On September 2nd, 2024, forty-eight students from the IUP Psychology of Character Education and Development class attended a guest lecture conducted by Mr. Anindito Aditomo, S.Psi., M.Phil., Ph.D. He serves as the head of the Agency for Education Standards, Curriculum, and Assessment at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia. Additionally, Mr. Aditomo is an alumnus of the Faculty of Psychology at Universitas Gadjah Mada, where he earned his undergraduate degree in 2003.
On Monday, 3rd June 2024, students of Psychological Intervention course embarked on a field study to Lembaga Pembinaan Khusus Anak (LPKA) Klas II Yogyakarta, an institution in Yogyakarta that aims to help children juveniles aged 14-18 on behavior improvement before returning to the society. The whole class, which consisted of 45 students in total, were expected to observe and conduct several interviews with stakeholders and children of the LPKA for their field study report.
Upon arriving at the place, the students gathered at the main hall where they sat side by side with children of LPKA, or more well-known as ‘anak binaan’. As it was midday, the students and anak binaan were divided into 8 different groups where they sat in circles to have their lunch together. The students were encouraged to explore more on the daily activities of the anak binaan and how being in LPKA has helped them on behavior improvement.
On 31st of May 2024, Students of Children and Adolescents with Special Needs (CASN) course, a course where students learn about types of disabilities/disorders experienced by children and adolescents, recently had the incredible opportunity to visit Wahana Keluarga Cerebral Palsy (WKCP), a remarkable community dedicated to supporting individuals with cerebral palsy and their families. This visit was not just a learning experience but one filled with understanding and empathy.
The visit to WKCP offered a chance for students to learn firsthand about the concepts they learn in class from family members of children with cerebral palsy and the inspiring members of WKCP who are diagnosed with cerebral palsy themselves. They shared their strategies for coping, the hurdles they face daily, and the unwavering love and dedication that fuels their journey. From this experience, students get to gain new insights and knowledge, as well as building new connections from the local community that aims to provide a safe space for individuals with cerebral palsy and their families.
Almeira Hadi, known as Mella, was a student at IUP Psychology from batch 2018 who is currently pursuing her masters degree in School Psychology at Leiden University, Netherlands.
When asked on why she decided to pursue School Psychology, a rather rare choice for Psychology undergraduates, Mella revealed that she had always been passionate in teaching since high school. During her time as an undergraduate in IUP Psychology, she had the chance to become a lecturer’s assistant for 4 times, and she enjoyed giving feedback on students’ assignments as well as the dynamics of teachings. Following her graduation as an undergraduate, Mella had the experience as an intern for 6 months at Sekolah Cikal, where she then continued to be a teacher there.
Naomi Nicola is a student from IUP Batch 2021. While her friends filled up their fifth semester by going through exchange programs and summer courses, Naomi took a different road in filling up her fifth semester with an internship program at RSA UGM as a child psychologist assistant.
Being a child psychologist has always been Naomi’s passion and future goal, so when she came across Career Center’s internship offer, she immediately applied and submitted all the required documents until she reached the interview phase, which she successfully passed. During her internship, Naomi had a lot of experience and direct exposure to the hands-on practice of child psychology that she did not get to learn inside the classroom, specifically on handling various IQ administration tests (such as Weschler’s Intelligence Scale for Children, WPPSI, Snijder Oomen Non-verbal Testing).