Community-Based Internships: How a Hybridized High-Impact Practice Affects Students, Community Partners, and the University

Abstract

This qualitative participatory action research project demonstrates how participation in a community-based internship (CBI), a hybridization of service-learning and internship practices, affects undergraduate students, community partners, and the university at a large public university. This article outlines a rationale for the study, demonstrating that robust knowledge regarding the effects of service-learning and internships exists, but there is a need to understand how hybridization of these high-impact practices (HIPs) affects program stakeholders. Next, the participatory methodological procedures will be highlighted as they are integral to the presentation and interpretation of the data. The findings will demonstrate that although stakeholders in a CBI have similar experiences to traditional service-learning and internship programs, the hybridization of these HIPs creates a unique environment that shapes these experiences. Furthermore, the participatory inquiry raises questions regarding how research ought to be conducted in service-learning and community engagement.