Because we believe students learn best in actual professional settings, the CYFS major requires a junior-year practicum and a senior internship, providing up to 700 hours of resume-building experience. Many graduates say this emphasis on practical learning is what prepared them most for their first job out of college.

Junior Practicum

During spring semester, juniors serve 4-6 hours per week in a local organization that matches their academic interests and future professional goals. Students aren’t assigned to pre-determined sites, but work with a faculty advisor to find the best match possible.

Senior Field Experience

Seniors complete a full-time, 14-week Field Experience (our name for “internship”), specifically chosen to help them gain valuable experiences and skills in a professional environment. Interns work under the direction of an experienced on-site supervisor, who serves as a mentor and guide to the learning process, in addition to support from a faculty advisor. Because this is a full-time experience, students have the opportunity to go anywhere in the country – or across the globe.

Examples of previous practicum and internship sites

Churches

• Anacortes Lutheran Church (Anacortes, WA)
• Lake City Presbyterian Church (Seattle, WA)
• Snohomish Christian Church (Snohomish, WA)
• Ascension Lutheran Church and Preschool (Thousand Oaks, CA)
• Grace Lutheran Church (Wenatchee, WA)
• Luther Memorial Lutheran Church (North Syracuse, NY)

Social Service Agencies

• Renton Area Youth & Family Services (Renton, WA)
• Lutheran Community Services Family Resource Center (SeaTac, WA)
• Eastside Domestic Violence Services (Bellevue, WA)
• Volunteers of America, Housing and Transitional Services (Everett, WA)
• Ryan’s House Youth Shelter (Whidbey Island, WA)
• Animals as Natural Therapy (Bellingham, WA)

Camps / Outdoor Organizations

• Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp (Lakeside, MT)
• Overlook Farm, Heifer Project International (Rutland, MA)
• Good Earth Village (Spring Valley, MN)
• Camp Indianola (Indianola, WA)
• Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp (Story City, IA)
• Mount Cross Ministries (Ben Lomond, CA)

Parachurch Organizations

• Jeremiah Center (Edmonds, WA)
• Youth for Christ (Snohomish, WA)
• Stonecroft Ministries (Kansas City, MO)
• Youth Dynamics (Arlington, WA)

Denominational Offices

• Pacific Northwest Conference, United Methodist Church (Des Moines, WA)
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (Chicago, IL)

International

• St. Anne Lutheran Church (London, England)
• Lantern on the Hill Ministries (Ensenada, Mexico)