The challenges of the Great Recession of 2008 have impacted the field of education to the point that many intern programs have ceased to exist. Alternative (or Intern) teacher preparation programs have also become an increasingly popular topic, especially since the term "highly qualified teachers" will soon be up for re-assessment. Concerns over the quality of teacher preparation programs have yet to yield conclusive results and seems to be an unending debate. This study has provided a glimpse into two intern programs and the process by which these programs have evolved. There were 6 major themes that emerged out of this study: Communication & Collaboration, Support, Financial Influences, Individual Dynamics, Beyond Curriculum and How Programs have Evolved to Remain Current. This study described participant perspectives that relate only not how these two intern programs survived during the challenging economic crisis, but how they have managed to thrive. Efforts were made by each program to utilize low intern enrollment to their benefit by providing added supports and individualized programming to better meet the needs of interns/teachers in training. Three intern participants, two Intern program directors and four intern program instructors have provided their perceptions on their programs to illustrate a clearer picture of how their respective intern programs have evolved to remain current in this challenging economically turbulent time.

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