Internship Placement Project on the Staten Island Campus The School of Education on Staten Island is known for its commitment to place students in school settings starting almost immediately in their first semester. This Fall we will provide another set of rich experiences for our students, an “Internship Placement Project” that will send them into not-for profit agencies and cultural institutions whose work centers around issues and experiences confronting school age children today. Among the placements offered are those exemplary organizations whose involvement in children’s health, welfare, psychological development, creativity, academic development and the disciplines found in schools such as History, Mathematics, Science and the Arts, are well known and respected on Staten Island and surrounding areas. Several institutions have already committed to partnering with The School of Education on this project including, to name just a few, the American Cancer Society, Staten Island Mental Health, St. George Theatre and the Seton Foundation-Adolescent Division. Our student interns, starting with freshmen and expanding in subsequent years to sophomores, juniors and seniors, will be among the first in the nation to undergo what we expect to be exciting, interesting, and rewarding experiences that can a) intensify pre-service teachers’ practical learning experiences, b) deepen their understanding of issues and experiences confronting school age children, and c) build capacity for practitioner inquiry. Interns will engage for six hours per semester over the course of eight semesters at a not-for-profit agency/cultural institution, having multiple visits at the site. They will remain at each site for one year; thereby experiencing four unique places throughout their undergraduate program of study. A yearly inquiry project involving their work in the field and directed by their University professors is an essential component that will guide the interns’ professional growth. This unique program was developed by the faculty in response to the New York State Board of Regents’ call to involve museums, cultural institutions and not-for-profit agencies in the preparation of tomorrow’s teachers. By embracing this approach, The School of Education on Staten Island expects to provide its students with a real-world understanding of the children they serve.