Date/Time
Date(s) - 23/04/2023
12:00 am

The Community-Engaged Research (CER) Graduate Student Internship Program, facilitated through the Faculty of Social Sciences’ Community Research Platform (CRP), provides opportunities for Masters and PhD students to work with CRP partner organizations on research projects that support organizational needs and priorities and have tangible benefits for communities.

Intern Job posting

Project: Developing an Evaluation Framework & Plan for the Hamilton Public Library’s Social
Worker program

Job Description:
In November 2022, Hamilton Public Library (HPL) launched a program that involves having a social worker on site at Central branch five days a week. This program was the result of earlier research and advocacy work that pointed to the need for more specialized supports at public libraries to address the increasingly complex needs of some library patrons. A welcome addition to the HPL, Library Social Workers engage patrons directly and provide support such as referrals, system navigation and brief interventions. They also offer educational resources and support for library workers to better equip them to serve library patrons with more complex needs.

HPL is now seeking a Social Work graduate student intern (MSW or PhD level) to support the development of a framework and plan to evaluate the program (the evaluation itself will be carried out in a future stage of work).

The intern will support several key activities related to the evaluation planning. Key tasks include (but are not limited to):

1. Document the program’s origins, purpose and current workings
2. Conduct a literature review and environmental scan focused on evaluations of programs like this one, to inform our own evaluation plan
3. With the Evaluation Steering Committee, define a framework, key questions, methods and metrics for the evaluation (including impact on the community)
4. Support the development of a grant that will allow us to undertake the evaluation
5. Supervise a BSW student working on the evaluation plan (and on program development or program-related research useful to social workers at the library)
6. Facilitate the work of the Evaluation Steering Committee

Required skills and experience:

• MSW or BSW with significant practice experience
• Strong qualitative research skills, ideally with evaluation experience
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrated interest in community based, action-oriented research and equity inclusion and diversity
• Familiarity with public libraries and the services they provide is preferable but not a necessary requirement
• Excellent time management, organization, and interpersonal skills

Please note this position requires some in person work at HPL’s Central Branch.

Duration of Internship: 10 hours per week for approximately 16 weeks.

Value of Award: $6,000

Application Deadline: April 19, 2023

To Apply: Please ensure that you have discussed your interest in this opportunity with your supervisor. As part of your application, we require an email from your supervisor confirming that they support your application. If your supervisor has any questions about the graduate internship program, please encourage them to reach out to the Community Research Platform Program Manager Leora Sas van der Linden (sasvandl@mcmaster.ca). We are happy to meet with you and your supervisor to discuss the CRP graduate internship program.

Please email completed applications to sasvandl@mcmaster.ca. Ensure the subject line includes the internship posting title and attach a Resume and Cover Letter as a PDF.

In the body of the email, include the following:

• Internship Posting Title
• First and Last Name
• Pronouns
• McMaster Email Address
• MacID
• Student Status (MA or PhD)
• Department/Program

The Cover letter (1-2 pages) should describe how your work, volunteer and academic experiences prepare you for this specific internship position. Please include any relevant research experience, highlight knowledge/experience related to working in the community or with a community partner, and highlight other relevant experience as it pertains to the community agency and/ or to the specific job posting. Please also confirm that you are in good academic standing (not on academic probation) and financial standing (no outstanding financial accounts on your student record) with the university.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis based on opportunities available.  All applications will be reviewed by a Community Research Platform committee comprised of McMaster and community organization representatives. Applicants will be notified of a decision within 3 weeks of submitting their application.

For general inquiries about the program, please contact Leora Sas van der Linden, CRP Program
Manager at: sasvandl@mcmaster.ca.