Upcoming "Creating a Successful Internship Program" Workshop

Last Wednesday, I sat in on another of the RIC's employer workshops on "Creating a Successful Internship Program" at the Allegheny Land Trust in Sewickley. I'm keeping an eye out for ways to tailor the presentation to organizations that primarily serve the LGBT community. The information in the presentation is designed to be helpful for any company or organization looking to improve upon an existing internship program or start a new one. There are so many misconceptions about interns: ("Oh, this totally annoying job? Let's make the intern do it! Ha, ha, ha!" or "We can't pay an intern so we can't have one!") but just getting people talking about internships and what they could be really offers a whole new frame through which to look at them. This is especially helpful when members of organizations hear from members of other organizations about problems they have faced and overcome.

In many ways, organizations who serve LGBT populations are facing the same challenges as organizations who don't (directly) serve them. LGBT organizations may need to work on updating infrastructure, developing a more distinct "brand", assessing resources, attracting and retaining the best talent for the job, making hard decisions about funding and programming...These are all challenges common to any organization. But I'm trying to get at the challenges specific to LGBT organizations, in the Pittsburgh-area. Do organizations feel torn between groups in our community that seem to be at odds with each other? What is an organization's current strategy to reach out and advertise to the LGBT community? Further, what kind of language is the organization using to carry out that strategy? How is our community changing and what resources to we need now that we didn't need 10 or 20 years ago? How do we ally ourselves with other organizations in the city to create change beyond our community?

On June 22nd, I am inviting local LGBT organizations to our internships and including time to discuss these and other questions. The workshop information is below as well as a video by the Regional Internship Center's director, Regina Anderson about what employers can expect from this workshop:

                                              

Workshop: “Creating a Successful Internship Program”

-and-

Discussion: Serving the LGBT community through internship programs

Who: Pittsburgh-area organizations that serve the LGBT community

What: “Creating a Successful Internship Program” Workshop and Discussion

When: Wednesday, June 22^nd from 1:00pm to 4:00pm

Where: Coro Center for Civic Leadership office

33 Terminal Way, Suite 429A

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Cost: $35 (Make checks payable to: Coro Center for Civic Leadership)

RSVP by Monday, June 20^th by emailing Rayden Sorock at rsorock@coropittsburgh.org

Questions? Requests for accommodations? Email or call: (412) 208-0250