeting.

Continue to engage and learn from your peers and colleagues in the NCFR member online community discussion group. There you can also find ongoing networking opportunities and conversations to support your professional development.

Watch the Recording

Notes from the NCFR Continuing Conversation: Online Practicums and Internships (PDF)

Summer Alternative/Independent Study Practicum Project Options — South Dakota State University (PDF)

About the Presenters

Erin S. Lavender-Stott, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Development at South Dakota State University (SDSU). As one of the faculty in the Human Development and Family Studies’ program at SDSU she is supervising a student doing their summer alternative practicum. Dr. Lavender-Stott also teaches adult development, gerontology, family theories, and family policy. Her scholarship focuses on singlehood and LGBQ older adults. She earned her doctorate from Virginia Tech.

Valerie Albert, M.S., is an instructor in the Department of Counseling and Human Development at South Dakota State University. She holds a master's of science in both communication studies and counseling and human resource development, specializing in college counseling. Ms. Albert has coordinated the undergraduate human development and family studies practicum experience since 2018. Since adding the preparation for practicum and practicum courses to her workload, she has developed a practicum handbook to model the structure of the graduate student internship as well as increased community agency relations. In addition to coordinating practicum, Ms. Albert teaches lifespan development, program design, and parenting as well as other courses in the College of Education and Human Sciences and the Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College at South Dakota State. She has presented on topics of mental health, interpersonal relationships, the impact of technology on human development, communication patterns of Generation Z, and establishing a teaching apprentice program for undergraduate students at the National Collegiate Honors Council Conference.