The Challenge
Based on our decades of experience working with individuals from our nations minority serving institutions (MSIs), we have recognized that there is a stark divide between those who are capable and prepared, and those who are capable and unprepared. This divide tends to be witnessed most in the area between nurturing and launching. There are those independent minded self-starters who see and seize opportunities, and then maximize the moment. Then there are those equally capable individuals who have been nurtured and/or coached to the moment, but consistently rely on that nurturing and coaching throughout the implementation of the opportunity. The challenge with these individuals is that they tend to lag behind their cohort and thereby are viewed as incapable. What’s worse, these individuals often walk away from viable opportunities because they are not prepared to work through the process on their own.
The Opportunity
By focusing on the common goal of preparing college students for life after college graduation, PCU has implemented a comprehensive program that addresses the transition necessary to move students from a dependent state, through an interdependent state, and into an independent state.
Our Strategy
Beginning with the recruitment process, PCU starts positioning applicants for independent thinking by challenging their assumptions. Our interactive sessions are based on real life accounts of student applicants and interns who have participated in our programs. Once applicants are selected for the program, PCU hosts monthly virtual meetings with the cohort to further prepare them for their summer experience. We also introduce the interns to the Pre-College University’s Virtual Career Readiness Academy, and invite them to sign up and take advantage of the trainings.
As an official kick-off to the summer internship experience, we bring the students into Northern VA to participate in the Pre-College University Orientation Boot-Camp. During this event, interns participate in team-building activities, agency-focused sessions based on their internship sponsor, and professional development trainings. The cornerstone course for the orientation is Basic Project Management for Students. The objective is to introduce the students to a discipline that is not only industry recognized, but one that can be used as a backdrop for completing their collegiate experience successfully. The Boot-Camp’s capstone project is a Personal Project Plan aligning the participating lab, the student’s specific project, and their personal/career objectives. This project plan is then used as a coaching tool to engage the students during their lab tenure. As a follow-on to the internship experience, we invite the student to stay connected to PCU and take advantage of all of our services.
Experience-Exposure-Employment
The over-arching goal of our internship wrap-around services is to provide college students with an on-site experience, provide them with exposure to professionals in the field of their choosing, and transition them into employment within the sponsoring agency or industry. We accomplish this by engaging key points of contact at the sponsoring agency from the recruitment stage. PCU’s objective is to recruit the right kinds of students to meet the sponsor’s needs. Once recruited, we provide them with professional development and coaching, so that upon graduation, they are not just capable, but also prepared.
PCU, providing you with what you should know, before you go.