Charlie Cope, a UWA Psychology student, recently contributed 100 hours to support the work of People With disabilities WA (PWdWA), through a McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship.
“I worked as a project intern on the Community Disability Advocacy (CDA) Project and was also lucky enough to assist on the Economic Participation Project,” Charlie said.
“Part of the CDA Project was to run workshops where people came together to discuss issues and solutions from a grassroots level – giving people space and opportunity to share and use their voice was extremely valuable and is important in moving forward to generate positive change,” she said.
Chris Chambers, Community Disability Advocate with PWdWA, was Charlie’s internship supervisor, and nominated her for the McCusker Centre for Citizenship’s Outstanding Intern Award for the impact her efforts made for the organisation.
“By creating an evaluation monitoring document, Charlie has provided the organisation with a valuable tool to assess the effectiveness and impact of our efforts, and to help make informed decisions for future improvements and enhancement in CDA Project,” Mr Chambers said.
“Charlie's role in the implementation of the project has directly benefited the community or client-group. Her dedication and hard work have ensured that the project objectives are met, leading to tangible results and positive changes in the lives of individuals with disabilities.
“Whether it be organizing events, coordinating resources, or facilitating communication between stakeholders, Charlie's contributions have helped create a more inclusive and supportive environment for the community,” he said.
Charlie said that, while she came to the internship with almost no experience in a professional office environment, and being the youngest person in the room tested her confidence.
“I had a great amount of support and some amazing people around me… a highlight was all the amazing people I got to meet, and the chance to immerse myself into an industry that I otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do at this point in my life.
“This internship showed me the value of engaging with people, sharing expertise, resources and communicating to work together to achieve a shared goal.”