Students in the Youth Development Training Program participate in developing, refining, and implementing the Changing Lives Program. Participation is open to undergraduate students and graduate students who are willing to commit to two semesters (9 months) of work for the Youth Development Project. There are opportunities for training at several levels of involvement, and new opportunities will arise as our projects evolve. 

At the undergraduate level, students may obtain pre-clinical experience by becoming a mentor and research experience by assisting with project maintenance, data collection, and data management. Typically, undergraduate students receive course credit by taking PSYC 4388, Research Experience: Developmental Interventions for Youth. We primarily recruit students from the Psychological Sciences Program at Tarleton State University, but other students are welcome to participate as well.

The types of activities that undergraduate students participate in include:

At the graduate level, there are training opportunities in mental health counseling and research in developmental science. The Waco Youth Development Project is a practicum site for the M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Tarleton State University, so there is the possibility that masters counseling students in Waco can use the YDP as a secondary practicum site. In addition, masters students in Tarleton’s M.S. in Applied Psychology M.S. Program and doctoral students in Tarleton’s Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology Program are welcome to explore the possibility of obtaining training in community-based outreach research in the process of fulfilling their academic requirements (e.g., Masters Thesis, Doctoral Dissertation).

Internship and Research Sites
College students are placed at sites in the Waco area. All supervised activities (e.g., mentoring) are conducted at the placement sites. Research activities are conducted at the placement sites and at the McLennan Community College campus. Students are responsible for arranging transportation to the placement sites and the college. Currently, we have several placement sites:

Home Base
The “home base” for the Youth Development Project is on the McLennan Community College campus in the Math, Wellness, and Fitness Building, room 228.

How do I apply for the Youth Development Training Program?

For Undergraduate Credit Hours:
Undergraduate students can sign up for Research Experience: Developmental Interventions for Youth (PSYC 4388). This 3-credit hour course is an advanced research experience in developmental intervention outreach research. This course fulfills a psychology or general elective requirement. For more details, contact Dr. Eichas at [email protected]

For Graduate Credit Hours:
Contact Dr. Eichas at [email protected]