Externships & Experiential Learning

The Schubert Center enables experiential learning for undergraduates through externships with community organizations and institutions, policy-oriented trips to Washington, D.C., and opportunities for attendance at national conferences.  Made possible by support from the Mann Endowment Fund and the Sears-Swetland Family Foundation, the following opportunities help students gain a personalized view of the ways in which research and policy can converge to impact the lives of children and families.


Mann Child Policy Externships give students the opportunity to work directly with professionals who design and implement policies that impact the lives of children and families.  With supervision from the Schubert Center, students are placed with local policy organizations working in areas of child health, education, law, juvenile justice, mental health, and child welfare.  The Mann Child Policy Externship is now also available as an undergraduate capstone experience in anthropology, childhood studies, and psychology.  Follow the links below for more information and application instructions.


“There is no substitute for the learning opportunities provided by the Mann Child Policy Externship.  I not only learned first-hand about the policy making process, but I also learned how I can develop my skills to make a bigger difference in the future.”



Experiential Learning in Child Policy (CHST 302) is a course offered annually through the Childhood Studies program.  The course gives students an in-depth understanding of state and federal legislation impacting children, youth, and families, and includes an experiential learning component in which students visit Washington, D.C. to meet with policymakers and see the legislative process in action.

“When we went to Washington, I learned so much about how the legislative process works, what kinds of questions to ask to understand policy issues, and how to be a well-informed citizen.  I think all of the students came away from the trip energized about the differences we can make in child policy.”


Attendance at national conferences exposes students to the most current research in the field and provides valuable professional experience.  With support from the Mann Endowment Fund, students enrolled in courses in the Childhood Studies program have had the opportunity to attend conferences of the Society for Research in Child Development and the Society for Research on Adolescence.

“The SRCD conference gave me great exposure to the world of child development.  Thank you for giving us the chance to attend!”


The Sears-Swetland Externship at the Cleveland Botanical Garden was offered for the first time to an undergraduate student interested in the relationship between research and policy as it relates to environmental education and experiences for children and youth.  Modeled after the Mann Child Policy Externships, the Sears-Swetland Externship is a collaboration between the Schubert Center and the Cleveland Botanical Garden.  Contact the Schubert Center for more information.