From Theory to Practice for College Student Interns: A Stage Theory Approach

Abstract

The interns slowly shuffled into the staff meeting. Each looked slightly more tired and frazzled than the one before. It was time to debrief the program we had just completed. As we heard the last bus driving away full of happy students singing and talking, we settled into what had become nearly assigned seats in our staff room. The staff had found this program to be particularly difficult to run. The logistics were sloppy, meals were barely acceptable, the participants themselves seemed to require more supervision and direction than usual. Informal discussion was more focused on the upcoming day off than on the next group which would be arriving in less than twenty-four hours.