Samuel S. Fels Fund
Internships in Community Service
Summer 2009

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SAMUEL S. FELS FUND
Summer 2009 Internships in Community Service

The Samuel S. Fels Fund (Fels) will support 15 internships for graduate students for the summer of 2009. The internships are with nonprofit organizations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and run for ten weeks over the summer. Interns are paid $6,000 (before taxes) for full time work.

Graduate students are defined as anyone who will begin, is in, or has graduated from a graduate or professional (law, medicine, etc.) program in calendar year 2009. Graduate students who are foreign nationals studying in the United States on non-immigrant visas may be considered as candidates if they are already in possession of valid authorization (e.g., H visa or Practical Training) from the Bureau of Immigration and Citizenship Services, Immigration and Naturalization Service.

For general questions on the Internships in Community Service, please contact Tim Murray or Helen Cunningham at 215-731-9455 or e-mail tim@samfels.org or helenc@samfels.org.

Listed below are position descriptions for some of the Summer 2009 internships.

Organizations selected in 2010 to offer an internship during Summer 2010 will be posted along with the intern position descriptions in late March 2010.

CHILDREN’S LITERACY INITIATIVE (POSITION FILLED)
Children’s Literacy Initiative (CLI) seeks a graduate student intern to research and report on the need for investment in meaningful teacher induction (coaching and training for new teachers, including student teachers).  CLI is a nonprofit that works with teachers to improve the early literacy education that low-income children receive.  We are planning a pilot project involving coaching Philadelphia student teachers to ensure that they are prepared to teach children how to read and write.  The intern will compile a literature review, and interview education experts.  The ideal applicant will be studying education or public policy at the graduate level and will have exemplary writing and research skills.  Doctoral candidates are preferred. Contact: Cameron Voss, Deputy Director, Children’s Literacy Initiative, 2314 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103 2125.561-4676 ext. 113.
CVoss@CLIontheweb.org
www.CLIontheweb.org


LIBRARY COMPANY OF PHILADELPHIA (POSITION FILLED)
The intern will work with the Library Company’s collection of photographs by John Frank Keith, which consists of over 200 photographic portraits of working-class Philadelphians from the early twentieth century. The intern will primarily be responsible for: researching John Frank Keith’s life and work; digitizing the collection and adding images and catalog records to our online catalog, ImPAC; and creating an online exhibition of images that will place Keith’s work in an historical context, both in photographic history and within the history of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods. Additionally, the intern will establish contacts with neighborhood newspapers and community organizations to publicize the collection. This project will allow the Library Company to contribute to the work being done by PhilaPlace, a multicultural project launched by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and its community partners to tell the story of Philadelphia’s oldest immigrant and African American neighborhoods – South Philadelphia and Northern Liberties/Lower Kensington – and how they have changed over time. The work of our intern will be vital in making our Keith Photograph Collection fully accessible to the public, and in gaining a greater understanding of the collection and the people and neighborhoods it depicts.


NORTH LIGHT COMMUNITY CENTER (POSITION FILLED)
North Light is seeking an early childhood or elementary education graduate student to research educational models that will lead to the identification of the specific model, curriculum and curriculum materials to eventually be used in our preschool.  The intern will be part of a North Light team comprised of our associate director, a consultant and an Advisory Council. The Advisory Council is comprised of a number of education experts. The intern will also guide the Advisory Council through the program design and evaluation selection process. The graduate student intern will undertake the following tasks: (1) research Pennsylvania Department of Education and School District of Philadelphia web sites and other source materials for curriculum-based academic requirements for a certified preschool program--weeks 1-3; (2) synthesize, compile and report on findings to North Light stakeholders including board of directors, staff and members of ECE Advisory Group--week 4; (3) research three preschool educational models for possible incorporation at North Light--weeks 5-7; report on preschool curriculum model research to North Light stakeholders and work with ECE Advisory Group to narrow choices and ultimately select appropriate curriculum for North Light Preschool--week 8; (5) write final report to be shared with North Light stakeholders, ECE Advisory Group and prospective funders--weeks 9 and 10.
www.northlightcommunitycenter.org


