Therapeutic Recreation Student Program
Therapeutic Recreation student training opportunities are offered three times a year, beginning in January, May/June and August/September. Interested students should submit a completed application and be available for an on-site interview. Students for whom an on-site interview is not feasible due to distance may participate in a phone interview.
Application is not a guarantee of acceptance, and not all applicants are invited to interview. The Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy department provides students with quality supervision and education during placement, and as such, only accepts a limited number of students per semester.
Types of student training:
Junior Internship experience
Junior Internship experience is intended to introduce the undergraduate student to therapeutic recreation, as well as the variety of experiences facing children and adolescents in the healthcare setting. A therapeutic recreation specialist will supervise the student as he or she participates in individual and group activities with children and families. Students are placed in one area of the hospital for their junior internship experience.
Junior Internship students are required to have completed a core curriculum, including child development course work, and must document successful experiences working with children. This type of training is highly recommended for those students who are considering a career as a therapeutic recreation specialist. Junior Internship students must complete eight to 10 hours per week, for a minimum of 100 hours or as dictated by their college/university.
For more detailed information about the junior internship experience, please download the junior internship application, which includes the Job Description and Application.
Internship experience
Comprehensive therapeutic recreation internship training is offered three times a year. Internship training is required for those students who are planning a career as a certified therapeutic recreation specialist. Internship positions are full time (40 hours/week) for a minimum of 14 weeks.
Interns are involved in the planning and implementation of a developmentally and emotionally supportive program for children and adolescents. Students are expected to incorporate play, recreation and leisure, psychosocial support, healthcare related education and family involvement in order to enhance the social, emotional, intellectual and physical well-being of children and families in the healthcare setting.
Internship students must be college seniors or graduates with a major or concentration in therapeutic recreation. Applicants must have student or work experience with children in group settings, and a minimum of 100 hours of experience in an established therapeutic recreation or child life program in a healthcare setting.
For more detailed information about the internship experience, please download the internship application, which includes the Intern Job Description and Application.
Dual Internship experience
The Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy department also offers a dual internship experience in both Child Life and Therapeutic Recreation. Interns in the dual program must complete a minimum of 18 weeks so as to ensure adequate training time in each discipline. Interns rotate through two different areas of the hospital during their experience. Placement areas for interns include but are not limited to: Radiology, Oncology, Cardiology, Emergency Department, Outpatient Services, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and General Pediatrics. Not all placement areas are available to accept interns every semester.
Dual internships are only offered twice a year, in the spring and fall semesters.
Dual Internship students must be college seniors or graduates with a major or concentration in therapeutic recreation. Applicants must have student or work experience with children in group settings, and a minimum of 100 hours of experience in an established therapeutic recreation or child life program in a healthcare setting.
To apply for a dual Child Life/Therapeutic Recreation internship, please download the internship application and select "Dual Child Life/Therapeutic Recreation."
Contact Us
- 215-590-2001
