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Opportunities Volunteers And Internship Attention students: Grace Place is offering internships for fall, summer and spring semesters. Many opportunities can begin with a fresh experience in social work, sociology, business administrative, education, nursing, and anyone interested in non-profit organizations. Learn to assist clients and their children with art classes on weekends or help host an activity in the park. Many Winona State University and St.Mary’s Education, Sociology, Social Work, and Nursing students have learned through experience as they work alongside the director and staff as they mentor, work with children, complete office tasks, or work in the Market Square. We are a resource to many students who are interested in service learning and the non-profit world. Grace Place is much more than it appears to be and would like to provide even more support than we are currently providing. Acknowledge professionalism in a fun and friendly environment. Interested in fulfilling the required 12 credits of internship for graduation? Contact Carla at (507) 452-2283. Grace Place gives students an opportunity to understand a unique service for children and their families. Tracing their history demonstrates how they have grown to the service that they provide today, but also where they vision themselves in the future. Ruth Charles Social Work Dept WSU “Beautiful dreams that You have spun, are in our hearts and will be won” is the inspiration behind the Grace Place educational mission. The dream of offering rich educational experiences to young children whose parents were struggling with various survival issues was first incubated by Carla Burton and Celeste Miller in a Winona State early childhood classroom in the late 90’s. That dream included organizing family coop classrooms, sharing Montessori concepts for parents, rounding out the education of the whole child with spiritual manipulatives (Godly Play) and always seeing the child as the protagonist, strong and curious. Patiently, Carla Burton has planted the seeds for each of these mini dreams and to the extent of Grace Place’s available resources, these dreams are being realized today. Three classrooms have been built into the Grace Place facility, along with a central meeting/instructional area for adults. Weekly opportunities for growth include Kindermusik, Godly Play, Montessori in the Home and Grace Girls are available to the community. Little by little, over the past 10 years, a unique “community of learners” of many ages has congealed around this common vision. Grace Place is dedicated to seeing each person as unique and special, led by the spirit to come together in order to learn together. It is a model for any community or group of people that values what can happen when people come together with a common vision and persistence. Celeste Miller WSU Education Dept. Member of Grace Place Advisory Council My students at Winona State University routinely carry out service in Winona, either as a requirement for one of my courses or a requirement for my program’s major (Sociology). While I allow students to choose where they wish to carry out their internship or service, they also ask me for suggestions. I often suggest Grace Place. Why Grace Place? Because I want students to learn by carrying out the service, and Grace Place offers a truly extraordinary opportunity for learning. The mission of Grace Place is to provide Christian guidance, support, and encouragement for women with unplanned pregnancies who face the likelihood of single parenting, and for families experience brokenness and change. Government programs, churches, and other organizations offer various kinds of support for the same people. Yet Grace Place is unique because of its holistic approach and its creativity. The staff mentor women. They provide time for women to come together as a group to learn about health, nutrition, gardening, or simply to socialize. They offer activities (Godly Play and Kindermusik) in which children and their family members join in learning through music and movement. And much more. Further, I want my students to see that a very small group of dedicated people created and sustain Grace Place. I know that this can impress and inspire them. Finally, Grace Place is deeply welcoming to all. Exclusion and judgment, which cause so much damage and hurt elsewhere, are not part of Grace Place. Dr. Todd Paddock Dept. of Sociology Winona State University Grace Place Board Member |