PENNSYLVANIA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY (POSITION FILLED)
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Philadelphia Green Program seeks a graduate student in the environmental sciences, preferably with a focus on soils, to study our urban landscape sites’ soils and make recommendations on how to return them to a more natural, sustainable condition. Philadelphia Green manages a variety of public landscapes and gardens within downtown Philadelphia and seeks to employ new systems, ideas, and products to improve the quality and sustainability of its soils. This project will identify the best practices and materials that can be incorporated into our existing landscape management programs that will result in better plant health, wiser resource allocation, and ultimately more sustainable landscapes. The intern will sample soils and review laboratory analysis of mineral and biological attributes, research national best practices in urban soil specifications, amendments and management, and recommend practices, products, and sources to improve urban soils as a valued resource. Candidates should have a strong scientific background, a keen interest in ecology an environmental sustainability, interest and appreciation of Philadelphia public landscapes, and the ability to work independently under general supervision.
www.pennhort.org


PHILADELPHIA CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY (POSITION FILLED)
The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society (PCMS) seeks a graduate student in Arts Administration, Music, or Marketing to help develop and implement an aggressive audience development campaign targeted at student and young audiences - “digital natives” who find and evaluate cultural activities online.  As part of a broad initiative to engage Philadelphia’s student population and young professionals in PCMS’ diverse programming and events, the intern will be responsible for an accelerated ten-week program creation process (scheduled to launch for the 2009/2010 season).   The ideal candidate is a "self-starter" who thinks independently and follows through ideas with clear action.  Other qualifications include a strong background in technology/social networking, a passion for introducing great music to new audiences, and experience in marketing, arts management, or business management.
www.pcmsconcerts.org


PHILADELPHIA EDUCATION FUND (POSITION FILLED)
The Philadelphia Education Fund is seeking a graduate student intern who will assist in the collection and analysis of end-of-year data used in the Early Warning Indicators (the Ed Fund’s dropout prevention research conducted with Johns Hopkins University) and the Ed Fund’s middle grades dropout prevention initiative. Specifically, the intern will collect and analyze final report card data, which only becomes available in June, along with bi-weekly survey data collected throughout the final marking period of the 2008-09 school year. The intern will integrate this survey data with quantitative data on student academic and behavioral outcomes which will assist Ed Fund staff to better understand the impact of its Early Warning Indicators dropout prevention methodology on schools. The intern will also help draft text around the data work, to be used in various grant reports and importantly, to inform and shape the programming of subsequent year(s) of EWIP.
www.philaedfund.org


PHILADELPHIA LIVE ARTS FESTIVAL AND PHILLY FRINGE (POSITION FILLED)
The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe seeks a graduate student intern who, over the course of a ten-week internship, will act as the Festival Blog Manager. This individual will research, develop, and implement a new and expanded Festival Blog. The intern will work in collaboration with Festival Marketing staff to develop a content plan, as well as writing and posting schedule for the summer months leading up to the 2009 Festival. The intern will have the unique opportunity to connect with local, national, and international Festival artists in order to develop blog content about their shows. Through serving as Festival Blog Manager, the intern will gain experience in organizational copy writing and editing, as well as web-design, and will come away with a substantial portfolio of work created during the internship. The ideal candidate is a creative writer, strong editor, outgoing, knowledgeable or willing to learn about blog posting, and has a passion for contemporary performance work.
www.livearts-fringe.org


