Internship, Practicum or Observation Overview

Overview

Campus child care has long existed to fulfill the teaching, research and outreach mission of the greater university. We welcome interns, observers and student teachers at our early care and education programs on campus.

Philosophy of Care

All campus programs at UW-Madison are based on providing a high quality early education experience for our youngest scholars. Programs integrate developmentally appropriate practice and research to provide this care. While the 10 centers on campus are unique in some fashion, the consistent thread is the quality of the program, providing a supportive and enriching environment that will foster each child's social-emotional, cognitive, language and physical development.

UW child care programs strive for a balance between those nurturing aspects of a home environment and social and learning opportunities provided in a group early childhood setting. The typical day provides opportunities for free play, dramatic play, stories, music, art, science and math experience, language arts and computer use. Special activities such as field trips, creative movement and music are also a part of the program.

Development of healthy social skills such as playing, sharing, communicating and manageing conflicts are stressed in campus child care to help children develop self-confidence and independence. Everyday activities and routines encourage children to develop self-help skills, responsibility and the ability to make decisions. Cognitive, language and motor skills are all encouraged through our curriculums.

The nature of your internship, whether observation, hands-on teaching, data collection and/or evaluation will be discussed with the site manager prior to placement. Specific learning objectives will be mutually developed and coordinated with your instructor, if applicable. Please allow a minimum of one week to schedule your assignment at the center of your choice; we cannot guarantee availability on short notice.