At the beginning of 2022, we launched our internship program consisting of two interns from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. To date, we’ve had seven interns work with us to better research and development and marketing efforts. Not only is our passion to help build Sing and Speak 4 Kids, but to also build up future leaders of our industry.
Our current intern leads, Esil Empig and Anthony Cerniglia, are collaborating with other UNC undergraduates to work on future projects for Sing and Speak 4 Kids. Our hopes are to help our interns grow in their field of study from UNC but also, attract more university students from various universities to be part of our team.
Esil and Anthony were both coordinators for our first ever Focus Group in March 2022. In our first focus group, we investigated the current and optimal use of our online music-based program, Sing and Speak 4 Kids (SS4Kids). Parents and caregivers had the opportunity to use SS4Kids with their child, and provide feedback and suggestions on the parent training materials, program operation, parent-child interaction, support system provided by SS4Kids, and other relevant commentary. Professionals provided feedback on helping both the children and their parents, using SS4Kids as a supplemental training program. View Report
In our second focus group, February 2023, we held a paraprofessional focus group. The paraprofessional focus group was designed to investigate current and optimal customer journey (engagement, implementation and maintenance) of the online music-based program Sing and Speak 4 Kids from a paraprofessional perspective. We outlined what they enjoyed about the program in an online format, as well as express any challenges or barriers with utilizing the game in different settings and scenarios. View Report
Our 2024 focus group targets professionals that are using SS4Kids in a group setting. In these focus groups, professionals will have the opportunity to provide feedback on their overall experience with SS4Kids, as well as provide suggestions on the support systems and program operations provided here at SS4Kids. Professionals will provide feedback on helping both children and their parents using the SS4Kids as a supplemental training program.
If you are interested in being part of our intern team, please fill out our internship interest form.
Esil just graduated UNC Chapel Hill with a double major in Music and Linguistics with a speech and hearing sciences minor. She will attend Northwestern’s Speech, Language, and Learning Master’s program in the fall. Esil loves working with children and hopes her passion for music and language will help her as an Intern for Sing and Speak 4 Kids. Esil has been with Sing and Speak 4 Kids since 2022 and has learned so much in leading professional and paraprofessional focus groups, research, and connecting with other professionals in the field of music and speech.
Anthony is currently a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill pursuing a double major in Human Development/Family Sciences and Linguistics with a minor in Speech and Hearing Sciences. Anthony uses his passion for music and online-based learning to engage in research and
co-facilitate focus groups for Sing and Speak 4 Kids.
Andrea is an Honors Carolina student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill majoring in Linguistics and minoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences. She is also an undergraduate research assistant at the UNC Language Development Lab. Andrea enjoys working with children and finds joy in contributing to the progression of Sing and Speak 4 Kids, whether it be through research, creating social media posts, strengthening the relationship between SS4Kids and the Spanish speaking community through translating, and more!
Lydia is a student at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She works as a DSP at a group home for intellectual and developmental disabilities. Lydia is involved with SS4Kids because it perfectly aligns with her passion for making a difference in the lives of children. As an aspiring speech pathologist, Lydia believes in the power of innovative tools like SS4Kids. She’s been fortunate to find a program like SS4Kids that harnesses the drive to spark change through the universal language of music!
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