Child Life Services Practicum Program
Please note: Children's National will not be accepting applications for the fall 2020 practicum session. Starting with the 2021 winter/spring session, we will be following the ACLP recommended internship application and offer dates for our practicum program. Please see the Practicum Calendar below for more details.
Children's National offers a Child Life Practicum Program to individuals who are interested in becoming a certified child life specialist with academic training in the fields of child life, child development, early childhood education, psychology, and other related disciplines. Our program accepts both current students and college graduates.
This program provides students with an opportunity to work with children and adolescents in a health care setting. Students help facilitate the normal growth and development of pediatric patients through the provision of supervised, age-appropriate play opportunities. Students support patient adjustment to hospitalization through the implementation of adaptive play techniques and the maintenance of a safe and therapeutic play environment.
Selection of practicum students is based on previous experience working with children, academics, interview, and references. Hospital volunteer hours are required in order to be considered for the practicum program, and other experiences working with children are highly recommended (e.g. experiences with well children in a variety of settings, at camps for children with chronic illnesses, or with non-profit organizations that provide support to children and their families). Applicants must also have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to qualify.
Practicums are offered three times a year with two students participating in a session.
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Fall Practicum 2020
- Not accepting applications
Winter/Spring Practicum 2021 (approximately mid-January to end of April)
- Not accepting applications
Summer Practicum 2021 (approximately mid-May to end of August)
- Application deadline: January 5, 2021
- Offer date: February 9, 2021
Fall Practicum 2021 (approximately early September to mid-December)
- Application deadline: March 15, 2021
- Offer date: May 4, 2021
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A completed application consists of:
- Child Life Services Practicum Application
- Resume
- Unofficial transcripts from each college or university attended
- Two or three recommendation letters
- Recommendations should be written on letterhead (if applicable) and must be signed, scanned and emailed directly from the recommender to childlifepracticum@childrensnational.org
- Recommendations must be completed by a professor, supervisor, manager, or other individual who has observed you working with children
- A short video clip (2 minutes or less) explaining why you want to complete your practicum at Children’s National and why you are the ideal candidate
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If you have any questions, please contact us by phone or e-mail:
Kate Whitener, M.S., CCLS
Certified Child Life Specialist
202-476-5478
Danielle Russell, M.S., CCLS
Certified Child Life Specialist
202-476-8724
Holly Bulgarella, CCLS
Certified Child Life Specialist
202-476-3043