Work with VPI
Student Internship, Practicum, & Research Assistant Opportunities
Part of our violence prevention efforts include training individuals to work with community partners, research affiliates, and academic entities. We offer opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students in the New Orleans area so that they can gain experience in a variety of approaches to violence prevention.
For students, we provide a guided learning experience rooted in our values and principles. It includes a combination of working hours, training, community engagement, and self-paced and collaborative learning for an individually developed internship. We want students to see the root causes of violence and understand how personal and collective understanding and action are key to prevention. The knowledge and skills gained will cover:
- Equity, diversity, and inclusion
- Effective & professional communication (written and verbal)
- Trauma informed research and practice
- Violence prevention in specific cultural contexts (including youth)
- Community engagement best practices
Interns will complete 150 hours in total, working 10 - 20 hours a week, over one or two semesters.
Undergraduate and graduate students in Public Health, Psychology, Social Work, Medicine, Sociology, Political Science, etc. interested in broadening their understanding of violence prevention work, including hands on experience in research and evaluation and outreach and dissemination
- Working with VPI faculty and staff
- Engaging with community partners
- Collaborative learning
- Preparing and facilitating presentations
- Professional development
- External training
While we have limited paid positions, we are able to accommodate student work study; requirements for practicums, field placements, or service hours; and independent studies. Some of these options may require additional faculty sponsorship. Successful completion awards students with a certificate of completion that can be listed on resumes.
Students will also receive help constructing resumes and cover letters to represent their efforts for future applications. Performance based benefits may include academic and job application letters of recommendation; co-authorship on dissemination materials; or future opportunities linked to the Violence Prevention Institute.
Tracks
Arts Based Community Events & Evaluation
This option focuses on building evidence on the impact that arts-based programs has on violence reduction and prevention. Students work with our annual Youth Art Contest as well as our developing mural evaluation initiative.
Community Program Evaluation
Links students with community partners to create new evaluation plans, enhance existing plans, and/or assist in the management and reporting of collected data.
Exploratory Intern
This internship is ideal for students who want a broad experience with the VPI. Students will work across multiple projects and support the internal operations of the VPI while building a diverse skill set.
Enrichment 2 Empowerment
E2E is using a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) approach to train youth to create community and political action projects in New Orleans. Students will assist in the development and presentation of lesson plans and offer support directly to our E2E and our Youth Advisory Council. (Please note this internship requires weekend hours.)
Data Management & Analysis
Students work with our data specialists to code, clean, manage and analyze datasets.
LGBTQIA+
Students work in collaboration with VPI and NOLAHYPE to explore and support the specific needs of the LGBTQIA+ / Queer & Trans community.
Gun Violence Prevention
This internship focuses primarily on assisting with research related activities for our hospital-based intervention study and our evaluation of a community violence intervention. Students support with participant recruitment and follow up, data collection and management, and development of reports and presentations for community partners.
Policy & Advocacy
Students develop policy briefs and translate existing research to multiple audiences while demonstrating the connection of various issue areas to violence prevention.
Grant Manuscript Writing & Support
Under the mentorship of experienced faculty, students gain hands-on experience in drafting, editing, and submitting grant proposals for external funding sources.
Contact Us
For more information contact VPI Senior Program Manager, Timothy Craft at tcraft@tulane.edu.
