Summer 2023 Middlebury Social Impact Corps Intern
Connecting students to social change in Monterey, California
About MSIC
The Middlebury Social Impact Corps (MSIC) Intern program is a partnership-based program that connects students to social change through unique experiential learning opportunities. A select cohort of Middlebury College (Interns) and MIIS graduate students (Scholars) are matched with a community partner focused on impact within a local/regional context. This experiential learning program focuses on six pillars: adaptability, commitment, inquiry, narrative, reflection, and partnership. In partnership with organizations, MSIC members gain knowledge, skills, and dispositions for purposeful careers in social impact. Students engage in community-based research, partnership development, mentorship relevant to the community partner and communities with whom they work, preparing them to become purposeful global citizens in the field of social impact.
Summer 2023 Community Partners
Two cohorts of MSIC participants will work with this year's community partners: Big Sur Land Trust and United Way of Monterey County.
Big Sur Land Trust
Big Sur Land Trust’s mission is to inspire love of land across generations, conservation of our unique Monterey County landscapes, and access to outdoor experiences for all. Since 1978, our generous donors and partners have conserved and cared for over 40,000 acres throughout Monterey County. All of Big Sur Land Trust’s efforts -- land protection, stewardship, outdoor youth programs, volunteer opportunities, community engagement and events -- center around these values:
- Healthy Lands: Conserving and caring for the magnificent natural landscapes, habitats and waterways of our region to ensure a sustainable future.
- Healthy People: Providing opportunities for all who live in and visit Monterey County to experience the healthful benefits associated with access to parks and open spaces, fresh food, clean air and water, and a deep connection to nature.
- Healthy Communities: Engaging in partnerships where conservation and civic participation increase community vitality, economic prosperity and social equity.
United Way of Monterey County
The United Way of Monterey County uses its global reach and local presence to build stronger, more resilient and more equitable communities where everyone can thrive. We work to improve the health, education, and economic mobility of every person in the community we serve. Impact Monterey County (IMC), supported through United Way of Monterey County, is a collaborative effort of nonprofits, public agencies and the community working together to identify the most effective ways to improve life in our county. IMC employs multiple outreach and engagement strategies to shine a light on our community aspirations. These aspirations are listed under four priority areas including: education, safety, economic self-sufficiency and health. The goals of IMC include:
- Assess: To assess and measure important community needs
- Collaborate: To identify other community assessments and use existing data to ensure efficiencies and to streamline IMC
- Align: To align stakeholders toward common goals and measurements that improve conditions for all
- Implement/Take Action: To establish a common agenda for addressing specific issues impacting communities throughout Monterey County and to take actionable steps toward accomplishing said agenda
- Measure/Sustain: To establish a plan to measure progress made toward common agenda and to continue the assessment process at regular intervals going forward
The MSIC/Impact Monterey County cohort will be collaborating with community partners and members to host a community prioritization process of the findings of the 2022 Community Aspirations Assessment . The vision for this work is to identify the key findings and present them back to community members, creating the opportunity for the community to then prioritize how they believe work should move forward.
MSIC Details
This is an in-person internship.
A $2000 funding award will be provided. Housing at MIIS's Munras Student Housing in the heart of downtown Monterey is included.
Project work is estimated to be ~30 hours per week.
Skills and Experience:
- Spanish proficiency is preferable, but not required;
- Facilitation experience;
- Excel proficiency;
- Survey design or implementation experience;
- GIS mapping experience is preferable, but not required
- Experience working with diverse communities and stakeholders.
Program Dates:
Summer date: July 25- August 29, 2023*
*Some in-person and/or online training may be required prior to July 25 and will include a debrief in Fall 2023.
Program Fees:
Participant cost is covered through acceptance into the Social Impact Corps program. This includes extensive training, mentoring, housing, and an on-going student support system. Students will be responsible for travel costs to and from Monterey, California, and any additional related expenses. Once accepted, Middlebury students who require financial aid may apply for partial funding to offset travel expenses to and from Monterey, CA.
How to Apply:
Applications Due: Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 11:55pmEST
Please submit a letter of interest, resume, and complete the Summer 2023 MSIC Intern Application. Applicants are required to include the name of a Middlebury faculty or staff reference who may be contacted on behalf of this application. Applications will only be considered once all materials have been submitted.
If you have questions please contact Dr. Netta Avineri, MSIC Faculty Director, MIIS Language Teacher Education & Intercultural Communication Faculty Member, MSIC Faculty Director or or Dana Anderson (Associate Director, Creativity & Innovation, Middlebury College Innovation Hub)