The mission of Special Olympics Colorado (SOCO) is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendships with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. SOCO provides more than 100 opportunities for athletes to train and compete each year in 22 sports for individuals ages two and up.

Practicum:
120 hour practicum will be used to gain an understanding of the organization at large (history, mission etc.), its correlating programs, and the role health plays throughout each intervention. Training will occur both in office, and in the field. The 120 hour practicum for the Fall 2023 semester will focus on beginning the work on a Community Collaborative for ID-Inclusive Health for Special Olympics Colorado.

• This will be done with guidance from Special Olympics International and is following deliverables that Special Olympics Colorado must obtain with their Healthy Communities Impact Grant.

• According to a grant Special Olympics Colorado has: bring together different community stakeholders to work on the issue of access to health(care) for people with ID in their community.

• The practicum will focus on identifying these stakeholders and working on scheduling the meetings that will be conducted and analyzed through the Capstone.

Capstone:
Needs Assessment in partnership with a Colorado CDC-funded Organization:

• Goal: Conduct three (3) meetings with different community stakeholders to work on the issue of access to health(care) for people with ID in their community. One of these community stakeholders must be a representative from CDPHE who SOCO has been working with for the past 2 years.

• Interest: Healthy Equity

• Skills: Scheduling, Conducting Virtual or In-Person Meetings, Analyzing Data, Plan Development

Duties and Responsibilities:

1) Learn about the SOCO Organization to have foundational knowledge and a comprehensive understanding of the organization and programs

2) Remaining Duties and Responsibilities will be determined and outlined together based off practicum and/or chosen topic for capstone.

Benefits Gained:

• In depth experience with research and evaluation related to Special Olympics Colorado and the community impact on local law enforcement, schools, and beyond

• Opportunity to be creative and hands on with developing and implementing instrumental research in the area of emotional wellness or curriculum development

• Make a difference in the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: Bachelor’s degree in a science or health-related field and currently enrolled in a master’s-level public health program.

Preferred Experience: Experience in providing research, data and evaluation related to health.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Developing and implementing a research project
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Ability to work in a responsible and professional manner
General computer and word processing skills (i.e. Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office products)
Strong time management and organizational skills
Ability to work effectively as part of a team, as well as independently
Ability to be self-directed and motivated

Special Requirements:
Reliable transportation that is readily available for business use

Questions? Contact Jena Twete, Director of Inclusive Health at jtwete@specialolympicsco.org

Application Deadline: Open until filled. Special Olympics Colorado is looking for one intern to fill the practicum and capstone that will begin in the Fall Semester and finish in the Spring Semester.

**Please submit a resume and cover letter when completing the online application form**

Once application is complete, applicants will be contacted by phone or email for the next step in the interview process.