Practicums

The Child Life practicum experience at St. Louis Children's Hospital is designed to expose the practicum student to the Child Life profession through observation and supervised participation. The Practicum student is supervised by a Certified Child Life Specialist and will have responsibilities that include:

• shadowing Certified Child Life Specialists
• observation of medical play
• observation of preparation
• observation of procedural support
• supervising the Playroom & Teen Lounge
• making bedside visits to patients
• relevant assignments

Practicum Application Process

To apply for a practicum in our department, students must meet the following requirements:

• 50 hours working with children in the healthcare setting (While all volunteering in a healthcare setting will be accepted, preference will be given to candidates completing their hours with a pediatric population.)
• 50 hours working with well children
• minimum of junior year status in bachelor degree program in Child Life or a related field
• minimum of 5 courses in child development or related field

To submit application please include the following:

• Completed Practicum application
• Cover letter
• A copy of your university transcript, official or student issued.
• A current resume

Save the above requirements in PDF file as "first name, last name.semester year.practicum application" (example: KellyShaw.Fall2026.practicumapplication.pdf) and submit the above requirements electronically to C[email protected]. 

Please note: The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools (such as ChatGPT) are prohibited. By submitting your application and/or supporting documents, you attest that you have personally authored the content. You may utilize basic word processing software for spelling and grammar checks, but the use of AI tools to create your work is strictly prohibited. Your documents may be screened using plagiarism detection software to identify AI generated content. Your application or supporting documents will not be considered if AI tools were utilized 

Practicum Application Deadlines