PSSI Community Partner Expectations

To be eligible to participate in the PSSI program, community partners must be either a nonprofit or a government entity and agree to offer an on-site experience for an F&M student that includes:

• Opportunity for PSSI intern to have ownership of and/or take responsibility for at least one specific project for the length of the PSSI program and an opportunity to present findings/results/recommendations of the assigned project to appropriate organizational representatives in either a formal oral and/or written format. Your organization's project should be described in your initial PSSI job description and can be but are not limited to:

  • Research on growth opportunities, best practices, community needs and/or existing community assets

  • Direct instruction/facilitation of an activity/program as a means of informing research or evaluating its success

  • Development of an assessment/evaluation tool

  • Collection and interpretation of program/service-specific data

  • Development and/or implementation of growth strategy, capacity building initiatives and/or applicable tools, i.e. marketing/promotion, fundraising, service delivery, etc.

• A direct supervisor who is:

  • Excited about the opportunity to mentor a traditional college-age individual

  • Able to offer an experience that combines hands-on, big picture and indirect exposure to the work of his/her organization

  • Committed to meeting 1-on-1 with PSSI intern a minimum of once a week throughout the 8-week program

  • Able to attend a mandatory PSSI supervisor training prior to the start of the program

• An 8-hour workday on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays from June 8 – July 31, 2020, with dedicated on-site workspace and access to necessary IT, office supplies, etc. and a daily mix of tasks that includes no more than 25% administrative support type work.

• Initial training involving other key personnel from within your organization that provides the PSSI student with a basic level of understanding of organizational:

  • History, mission & values

  • Strategic priorities

  • Service Lines, target audiences

  • Organizational and governance structure

  • Funding streams and process(es) used to secure funds

  • Financial processes

  • Community collaborations

  • Measurements of success

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PSSI Student Expectations

To be eligible for the PSSI program, F&M students must:

• Be a rising Junior or Senior
• Have a cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher
• Be a student in good standing (not on academic or disciplinary probation)
• Pass a criminal background check
• Demonstrate a strong desire to immerse themselves in the everyday work of a local nonprofit or government entity while also learning about broader community issues. 

Each PSSI student experience will include:

• An internship component that will include:

  • Ownership of and/or responsibility for at least one specific project or task.

  • The opportunity to present results of project/task to direct supervisor and/or organizational leaders in either a formal oral and/or written format.

  • A direct supervisor from within the partnering organization.

• A cohort component that will include:

  • A hands-on exploration of a current or emerging local community issue/opportunity.

  • Team building, training, discussion, discovery, and reflection with a peer group

  • The opportunity to work in a smaller team to develop/propose possible solutions to said issue.

• A $4,000 stipend paid every other week over the length of the program.