Information SessionsDecember 4th & 5th 2012

Pioneers Info Session Agenda

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1. LEEP Pioneer Projects 2012 A. What we did and whyB. What we learned

2. LEEP Pioneer Projects 2013 A. Project criteriaB. Student criteriaC. Organization & evaluation

3. Faculty and staff involvement

4. Questions and next steps

The

L E E PProjects

Pioneer Projects 2012

Who? • Primarily rising seniors • Typically a three-way collaboration:

student external partner faculty

What? • Design and complete a project that solves a problem or answers a question

• Respond to needs of external organization/internship placementor

• Build on student and faculty’s existing researchor

• Self-initiated, i.e. artistic or entrepreneurial

When? • Summer, occasionally spring or fall terms

Pioneer Projects 2012

Where? • A non-classroom setting –

e.g., lab, theater, company, field site, NGO• Summer 2012:

EMC, National Grid, Clearing House, CBS, Recology, National Strategies, Mount Grace Land Trust, Hopkinton Chamber of Commerce, EcoTarium, NOAA Alaska Fisheries, more……

How? 1. Attend preparatory campus workshops2. Plan and execute a project, with faculty and/or partner3. Complete Reflective Practice Plans4. Present work, visually or orally

Why? • Demonstrates a student’s capacities for effective practice• A culminating experience• Prepares students for life after Clark

Pioneer Projects 2012

46 students 35 with external partners

16 non-profit organizations11 commercial organizations1 educational organization 7 governmental organizations

11 with Clark as partner

6 out of the country; in four states, 70% in Worcester county

41 projects with faculty mentors50% sciences 30% social sciences 20% arts/humanities

Pioneer Projects 2012

Worcester Land Trust, Therese SmithEconomics, rising senior

J Geoghegan, J Brown, Economics, advisorsExamined the relationship between proximity to green space and house price

National Clearinghouse, Calvin ChoiPolitical Science, graduated senior

Arrived “ready to go,” a “superstar”Working on a competitive analysis of the banking industry

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LEEP Pioneers 2012

Observations • Transformative experiences • Several job offers

Administrative Challenges• Lead-time• Internship? project? • Clarity on expectations• Information management • Cost & allocation of resources• Customization: you can have too much of a good thing!

Pioneer Project Evaluation• Fall Fest Fall workshops & written feedback• Survey of external partners and faculty• Analysis of Reflective Practice Plan

LEEP Pioneer Projects 2.0

100 Pioneers

2013

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Main Street

Clark Camp

Parking Structure

50Pioneers

2012

450Students

2016

Projects 2.0 2013

Who? 80 external organizations/mentors

• Alumni – 40 (8X more)

• LEEP Alliance Partners – 20 (4X more)

• Worcester area organizations - 15

• National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Administration - 5

20 Clark-created opportunities

• Research experiences

• Campus employment

Projects 2.0 2013

What’s different?

• Early identification of students, faculty, partners

• Integrated with LEEP Center & campus departments: Academic Affairs, University Advancement, Career Services, Student Advising, Registrar, Financial Aid, Payroll, Budgeting, Admissions, Communications & Marketing, IT

• Defined as projects with established expectations for all participants

• Aligned with curriculum and with other summer funding programs

• Improved connecting of talents with opportunities

• Professionally managed campus team

LEEP Learning Objectives

LEEP amplifies thee unique to Clark: effective practice. Students will graduate with: 1. Knowledge of the natural world and human cultures and societies 2. Intellectual and practical skills 3. Personal and social responsibility 4. Ability to integrate knowledge and skills

+ Clark's Defining Contribution: 5. Capacities of effective practice – including creativity and imagination,

self-directedness, resilience and persistence, and the ability to collaborate across differences and manage complexity

*Learning outcomes Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)

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Capacities of Enactment

Effective Practice

CREATIVITY

ADAPTIVE EXPERTISE

CAPACITIESOF ENACTMENT

COLLABORATION

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LEEP Projects Defined

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• A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and an end

• A project is usually time-limited, and often constrained by funding or deliverables (e.g. report, video, grant proposal, media campaign, business plan, art exhibit, lesson plan, dramatic production, etc.).

• Projects are undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, usually to solve a problem or answer a question.

• Through a LEEP Project, students will publicly demonstrate mastery of the LEEP learning outcomes, particularly the capacities of effective practice.

• The project may respond to the needs of an external partner/organization, build on an existing research program, or be self-initiated as in the case of an artistic or entrepreneurial work.

LEEP Projects defined

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Project participants include:• student or student team• external partner; e.g., alumni or other organization• faculty/staff mentor

Students receive a stipend to cover non-funded project expenses.

Mentors receive a stipend to cover their time.

LEEP Project cont’d.

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Student time commitments:1. Approximately 150 hours of work. (Full time 4-5 weeks during

the summer, or 10 hours a week during the semester.)

2. 12-15 hours of LEEP Pioneer Project workshops, in order to prepare for successful project completion and enhance effective practice skills. Topics will include but not be limited to working collaboratively, presenting your work orally and visually, creativity beyond the classroom, the purpose and practices of reflection, and readiness for the professional work environment.

In addition to the project itself, students:• Participate in workshops designed to enhance their effective practice skills.• Write (reflection papers, blogs or journals), in which they articulate what

they have learned. • Present their projects, experiences and learnings during Fall Fest 2013.

LEEP Project Student Selection Criteria

>Student candidates for LEEP Projects, ideally:• Juniors• Prior internship, volunteering, or employment experience • In good standing academically and socially; i.e., not on

probation• Have an updated resume in hand; i.e., approved by the

LEEP Center /Career Services

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Support for LEEP Pioneers

>LEEP Center/Career Services will provide guidance:Resume developmentInterviewing techniquesCoaching

Faculty & Staff Mentoring

Project Management Support

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Projects 2.0 2013

How can faculty and staff get involved?

1. Provide LEEP Project opportunities

2. Offer to mentor LEEP Pioneers

3. Encourage students to apply

4. Connect us to organizations and alumni who can assist

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. How does a LEEP Project differ from an internship? From an academic internship?

2. What’s the connection between a LEEP Project and senior thesis or honors paper?

3. What’s the difference between a LEEP Project Mentor and a Faculty Adviser

4. Who decides the project parameters – student? Faculty/staff? Organizational sponsor?

5. Who provides the financial support?

******ADDITIONAL FAQs on LEEP Pioneer Project website

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LEEP Projects 2013 Plan

Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sept Oct2012 2013

Info. Sessions Student apply for LEEP 2.0 Workshops Workshops Fall Fest

WorkshopsFaculty & Staff Mentors Engaged

Development of LEEP 2.0 Projects with Alumni, Alliance Partners and Other External Organizations

Implementation of Projects; Students Reflect, Blog, Journal

Projects Finalized & Stipends

Paid

Interviews, Pioneers Accepted

Mentors Provide Final Reports

Mentors Provide Guidance, Coaching and Support for Students

Organizations Conduct Interviews & Select Students

for Projects

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Additional Information

>Answers to Frequently Asked Questions and student application forms are available at:

http://www.clarku.edu/leep/pioneer2013apply.cfm

>Refer questions about LEEP Projects to: Will O’Brien, LEEP Project Manager, at wobrien@clarku.edu

>Refer questions about mentoring to:Mary-Ellen Boyle, Dean of the College, mboyle@clarku.edu

Questions?

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