School: University of Georgia School of Social Work

It was an honor and a privilege to participate in the 2006 Emory Summer Child Advocacy Program. As a Title IV-E Education Grant recipient, it was a hands-on learning experience that opened my eyes to the realities of case management, Department of Juvenile Justice procedures and formalities, and the gamut of services required in practicing with families and children. I consider each stage of this internship a learning experience that guided me carefully and consistently toward my calling - to devote my time and energy to serving the world's most vulnerable populations.

After a weeklong training/orientation in May 2006, I started my placement with the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI), a non-profit organization undertaking research and education projects on fiscal and economic issues toward a greater state government fiscal accountability. My entire placement experience was supervised by Clare Richie, a policy analyst at GBPI. Working with Clare Richie during this 10-week period has left some indelible impressions in my mind; impressions that will forever shape my life as a professional social worker.

My first encounter with Clare was in January 2006 when she interviewed me on the phone for the placement. Clare is empathic, methodical, and respectful, which she combines with great interpersonal skills. Throughout this period of work with her, she came across as a very happy woman, a much-needed therapeutic grace for the challenges that internships are fraught with.

The first week of my placement was eventful. I met with the GBPI staff; was guided through the GBPI Year End Report and GBPI Newsletter; and had a welcome lunch with the staff at a Thai Restaurant in downtown Atlanta. I was also provided with a parking permit for the entire period, and a key to the office.

In the weeks that followed, Clare and I undertook several projects. We worked closely with Voices for Georgia's Children (Voices) and Family Connection Partnership (FCP) to develop a format for a Georgia Children's Budget to foster understanding of the existing relationships between policy, investments, programs and results. This budget analysis was aimed at identifying the programs and investments made by state and federal government in Georgia that target the identified result areas. My work involved the following:

• Comparing on-line out-of-school time funding database to two sets (INCLUDE and EXCLUDE) printouts from the 2003 Finance Project publication.
• Identifying federal funding sources that pass through directly to fund recipient, and creating a contact list for these sources;
• Researching DOL alternative education and National Science Foundation ITEST as additional federal funding sources;
• Creating a matrix for Children's Budget Samples in three States: Ohio, Philadelphia, and California.

This work was made easier by the unique features that GBPI presents: great working environment, supportive staff, and the extraordinary leadership of Alan Essig, executive director of GBPI. I took part in staff meetings, and attended meetings with project partners.

It is also relevant to express my satisfaction with the great support received from the Emory Summer Child Advocacy Program staff. Beth Reimels, (program director), Michele Papotto, (program coordinator) and the entire ESCAP team constituted an incredibly reliable support network that boosted participants' energy to forge ahead through thick and thin. Personally, I walked through the entire placement with my head high above, knowing that my every step was graced by the good intentions of Beth Reimels and her team.