PREP

This is PREP: Preparation for Leadership & Service in a Diverse Society.

• PREP is open to rising sophomores and juniors
• The pilot program will begin in the Fall 2008
• PREP requires a one-year commitment consisting of eight training seminars in the fall and 40 hours of service in the spring

PREP Program Goals

• Students will develop leadership skills to enhance their experience as a student and leader on campus and in the community
• Students will develop a basic understanding of diversity and cultural issues and how they relate to leadership within society
• Students will build relationships with faculty, staff, other students, and community leaders
• Students will increase their sense of responsibility to be an active citizen in a global society

PREP Training Seminars

Seminars will be led by Vanderbilt faculty members and will focus on two main themes: leadership development and diversity training. Active citizenship will be a common thread throughout all seminars.

There will be twelve unique seminars offered over the course of the fall semester of which students are required to attend eight. Four seminars will be mandatory and four will be electives. Students are welcome to attend more than eight seminars if they like.

Seminars will take place Wednesday evenings from 5:30-8:30pm. Dinner will be provided and a light reading assignment will be emailed a week in advance so students can be prepared to participate and build on foundational knowledge of the topic.

TENTATIVE TRAINING SEMINAR TOPICS

** Indicates a required session

PREP Experiential Learning Component

There are two service options within the experiential learning internship:

1. Community Agency Internship
   • Students will commit to assist a non-profit or government agency in the Nashville area with a need the community has identified. Service projects must be substantial in nature, challenge the students to grow intellectually and professionally, and provide leadership opportunities.

2. Campus Education & Advocacy
   • Students will create and lead original programming initiatives on campus that seek to educate students regarding issues of diversity, citizenship, or social justice issues. The projects must be substantial in nature, challenge the students to grow intellectually and professionally, and provide leadership opportunities.

Internship Placement Process
Midway through the Fall semester, students will choose which experiential learning option they would like to pursue. At this time, they will also indicate which issues/causes are most important to them.

If a student chooses the Community Agency Internship option the OACS/LDIA staff will contact community partners inquiring about related organizational/community needs for which they could use a PREP intern. We hope to provide as much helpful information to all parties as possible and to ensure that students and community partners find a great intern to meet a great need.

Students who choose to work on Campus Education and Advocacy will be required to find a faculty or staff mentor to work out an event schedule, timeline, goals, and other advising responsibilities.

Internship placements should be completed by the end of the Fall semester. Students and community partners will then be in direct communication to plan schedules and any other logistics for the Spring service internship.

Mentoring Commitment
An important component of the service experience is that the students will be paired with a mentor from the community agency who will take an active role in the student’s professional development. The role of the mentor is to broaden the student's understanding of the world of work as well as offer advise and support to help them achieve their goals.

Length: Fall and spring semesters
Restrictions: Sophomores and juniors