Internship opportunities are available for fourth-year students that meet the specific course criteria. Recreation and Leisure Studies internships are an opportunity to work with a faculty member and a mentor at an external agency to develop the skills and competencies to help you achieve your academic and career future career goals. Internships are supervised, discipline-specific, and require you to complete 560 hours of full-time work during your study period.

Community Recreation – Students in the Community Recreation concentration have the option to apply for internship opportunities in an approved community-based recreation service organization (municipality, not-for-profit organization, grassroots community organization). Interested students will need to complete an application form and submit it to the Experiential Education Coordinator by the required deadline to be considered.

Outdoor Recreation – Students in the Outdoor Recreation concentration have the option to apply for internship opportunities in an approved outdoor recreation-based organization (conservation authority, outdoor outfitter, camp organization, outdoor/experiential education centre). Interested students will need to complete an application form and submit it by the required deadline to be considered.

Therapeutic Recreation – All students in the Therapeutic Recreation concentration graduate prepared to write the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) exam to become a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS). A required 15-week internship under the supervision of a recreation therapist in your final term (spring term) provides you with valuable hands-on work experience in the field. Students will work with the Experiential Education Coordinator to apply for internship opportunities.

Due to the nature of some of our experiential education placements, communicable disease protocols may require you to have documented proof of immunization and/or history of specific communicable diseases. If you are working in a hospital or various other community organizations, this may apply to you. For example:

Immunization is required for:

• RECL 4F22 Advanced Methods in Therapeutic Recreation
• RECL 4F02 Internship in Therapeutic Recreation

Immunization may be required for:

• RECL 3P95 Recreation and Leisure Services Field Experience
• RECL 2P25 Child and Youth Work in Community Recreation

It is the responsibility of the student to ensure immunization information is kept up to date. No student will be allowed to attend placement without clearance from a health professional. If you are unsure if this applied to you, please contact your Experiential Education Coordinator.

N95 Mask fit testing is required by some organizations. To determine if a mask fit test is required, contact your Experiential Education Coordinator.

Should you be required to have a N95 mask fit test completed you need to know the following information:

You will need to find an organization which offers the N95 mask fit testing and make an appointment

• Appointments typically need to be booked 2-6 weeks in advance
• You will need to submit a copy of your mask fit test model number to your Experiential Education Coordinator
• The cost for an N95 mask fit test is the responsibility of the student
• Your N95 mask fit test model number is valid for 2 years from the date of issue

Mask Fit is Required for:

• RECL 4F22 Advanced Methods in Therapeutic Recreation
• RECL 4F02 Internship in Therapeutic Recreation

Mask Fit may be required for some fieldwork placements in:

• RECL 3P95 Recreation and Leisure Services Field Experience 

Many Recreation and Leisure Studies courses with experiential learning opportunities put students in close proximity to children, youth and vulnerable populations. As such, a police record or vulnerable persons screening may be required.

Vulnerable Person Screening is required for:

• RECL 4F22 Advanced Methods in Therapeutic Recreation
• RECL 4F02 Internship in Therapeutic Recreation
• RECL 3P95 Recreation and Leisure Services Field Experience
• RECL 2P25 Child and Youth Work in Community Recreation

Vulnerable Person Screening may be required for:

• RECL 3P12 Leisure and Aging

If a vulnerable sector clearance certificate is required for one of your courses or placement, here’s what you need to know:

The original certificate is due by the start of each term. Failure to produce this certificate can jeopardize participation in the course.

1. Be sure to check the requirements of your course in advance as vulnerable sector police checks can take at least 6 – 8 weeks to be processed, and sometimes longer depending on the time of year and where you are requesting your check from.

• For courses starting in September, we recommend you begin your clearance in June or July.
• For courses starting in January, we recommend you begin your clearance in September or October.

It is the student’s responsibility to monitor timelines to ensure the clearance certificate is completed on time.

2. If a check is required, you will need to apply for a new police check EVERY SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR depending on the agency, as the police check can often be no more than 6 months old at the beginning of your course or placement.
3. When you have requested a new clearance please keep your receipt as proof of submission.

NOTE:  The costs associated with the provision of the criminal record check and any appeals are the responsibility of the student.  

Police records checks must be:

• Dated no older than six months prior to the beginning of the course/placement
• Include a vulnerable sector screening (please note that some services, such as BackCheck.com do NOT include a Vulnerable Sector Screening and therefore cannot be used)
• Be issued through your local police station in your hometown
• An original copy (not a photocopy) may be required

4. We recommend you request an extra copy of your records check.
5. Some municipalities will require a letter of verification from Brock University to order a volunteer vulnerable sector check. Please contact your Experiential Education Coordinator to request this letter.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact your Experiential Education Coordinator.