Students serving students - Continuing Professional Education, UMKC partnership

MCC’s CNA and phlebotomy students will have access to a new program that has been established by the Institute for Workforce Innovation’s Continuing Professional Education (CPE) division and UMKC’s School of Social Work. The UMKC Master’s of Social Work (MSW) program will offer paid internships for working with MCC healthcare students.

MCC students will be provided with a coach and advocate, and UMKC students will have the opportunity to gain field experience as well as earn credit towards their master’s degrees. The program was proposed by Barbara Friedmann, CPE workforce and development manager, and Elaine Spencer-Carver, director of field education at UMKC. It is being funded through a grant from Mary Kay McPhee and Bill Pfeiffer, philanthropists and long-time supporters of both MCC and UMKC.

Cynthia Cravens, class of ’12 MSW student, is the first UMKC student to participate in the program. As the semester begins, she is eager to meet her students. “It’s so new, everyone’s so excited,” said Cravens. “Everyone has such an upbeat attitude. It’s energizing.” Cravens and subsequent MSW students will be located at the Health Science Institute.