Goals and Objectives

Program Goal

Students will build the skills, knowledge, and dispositions to be informed participants in democratic life while also contributing to local policy-making, administration, and politics aimed at shaping San Francisco into a more inclusive and equitable city. Students will explore the theory and practice of ethical public service by taking an academically rigorous community engaged course and participate in a professional public service internship. Students will assess their contribution to the host agency. Host sites will benefit from student support for strategic projects and programs, and foster a new generation of local leaders for the common good.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Students will gain a general understanding of the political and policy challenges in local government and analyze root causes, intersections, consequences, and potential solutions.
• Students will learn the processes of local government, including problem definition, design and development, implementation, and evaluation.
• Students will analyze their own and others’ beliefs, values, knowledge and social positions and their implications in the context of working toward the common good.
• Students will develop and implement situationally appropriate professional skills, including communications, strategic collaboration, networking, and problem-solving.
• Students will synthesize and apply learning from previous experiences and the program to inform their understanding of self, commitment to public service, engagement with internship placement, and knowledge of change theories.