PRESERVATION ALLIANCE OF PHILADELPHIA (POSITION FILLED)
The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia seeks a graduate student intern for a paid summer project related to its African American Outreach program. The intern will update and organize an inventory of approximately 300 African American historic sites in Philadelphia that will provide the primary content for a new website focused on Philadelphia’s African American historic sites. He or she will also write a “historic context statement” for the inventory to explain why the sites listed in the inventory have historic significance and conceptualize special educational events (tours, lectures, etc.) that expand public awareness of African American historic sites in Philadelphia. The successful applicant is comfortable and effective working in a team setting, with diverse people. He or she is pursuing an advance degree in historic preservation, history, and/or community planning as well as have excellent verbal and written communication skills, strong organizational skills, and computer competency in Word, Excel and in the use of the internet for communications and research. Travel within the City of Philadelphia and attendance at some evening meetings is expected.
www.preservationalliance.com


PROJECT H.O.M.E. (POSITION FILLED)
Project H.O.M.E. is seeks a graduate student intern to create a typology of family homelessness and individual homelessness, looking at the costs to various systems (local level human/social services, shelter/housing, corrections, behavioral health etc.) both before and after the permanent supportive housing intervention(s).  The “costs” of homelessness will include both the costs a person incurs while living on the streets/in shelter, and the costs of completing the continuum of care.  With this research, the intern will address the problem of capturing savings – what budgets are impacted and how can the savings be plowed back into new service streams.  This project is designed to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of permanent supportive housing.  Modeled on Malcolm Gladwell’s look at “Million Dollar Murray,” an exploration of the multiple systems costs of one homeless individual in Reno, this analysis will look at an individual and a family who are part of the Project H.O.M.E. community and whose stories demonstrate the decline in public services costs after the supportive housing intervention.  This analysis is a companion to Econsult’s work that proved a correlation between Project H.O.M.E. locating in a neighborhood and a better-than-average property value increase in the immediate area.  Taken together, these products will show that permanent supportive housing does not harm communities and in fact saves significant dollars at the local level – dollars which can go to other services.  Through this typological approach, we hope to draw larger inferences about the journeys of homeless individuals and families in Philadelphia.  Finally, and if time permits, we hope to use the information to take this project to the next step – to look at individuals coming into the system for the first time and determine what interventions will keep them from entering a prolonged and costly period of homelessness.  The ideal candidate will have a strong interest and background in applied social science research, including relevant data analysis tools.
www.projecthome.org


PUBLIC CITIZENS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH (POSITION FILLED)
Public Citizens for Children and Youth is seeking a graduate student intern to work with the organization on The Children in Immigrant Families Project. This will entail a study and report on the needs of this often neglected population. Statistics show that most of the growth of population in Philadelphia in recent years has been due to the growth of the immigrant population and that the average age of this population is younger than the native born population. This change is transforming the face of the City and PCCY believes that who gets counted count when it comes to services provided by various sectors. Services to children of immigrant families will increase when these children are more visible, and policymakers have a better understanding of their characteristics and needs. It is for this reason we are looking for an intern to help us investigate, assess and report on the condition of immigrant children in the region in order and provide data to social service providers that will allow them to both advocate for and offer better services to these children. 
www.pccy.org


REGIONAL HOUSING LEGAL SERVICES (POSITION FILLED)
Regional Housing Legal Services (RHLS) seeks a law student or graduate student intern to develop guidance for Community Development Corporations (CDCs) and other eligible housing organizations on the application of a new law called the Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship Act (Act 135 of 2008). The law became effective in Pennsylvania on February 24, 2009.  Under the Act, CDCs now have a new tool to address neglected properties in their communities. These organizations along with other eligible parties can now petition the Court for appointment of Conservators to bring abandoned residential, commercial and industrial property into compliance with local codes and return the properties to productive use.  RHLS is currently working with the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania to implement the new law. The intern will work closely with RHLS, its CDC clients, and Housing Alliance staff to (1) determine what criteria the CDCs should use when selecting properties suitable for conservatorship; (2) identify Best Practices and avoid pitfalls; and (3) develop a user-friendly manual that CDCs throughout the Commonwealth can use as a guide and reference. RHLS is seeking applicants who are law students or other graduate students who have a familiarity with real estate law, real estate development, land use planning, and/or urban studies. Proficiency in Excel is also desired. Please note that this is a transactional internship and that any litigation under the new law will be conducted by private pro bono attorneys). Office hours are 9-5 and there may occasional early morning or evening meetings.  “Flex” time arrangements are available on request.
www.rhls.org


