Middlebury Social Impact Corps 2019- Impact Monterey County
Internship Description:
This year, MISC participants will support the Impact Monterey County Network and United Way Monterey County in conducting an aspirational assessment that will build upon the countywide assessment that was conducted in 2015. During this assessment, 60_ community conversations and focus groups were conducted in and more than 7,500 residents took a survey. The results of this process highlight four priority areas for Monterey County: Educational Achievement, Community Safety, Health, and Economic Self-Sufficiency. These priority areas have been the focus of collaborative efforts several cross sectoral coalitions, initiatives, and community organizations, including the Impact Monterey County Network and United Way Monterey County.
Students will have the opportunity to design and conduct focus groups, surveys and key informant interviews with diverse community partners to obtain community input on whether the original priorities are continuing to be relevant. They will collaborate with local community-based organizations to analyze the findings and create a plan for distribution.
The summer assessment will also have an opportunity for alignment with the concurrent community assessment processes of the Health Department of Monterey County, Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, and the Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital.
This is a full-time, temporary internship position with a 8-week term. Applicants should have conversational Spanish language abilities.
Host Site Organization: Impact Monterey County http://www.impactmontereycounty.org/
Impact Monterey County (IMC) is a collaborative effort of nonprofits, businesses, 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. The IMC Network started as a countywide assessment to find out how residents felt about their lives today and what they wanted for tomorrow.
The result of that assessment was the overarching vision:
Together, a healthy, safe, and thriving Monterey County.
The main concerns and aspirations expressed by residents were summarized into the four priority areas of: education, safety, economic self-sufficiency and health. Residents also identified values for our communities including:
- Relationships are based on respect, caring, cultural sensitivity and fairness
- Everyone works together to foster a connected and engaged community
- Community voices drive the design and implementation of services and policies
The goals of IMC are to:
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
Program Fees:
Internship cost is covered through acceptance into the Social Impact Corps program. This includes extensive training, mentoring, and an on-going student support system. Lodging and meals are provided, however students will be responsible for travel expenses and any additional in-country expenses. Students eligible for financial aid may apply for scholarship to offset additional travel expenses once accepted into the program.
If you are offered and accept this internship, please be aware that you will be required to complete internship paperwork.