Special Projects
Special projects are integral to our Fellows’ internship experience, occupying about 40% of their work time. These projects can and will vary, ensuring their allowing Fellows to explore areas that align with their interests, skill set, and the needs of the organization.
These projects are designed to be both impactful and reflective, allowing Fellows to learn from experiences by connecting their actions with the insights they gain during your internship. As a result, they will leave with practical experience, a robust portfolio, and a greater understanding of the social issues that matter to them.
Special Project Categories
Direct Service
Fellow manages a portion of the organization’s direct service delivery, particularly when existing systems are in place to support college age students or young adults in these roles. (Example: Create a series of workshops for an after school program and produce an implementation guide with lesson plans and a program evaluation)
Event Planning
Fellow designs, organizes, and leads their own special event (not a regular or annual event). (Example: Put on the first Assistive Technology Resource Fair for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing for Easter Seals then create an outcomes report and memo about how to replicate)
Social Media
Fellow develops and implements a social media strategy for the semester (must include significant opportunity for design and planning, not just executing existing plans). (Example: Manage social media strategy and implementation for Playworks including launching a new snapchat channel then create a style guide for future use)
Report or Analysis
Fellow does a research or analysis project and produces a report/presentation (Examples: Research and write a handbook about urban chicken care for Green City Growers; Analyze program data and produce and deliver a presentation to staff about recommended program revisions)
Strategic Project
Fellow develops and implements a particular strategy that is self-contained, but supports the broader goals of the organization. (Examples: Launch a new Spanish language newsletter to increase outreach to latinx communities for Union Capital Boston; Create and implement a strategy to recruit 25 new volunteers from Boston University for a day of service; report on outcomes in brief write up.)
Special Project Examples
BASED ON YOUR MAJOR
Sustainability & Environmental Science
Your Role
Help facilitate the Teen Urban Tree Corps School Year program, providing direct assistance and supervision to Boston youth as they develop, refine, and implement community tree planting plans and maintenance proposals.
Your Special Project
Research Massachusetts Science Education Standards and find intersections between urban forestry, environmental justice, and tree related curricula. Develop related lesson plans and educational materials for elementary through high school students.
Psychology
Your Role
Participate in strategic planning to support FUL in designing and managing a volunteer program. Coordinate Bags for Dads program to provide fathers in need with hygienic essentials. Create social media campaigns that expand FUL’s network of support nationwide.
Your Special Project
Plan and execute a Partnership Brunch for the FUL community and coalition partners.
Education
Your Special Project
Develop and lead a creative writing-based after-school club at host school around a topic of your choice. Submit a club proposal, schedule, and set goals for success. Past topics have included spoken word, a literary magazine, and writing for social justice.
Your Role
Tutor students 1-1, facilitate workshops, and train volunteers. Create content for staff newsletter. Recruit students for after-school activities.
More Examples:
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Your Placement: Constituent Services Aide at the Executive Office of the Governor
Your Role: Conduct outreach to executive offices and agencies. Engage in direct correspondence with constituents. Shadow mentor at internal and external meetings and attend events.
Your Special Project: Develop and deliver a research presentation on a specific policy area or state agency that pertains directly to the Governor’s priority focus areas.
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Your Placement: Resource Fellow at Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative
Your Role: Collaborate with staff to create a report on best practices that will allow DSNI can reach residents without internet. Track donations and meeting participation using Salesforce. Support community outreach for DSNI events.
Your Special Project: Develop a cross-platform social media strategy to increase awareness, engagement, and fundraising for DSNI.
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Your Placement: Safe Haven Fellow at On The Rise
Your Role: Provide 1:1 advocacy to patients who need help navigating the social service system. Work alongside advocates to provide tangible goods to people experiencing homelessness at two drop-in sites. Assist Operations Team with creating intake packets and the monthly Keep the Keys newsletter for housed participants.
Your Special Project: Create an orientation and training to support clients in accessing a new tablet program that allows them to virtually request and receive services.
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Your Placement: Healing Groups and Workshops Fellow at Louis D. Brown Peace Institute
Your Role: Create agendas and for healing groups and workshops. Design an evaluation process for each group and workshop and make sure that each meeting is documented. Support communications and outreach efforts to meet the goal of having 40 survivors attend monthly workshops.
Your Special Project: Work alongside the Family Support Coordinator and Strategic Project Coordinator to develop and implement Standard Operating Procedures for healing groups and workshops.
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Your Placement: Advocacy and Community Support Fellow at Generation Citizen
Your Role: Support teachers at partner schools in implementing action civics by creating advocacy research support documents based on the class project topic. Coordinate guest speaker visits to teachers’ classrooms. Update resources on GC’s website.
Your Special Project: Collect and organize resources for the statewide civic education resource bank that GC is developing for all educators. Facilitate a student storytelling and civics project showcase. Contribute to writing a GC legislative brief.
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Your Placement: Pro Bono Fellow at Greater Boston Legal Services
Your Role: Help write up brief descriptions of legal cases to refer to volunteer attorneys. Help develop content for the pro bono program newsletter and respond to external requests for information. Schedule volunteers for legal clinics and projects. Shadow mentor at site visits and donor meetings.
Your Special Project: Conduct research and interviews and apply learnings to help create a standard kit of virtual trainings and toolkits for volunteer attorneys, law students, and interpreters.
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Your Placement: Video Production Services Fellow at Somerville Media Center
Your Role: Learn video production and quality control from experts. Become a second camera on productions. Develop plans to reach out to members of the public while also building internal capacity.
Your Special Project: Build a database of nonprofits in Somerville, use it to survey nonprofits and learn what needs SMC can fill with its Video Production Services team.
Past Student Special Project Posters:
