I Sing the Body Electric, a Mattoon arts program, is searching for interns to help with its prevention programs this fall.

The college interns travel to junior high schools in the area to work with students and help create after-school progams.

Students can pick one prevention topic out of four areas including alcohol, drugs, teen sexuality and suicide. The interns help the students create a project to present to their peers. Also, any materials that students need is funded by I Sing the Body Electric.

One program Eastern students could assist in is Body Electric Tobacco Refusal. The other project interns are needed for distributing surveys of health issues to help the Centers for Disease Control. The purpose of the survey is to find out health issues that high school students have, Director Gaye Harrison of I Sing the Body Electric said.

I Sing the Body Electric, founded in 1997, serves seven counties: Coles, Cumberland, Moultrie, Edgar, Clark, Douglas, and Shelby. Overall, the group serves 27 high schools.

They look for college interns with any major. They like their interns to be flexible and able to keep order in a disorderly atmosphere, Harrison adds. They hope to have their intern positions filled by the end of the school year.

Harrison said it is beneficial if a possible intern has a car, but it is not necessary. Interns are paid $7 per hour and are compensated for gas mileage.

They have seven positions open, but five underclassmen interns may be returning. If so, this would leave only two slots open for interns. Also, they have two graduate assistanceships open that they need to fill.

“We have some wonderful feedback from interns. It’s a good experience,” she said.

For more information on interning call: 1-888-550-7464.