Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty

Internship program--shecp unites students with agencies that work in distressed communities. Shecp matches college students in full-time eight-week volunteer internships, serving organizations in cities and towns across the u.s. students learn first hand about the multiple dimensions of Poverty in the u.s. by working alongside individuals seeking to improve their communities. The agencies focus on Education, healthcare, legal services, housing, hunger, social and economic needs, and community building efforts. Students work with agencies that fit their intellectual and professional interests in order to develop their experience and skills for future civic involvement and employment. Participating students are engaged in a competitive application and interview process at their home institution in order to be accepted into the program. The internship begins with a two day opening conference and ends with a two day closing conference. During the internship, students live and work together, creating new networks and friendships. Shecp coordinated and paid for traveling and housing, and each student received a stipend for food and commuting expenses.

Conferences--the internship experience is bookended by an opening and closing conference. A two-day opening conference provides interns a comprehensive introduction and orientation to learning outcomes to be achieved during the internship. During the closing conference students provide interactive presentations to their fellow interns and selected experts. Students are exposed to notable guest speakers who make an inmpact on Poverty in the u.s.

Consortium programming--on site consultation for each member school and for prospective member schools about their courses, with staff about their involvement in the internship program, with students about how they can augment their participation in Poverty studies, and with development offices and administrators about soliciting resources to augment the members Poverty studies programming. Advice is collected and best practices disseminated among member schools to enhance the educational programming that members provide their students.