The Scouten Endowed Internship in English Literacy

Established in 2004, this endowment provides support for an internship with the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, a college of the Rochester Institute of Technology. The purpose of the internship is to provide mentoring in best teaching practices to promote English literacy.

This internship was established to honor the memory of professor emeritus Edward L. Scouten, who was a faculty member in the NTID English Department from 1970 until his retirement in 1985. During these years, he served as department chairperson and as teacher. Throughout his career, Professor Scouten made many important contributions to the understanding of deafness, deaf people, and teaching English to deaf people.

The intern will study and work with NTID faculty members to learn about promoting the English literacy skills needed for deaf and hard-of-hearing students to be successful in college. The intern and the faculty will develop a schedule of activities and events for the internship to focus on the individual goals and objectives outlined in the intern's application.

The successful candidate for this internship will choose one week in either March, April, or May during RIT's Spring Semester; the intern will determine the exact week. The internship may coincide with breaks in the school district of the applicant, such as Spring Recess, that occur while NTID is in session.

Endowment Award

The Scouten Endowment will provide a stipend of $1,800 for travel and food expenses.

CEUs

Certificates of accomplishment will be awarded to document internship participation. These certificates can be used in applying for continuing education units (CEUs) as granted by professional organizations or school districts.

Brochure

The Scouten Endowed Internship brochure contains information about the endowment, applicant qualifications, how to apply, and other important details. View/download the brochure (PDF).

Qualifications: Internship recipients must be primarily teaching deaf students English Language Arts at the high school or middle school level and have two to five years of teaching experience to be eligible for the internship.

Applications: Applications are accepted year round and the annual application deadline is January 31st. The selected applicant is informed early in February each year. Applications should include:

1. A description of the applicant's experience working to advance the English literacy of deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
2. A statement of what the applicant hopes to accomplish in the internship.
3. An explanation of how the applicant hopes to use this information.
4. An indication of the applicant's choice of week(s) for the internship.
5. A current resume including the names, addresses, and e-mail addresses for two references and for your current supervisor.

Candidates meeting the criteria are reviewed and selected by NTID's Office of the President. RIT/NTID will administer awards to all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, creed, age, marital status, sex, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, veteran status, or disability in compliance with all appropriate legislation.

Interested applicants should apply online at www.rit.edu/ntid/scouten/applynow

There are several convenient options in the RIT area.

See the Rochester Accommodations page for more information

Edward L. Scouten, born in Omaha, Nebraska, taught for nearly 20 years at Gallaudet University in Washington, where he specialized in English and headed a department that prepared new students for the school's curriculum, according to his wife, Eleanor.

During World War II, while on military leave from Gallaudet, Scouten helped organize an Army rehabilitation center for servicemen deafened during combat.

After leaving Gallaudet in 1962, Scouten became principal at the Louisiana and Florida schools for the deaf, where he established programs for teaching English literacy to deaf children.

Scouten later taught English at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, NY. While in Rochester, he wrote Turning Points in the Education of Deaf People, a college textbook published in 1984.

Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press

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