Maryland Public Service Scholar
The Shriver Center at UMBC coordinates several Public Service Scholars Fellowship Programs on behalf of the state of Maryland. These Fellowships provide students across Maryland the opportunity to develop as future leaders in Maryland's public and social sectors. The programs that make up the Maryland Public Service Scholars programs are the: Governor's Summer Internship Program, Sondheim Nonprofit Leadership Program, MDOT Fellows Program, and Sondheim Public Service Law Fellows Program. The Maryland Public Service Scholars programs have 5 key components: - Experience: Fellows are placed at a nonprofit organization or government agency and work full-time under the mentorship of a senior-level professional gaining experience that aligns with their strengths and career interests. - Exploration: Fellows participate in an orientation, frequent seminars, reflection opportunities to dive deep into their own personal "why", strengthen their learning related to their internship experience, and increase their career readiness. - Exposure: Fellows gain exposure to public service sectors, careers, and the people leading the way through panel discussions, networking events, field trips, and more, building their connections to their cohort, the 1200+ alumni, and leaders across the State. - Equity: Fellows deeply explore and reflect on concepts of equity and justice and how they can further these ideals and practices throughout their careers and ensure they are serving ALL Marylanders. - Practice: Fellows put it all into practice, combining their academic learning with the lessons learned during the program and work together in groups to put their knowledge and skills into practice creating capstone projects and presenting them to key stakeholders.
Earning Criteria
- 75+ Professional Development hours.
- Equity Reflection.
- Networking Event attendance or assignment.
- Capstone Project.
- Capstone Presentation.
- Final Reflection.
Additional Details
Learning Outcomes
a. Develop oneself and one's career by engaging in personal and professional learning opportunities, analyze and evaluate one's strengths and weaknesses, describe possible career pathways, and build relationships with peers, colleagues, and other professionals.
b. Identify and define preferred work environments, recognize and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the workplace and larger community.
c. Outline effective design and structures that make up nonprofit/government/educational organizations and systems.
1. Professional networking
2. Proactive reliability
3. Goal setting
4. Office behavior & etiquette
5. Using technology
6. Flexibility
7. Understanding of site's ecosystem, organization, and duties
- Self Awareness, Self-Development, and Critical Reflection:
a. Aware of and able to discuss personal identities, attitudes, beliefs, norms, values, assumptions and their relationship with others and reflects on how they affect others.
b. Examines and takes responsibility for one's actions, decisions, and outcomes.
c. Seeks and integrates both positive and constructive feedback about workstyle and work products.
d. Demonstrates deep self-knowledge by identifying own strengths and weaknesses and interests and using them to co-create a learning development plan.
e. Exercises emotional regulation through displaying a professional manner while producing high quality work in unfamiliar and stressful environments at their internship site.
- Communication:
Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization. Tailors communication strategies to effectively express, listen, and adapt to others to promote positive relationships. Advocate for oneself and seek clarity when needed. Skills demonstrated will include some or all of the following:
1. Written correspondence
2. Public speaking
3. Writing briefs and/or reports
4. Presentations
5. Strategic communication
- Critical Thinking:
Identify and respond to needs of varying stakeholders based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information. Skills demonstrated will include some or all of the following:
1. Creative problem solving
2. Analytical thinking
3. Awareness of personal bias
4. Decision-making
5. Prioritization & time-management
6. Reading comprehension
7. Integrative learning
- Equity & Inclusion:
a. Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different local and global cultures.
b. Engage in anti-racist practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of racism.
c. Increase empathy for the experiences of all people to better understand communities.
1. Recognition of systems and structures
2. Acknowledging mistakes and harm caused
3. Inclusivity
4. Seeking opportunities for learning about social issues
5. Addressing systems of privilege
6. Social justice
- Teamwork & Leadership:
Identify unique strengths of team members and integrate each individual's strengths into the work of the team to achieve goals create collaborative relationships to work effectively toward common goals, while identifying and evaluating diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities.
1. Proactive accountability
2. Collaborative relationships
3. Group decision-making
4. Planning
5. Deep listening
6. Innovative thinking
7. Evaluating progress
- Social Responsibility & Community-Minded Public Service:
a. Explain the role of public service in advancing community well-being and identify the ways individuals, organizations, and government entities contribute to effective public service.
b. Identify how one may apply their strengths and interests to serve the public in both career and personal life.
c. Analyze how one may integrate passion, values, and skills into a path connected to public service that advances community benefit.
Time to Complete
+1 410 455 2493