An Opportunity: InSTEDD + Presidio School of Management
Part of the advantage of being based in the San Francisco Bay Area is that we are in the same physical location as some of the world’s top innovators. The energy, knowledge and commitment that so many of them bring to their work is an incredible source of inspiration, as well as an opportunity for organizations like ours.
One of the ways that we’ve taken advantage of the collaboration opportunities is through our work with the Presidio School of Management. What is innovative about the Presidio is that they offer both MBA and MPA programs which focus heavily on sustainability. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s a business school focused on creating positive social impact through sustainability oriented business principles! Among the world’s first and leading sustainability graduate schools, Presidio was founded on the simple premise that we inhabit a world increasingly defined by our shared destiny, not our differences, where private enterprise and the public sector, commerce and the common good, are companions, not competitors. Considering our shared values, we decided to reach out to them about possible collaborations.
Luckily for us, the Presidio also saw a good match. Last year, we worked with a team of MPA students for a semester through their Experiential Learning Program. The university believes that the best way to learn is by doing. That’s why their students partner with external organizations like InSTEDD to create a custom-made project based on the unique needs of their partner. The project we chose to work on together was to develop a pilot for a Fellowship Program. With the support and dedication of the team of MPA students, we created a plan that we are hoping to implement by the end of 2013.
An Agile Human-Centered Approach to Internships
In order to expand our reach and prepare for the launch of our pilot Fellowship Program, we have decided to start off by bring on a select number of interns. We believe that there is an incredible opportunity to create a win-win partnership. By investing in an internship program we can engage an enthusiastic volunteer community in a way that supports our overall mission and vision in a cost effective way.
An interpretation of the panelist at The Hub Bay Area’s Career Fair, which included a sketch of InSTEDD Director of Communications, Brooke Estin.
As with all of our activities, we begin with an open mind and proceed with an agile and human centered design process. We believe the most effective programs and technologies are flexible and iterative and are built on joint participation of the communities they are meant to serve. We work in incremental and adaptive steps, side by side with partners and beneficiaries, to jointly design programs and technologies that have measurable impact. Whether we’re building tools or creating an internship program, our experience has taught us there there is not a one-size-fits-all model for success. That’s why we are looking to engage a handful of interns to co-create an internship program that simultaneously builds the intern’s capacity as well as supports InSTEDD’s overall strategy. We will work together to develop a personalized scope of work with a timeline of activities based on our combined schedules.
The InSTEDD Communications Internship
Can you imagine the impact of the coordination between NGO’s, foundations, and technology organizations to address the world’s most basic health and safety needs? Do you find yourself telling and sharing stories constantly? Are you ready to engage your philanthropic desires with your tech savvy know how to help us change the world? If you answered yes to these questions, then we encourage you to take a look at our current Communications Internship and apply without delay!
Click to Apply for the InSTEDD Communications Internship
