Practicum (5 credit hours total, fall and spring semesters)
The Clinton School Practicum is a year-long required field service learning course that gives students the opportunity to work in project teams to apply skills learned in the classroom. The Practicum, which is taught in multiple projects, with each project involving a partnership with one or more Arkansas organizations, promotes the Clinton School's mission to educate young leaders to build and sustain healthy, engaged and vibrant communities in Arkansas and around the world by emphasizing the "practice" of public service through collaboration with community leaders to achieve partner and community objectives.
During the 2008-09 academic year, the Clinton School Practicum project teams will work on diverse organizational and community priorities in partnership with Arkansas non-profit and government organizations that include Heifer International, the Arkansas Delta Rural Heritage Development Initiative, the Arkansas Department of Human Services, and the Boys, Girls, Adults Community Development Center (Marvell, AR).
The three Clinton School Practicum sections during the 2007-08 academic year focused on expanding Arkansas children's mental health services; cataloging Arkansas after school care programs; and promoting small business development, sustainable community development, and women's empowerment in the Arkansas Delta region. The projects included:
THE ARKANSAS DELTA GRASSROOTS PRACTICUM
The three student teams in this section partnered with three different non-profit organizations to promote small business development, sustainable community development, and women’s empowerment in the Arkansas Delta region.
One team worked with the Arkansas Delta Rural Heritage Development Initiative to launch the Arkansas DeltaMade regional branding and local economic development program, and to support the growth and expansion of Arkansas DeltaMade program businesses by providing practical tools, awareness and recommendations for capacity-building and sustainability. The team produced an Arkansas DeltaMade Technical Assistance Needs Assessment and Coordination Plan and Recommendations for the Sustainability of the Arkansas DeltaMade Program, as well as organized and conducted a highly successful Arkansas DeltaMade Marketplace at the Clinton School in March 2008 to foster greater awareness of the Arkansas DeltaMade program among Arkansas policy makers, retailers and residents.
A second team partnered with the St. Francis County Community Development Corporation (Forrest City, Ark.) in the development of documentation to guide the design and implementation of a St. Francis County Women’s Empowerment Bank. The team produced a Community Asset Map of Forrest City, including a Community Asset Inventory and a Community Asset Flow-Chart; a Community Organizing Manual for general use by grassroots non-profit groups in engaging community residents in program design and implementation; and other related documents.
A third team partnered with the Boys, Girls, Adults Community Development Center in Marvell, Ark., to respond to current organizational challenges and develop a strategy to build organizational capacity and sustainability. Following its assessment of the Center’s internal organization, the team focused on two main objectives: executive leadership transition and staff development, and development and fundraising. Among the documents the team produced during this phase were standard and enhanced content for the new center Web site, a concept paper for the center to use in applying for an AmeriCorps Vista staff member, and a strategy for achieving organizational sustainability through the creation of a Center fundraising committee.
THE AFTER SCHOOL CARE PRACTICUM
Three student teams worked with the Governor’s Task Force on After School Care to research and catalogue after school care efforts throughout Arkansas. The Governor’s Task Force is exploring after school care as an educational initiative to help close the achievement gap for low-income children.
One team convened a core group of state social work representatives and developed a strategic communications plan for statewide after school care efforts. This helped meet the task force’s goal of streamlining the communications process among after school care programs so that goals can be achieved efficiently.
A second team continued a Clinton School partnership with the Pine Bluff 20/20 Commission by preparing an after school care plan for the city of Pine Bluff. The students met with existing after school care providers in Pine Bluff churches, schools and community centers and publish their findings in a directory report that will serve as a resource for citizens of Pine Bluff.
A third team developed a demand study for after school care throughout the state. The students assessed data and formulated a research plan to implement a statewide study. They used techniques of representative sampling, survey design and focus groups. Their work provided informational frameworks for the use of the Governor’s Task Force in targeting areas of the state with the highest needs.
THE SYSTEMS OF CARE PRACTICUM FOR CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH
Two student teams partnered with the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) to study the feasibility of a Systems of Care approach to deliver services to children with Severe Emotional Disturbance (SED) in Benton and Washington Counties in Northwest Arkansas, and in Phillips County in the Arkansas Delta. The teams focused specifically on the growing underserved Hispanic community in Northwest Arkansas and low-income African Americans in Phillips County.
The Systems of Care approach involves making children and their parents "full partners" in the process of addressing children's mental health. It also requires coordination among various mental health agencies, law enforcement agencies, advocacy groups, schools, counselors, social workers and medical personnel.
The two teams traveled to these communities to conduct research and determine the "readiness" of each community for the Systems of Care approach, including cataloging current services, weighing general attitudes toward mental health and accessing resources available and resources needed to move forward. They convened focus groups and surveys to gather data and presented a report of their findings to the children's Behavioral Health Commission.