Under the leadership of Warden Patt Adair and then-Human Resource Director Ed Jones, the committee was challenged to coordinate and enhance the internship programs that were already in place at several facilities and field services offices, as well as to create a centralized process. As the committee progressed, it was clear that a coordinator was needed to assume the responsibility for implementing the internship program. In December of 1999, Lieutenant Kathy Tschida from the MCF-Faribault was assigned the role of Internship Coordinator for the agency. In that capacity, she recruited students from more than 50 colleges and universities, matched prospective interns with the positions and institutions that best fit their academic needs and qualifications, and worked as a liaison between site supervisors and the interns. Presently over 45 internship opportunities exist in various areas throughout the department, including such diverse areas as case management, discipline, recreation, spiritual resources, psychological services, chemical dependency and sex offender therapy, special investigations, and information technology.
Internships usually are one semester in length and are offered on a year-round semester schedule.
In February, an internship link was added to the DOC website, allowing students access to information about the program and available internships. The success of the internship program is due in no small part to the many staff members who have taken on the responsibility and challenge of supervising the interns. They act as mentors, role models, advisers, trainers, guides, coaches, and teachers. Their dedication to the students is truly the reason that the program already has earned an excellent reputation throughout the state and region. Since June of 2000, we have had 48 student interns both at the graduate and undergraduate level obtain a comprehensive experience in our department.