The Public Service and Outreach Student Scholars program is open to any UGA undergraduate student in good standing with a 3.0 or higher GPA who has completed at least 60 hours of course credit prior to Fall Semester 2012.

The Public Service and Outreach Student Scholars are expected to take part in all of the following:

• Cohort meetings during Fall Semester most Fridays from 12:20-2:15 p.m.
• Scholars Retreats and Events: Fall Retreat at Rock Eagle (August 25-26); a UGA Marine Extension/Skidaway Island Retreat (Oct. 12-14); and other special events to be scheduled with participants. All travel, meals, and lodging costs for participants will be provided.
• 150 hours (ca. 10 hours per week) of direct internship work with a PSO unit during Spring Semester, including a final internship project (e.g., article, report, contract, etc.) determined in coordination with a PSO faculty mentor. Some internships entail travel outside Athens.
• Participation in assessment and feedback on the program.

Each Scholar will also be matched with one of the following PSO units for a 150-hour internship during Spring semester.

• The Archway Partnership connects higher education resources to community-identified priorities in eight locations around Georgia. (Internship may involve travel outside of Athens.)
• The Carl Vinson Institute of Government provides assistance and training to state and local government officials.
• The Fanning Institute focuses on leadership, community, and economic development.
• The Georgia Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel provides conference/event planning and continuing education opportunities.
• The Marine Extension Service carries out coastal-based education, applied research, outreach, and training. (Internship may involve travel outside of Athens.)
• The Office of Service-Learning supports the integration of service addressing critical community needs into academic courses.
• The Small Business Development Center supports business development, training, and applied research. (Internship may involve travel outside of Athens.)
• The State Botanical Garden of Georgia is a public garden that provides environmental education and outreach.
• The Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach coordinates PSO activities and special projects.

Interested students should submit the following materials:

• A completed application cover sheet
• A current resume
• One faculty reference form (sent by the referee directly to the Office of Service-Learning)
• An official transcript (sent by the Registrar’s Office to the Office of Service-Learning)
• A 250-500 word statement explaining
  1. 1. How participation in the PSO Student Scholars program would enhance your career and academic goals, and
  2. 2. Your preference for possible internship placement.

Application priority deadline is Monday, April 2, 2012. Program finalists will be interviewed in April with final notification prior to the end of the semester.

Upon completion of the program, Scholars will be invited to propose a full-time summer outreach, research or internship project in conjunction with a PSO unit (locally or at other Georgia or international locations). Up to eight projects will be selected and funded at $1,500 for full-time Summer 2013 work plus travel, if necessary.

Students selected as Scholars will receive recognition at the Public Service and Outreach annual meeting during Honors Week in April.

• Grant Carlton (Management & History), interning with the Small Business Development Center: Grant Carlton worked with the Georgia Small Business Development Center under the guidance of Teresa Cronic on consulting with small business owners and establishing educational environments to help local business leaders thrive in the competitive economic market. He met with various owners to help them create business plans to succeed in marketing and expanding their companies.
• Rene Couttolenc (Management), interning with the Georgia Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel: Rene Couttolenc worked under the guidance of Christine Burgoyne at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education on developing judging guidelines for the 63rd Georgia Science and Engineering Fair.
• Stefani D’Angelo (Health Promotion), interning with Archway Partnership : Stefani D’Angelo worked with the Archway Partnership under the guidance of Dr. Sue Champman to research the current demographics and economic consequences of teen pregnancy in Pulaski County, Georgia, as well as to identify evidence-based programs to reduce this trend. Stefani prepared a written report and presentation for the county’s Community Improvement Strategy, assisting the steering committee in making informed decisions to reduce teen pregnancy in Pulaski.
• Nekabari Goka (Economics & International Affairs), interning with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government: Nekabari Goka interned under the guidance of Dr. Rusty Brooks at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government’s International Center on evaluating the role of government in the development, growth, and sustainability of small business in Nigeria.
• David Gutierrez (Spanish, Latin American & Caribbean Studies, & International Affairs), interning with the Fanning Institute: David Gutierrez worked with the Fanning Institute under the guidance of Courtney Tobin, Ray Rawls, and Delene Porter on the project Whatever It Takes. He also evaluated and helped implement an additional component to UGA’s Padres e Hijos Fin de Semana program.
• Sarah Trites (History & Political Science), interning with The State Botanical Garden of Georgia: Sarah Jackson interned at the Office of Service-Learning under the guidance of Dr. Shannon Wilder to develop a Campus Kitchen (a national program dedicated to food rescue and redistribution) in collaboration with the Athens Community Council on Aging and others. She undertook a community assessment of food-insecurity in the Athens area for the final application to become an official part of the Campus Kitchen Project, and coordinated a kickoff event.
• Kyli Lamar (English), interning with Archway Partnership: Kyli Lamar interned with the Archway Partnership under the guidance of Matt Bishop, working with the Archway community in Pulaski County in the area of public education. She compiled research on Pulaski and nine other similar counties to pinpoint areas in education that could be targeted for improvement, and presented her research to Pulaski County through spreadsheets, graphs, and a final education report.
• L. Phuong Nguyen (International Affairs & Philosophy), interning with the Fanning Institute: Phuong Nguyen worked with the Fanning Institute under the guidance of Leigh Askew Elkins on the Whatever It Takes project, an educational directive that aims for every child in the Clarke County School District to be on track for a post-secondary education by 2020. She attended community meetings and worked with the Fanning staff on community engagement projects to train the Whatever It Takes volunteers.
• Shruti Suresh (Applied Biotechnology & Entomology), interning with Marine Extension Service: Shruti Suresh worked with the Marine Extension Services under the guidance of Dr. Randy Walker on projects like G.E.O.R.G.I.A. and Adopt a Wetland, which help propagate conservation programs among Georgians and increase public awareness/understanding of coastal ecosystems.
• Sarah Jackson (Geography), interning with the Office of Service-Learning: Sarah Trites interned at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia under the direction of Dr. Wilf Nicholls. She helped with seeding rare and endangered species, prepared educational and outreach materials, and presented on the scope of university botanical gardens to various audiences.