RESEARCH FOR ACTION (POSITION FILLED)
Research for Action seeks a graduate student to engage in a project that examines charter school practices related to teacher hiring, retention, promotion, and evaluation.  This work will be conducted in support of local advocacy groups that seek to influence the outcome of upcoming district negotiations with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers.  The RFA Fels intern will assemble, analyze, and disseminate information on the methods that district charter schools use to 1) screen and hire new teachers and 2) evaluate the performance of teachers for purposes of determining professional development and staffing (retention, promotion, etc.) decisions.  Fieldwork will involve interaction both with district and charter school personnel.  The intern will have the opportunity to develop materials that will be used by education reform advocacy groups, to publish an article on project findings, and to attend meetings convened by the advocacy group with school district and other officials. The successful candidate will need to be able to start in early May.
www.researchforaction.org


SMITH MEMORIAL PLAYGROUND (POSITION FILLED)
Smith Memorial Playground seeks a graduate intern to create the collateral materials and public relations resources associated with Smith’s new strategic marketing plan.  The intern will undertake the following projects which are vital to increasing Smith’s visibility in the Philadelphia area and beyond: 1) the creation of  Smith’s general, rental, and membership brochures; 2) the development of Smith’s print and electronic press kits; 3) the formalization of Smith’s information description and its distribution to key tourism outlets, guide books, newspapers, etc.; 4) the establishment of  a photo resource library; and 5) the design of a social networking presence including MySpace and Facebook.  The ideal candidate will have a background in marketing and public relations, excellent written and verbal communication skills, the ability to work independently as well as with a team, and be comfortable working around children and their caregivers.
www.smithplayhouse.org


URBAN TREE CONNECTION (POSITION FILLED)
The Urban Tree Connection (UTC) seeks a graduate student intern to document the development of a farm in West Philadelphia (Polselli Property) and analyze its policy implications as a means of both strengthening policy support for urban agriculture in the City and building a model of city farming that emphasizes community food security (i.e., food access and nutrition), community development and sustainability. Urban agriculture represents a land-use option that offers cities economic, environmental, health and social benefits. Philadelphia, with its particularly high rate of food insecurity and significant amount of vacant land, stands to benefit from urban agricultural projects like the one proposed on the Polselli Property. Recent developments indicate that Philadelphia is poised to institutionalize support for agricultural activity in the City. The report developed by the UTC intern will offer a compelling argument for such support, with specific policy recommendations and the database compiled by the intern will serve as an urban farming model for underserved Philadelphia neighborhoods.


WISSAHICKON RESTORATION VOLUNTEERS (POSITION FILLED)
Wissahickon Restoration Volunteers (WRV) seeks a graduate student intern to delineate and conduct a species survey of WRV’s existing and proposed restoration sites. The work will help WRV expand our efforts to preserve and restore the natural resources of one of the region’s most cherished parks. This project will form the basis for developing a Plant Stewardship Index (PSI Index) for each site. The intern will need to be qualified in native and invasive species identification, to be familiar with the concepts of GIS and GPS mapping for site delineation (some training may be available), and to be well-organized and self-motivated. The intern will have the opportunity to generate the PSI for each site using the software provided by Bowman’s Hill. A database of site, species found, and base indices will be created as part of the project. WRV proposes conducting the survey on at least 15 of its prioritized list of over 30 possible sites. WRV will provide training as necessary in the philosophy and use of the PSI and provide supervision by our Executive Director and Field Director.
www.wissahickon.patrails.org