REAL (Relevant, Experiential and Applied Learning) Experiences
REAL stands for Relevant, Experiential and Applied Learning, and is shorthand for VCU’s experiential learning initiative. It is a student-centered and faculty-driven answer to a challenge given by President Rao to ensure that every VCU graduate has at least one high-quality, experiential and career-focused learning experience during their time at VCU.
Internships by Major
- ReEstablish Richmond - Help clients learn and/or practice their English skills, sometimes as a supplement to their current ESL or GED classes
- Intern with Henrico County Public Schools - Student teachers are placed with cooperating teachers recommended by their school leaders. These teachers provide exceptional training and guidance in becoming a teacher.
- The Virginia Consortium for Teacher Preparation in Severe Disabilities - the consortium's primary goal is to prepare teachers across the state to be highly skilled at working with learners with severe disabilities and/or autism. Link to application.
- The Virginia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Program (Va-LEND) - The purpose of the program is to train health care professionals and related disciplines to be leaders in the field of childhood neurodevelopmental and related disabilities. The program recruits graduate students or professionals who hold a graduate degree in the following disciplines: audiology, developmental pediatrics, nursing, nutrition, occupational therapy, pediatric dentistry, physical therapy, psychology, public health, social work, special education, and speech-language pathology.
- Get credits for an internship abroad with the School of World Studies. Visit here for more information.
- Within our M.Ed. program, our concentration in early childhood special education is a hybrid program. The general education track offers an online option or the unique RTR (Richmond Teacher Residency) partnership with Richmond Public Schools, and the severe disabilities/adapted curriculum concentration is part of a statewide consortium with five other universities in the commonwealth.
Plan Your Internship Abroad Today
Internships are designed to be exploratory — a great chance for you to explore a potential career field or organization before committing to a full-time job. Internships can be paid or unpaid. The most effective internships are project-based and connected to your field of study or career interests. Other ways to get experience in your chosen career path before graduation include both externships and research experience.
- Global Education Office - Intern abroad with GEO.
- Handshake - This comprehensive job and internship search tool posts opportunities specifically targeted to the VCU student/alumni talent pool.
- Internships.com - The largest web-based internship marketplace is searchable by interest, geography, pay, etc., and also includes an Internship Predictor assessment to help you target internships with the best fit.
- ConnectVA - This website provides information, resources and instant access to nonprofits, civic leaders, volunteers and others interested in improving Metro Richmond. The Job Finder is a great place to find local area jobs and internships focused on the nonprofit community.
- More internships on the VCU Career Services website.
- Set up an appointment today with your advisor here!
- School of Education scholarships.
- Scholarships for studies abroad.
- For more, visit the RAMS Scholarship Hub to set up an appointment with your financial adviser here.
Specialty Programs
- This innovative education and immersive program from the International Educational Studies Center is offered to all partnership university students. Students will take part in lectures, class observations and explore local cultural and historical sites.
Similar to the summer program, the International Educational Studies Center offers short-term practicum programs that follow a similar structure, but are tailored for a single university and may be specific to a certain subject or focus area of education.
Students in the undergraduate and graduate programs can learn more about becoming a cultural ambassador on the Cultural Ambassadors website.
Click here for more information about how students can get global engagement service opportunities.