University of MN Resource

It’s back to school time again! Doesn’t the end of summer always seem to creep up on you with that one last trip to the lake, one last burger or brat before the grill goes back in the garage…? Of course back to school comes with all of its own excitements, too! While yellow school buses gear up and classrooms across Minnesota open their doors, another part of the state buzzes with new activity and the population of Dinkytown explodes.

It is easy to think of the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) as a great fortress. Those inside know how to navigate its departments, but for an outsider the sheer size can be prohibitive. That is why it is so wonderful when an insider reaches out to us and is excited to share the University’s vast resources with the non-profit world.

This post is the first in a series that will explore opportunities for collaboration between The U and the youth intervention community. This week we will discuss the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs Capstone project and how programs can take advantage of free researchers!

Every year the majority of graduating Humphrey students will complete a capstone project, which is a culmination of what they have learned in their graduate program. This project is a hands-on, real world research project that links their academic interests with policy issues in the community. There are roughly ten different capstone classes (most during the spring semester) that cover a variety of fields such as: non-profit management, collaborations, government, social policy and others. Each class is taught by a different professor and has varying requirements. The common factor is that each class uses real non-profits or government agencies as its clients. As a client these groups pose a question to the students (for example, can you help us figure out what our stakeholders feel about this new initiative) and then for the semester a group of 3-6 students works on this project and provides a report at the end.

This service is free! How do you get involved? Faculty members have different approaches. In some cases, the professor will choose several projects that are relevant to their class and assign students. In other cases, the professor will make a list of options from which the students will pick. Sometimes, the students will choose their own projects. The vetting process can be complicated depending on what the professor and students are looking for. It might include a sit-down meeting with the professor or it could be a presentation and Q & A with the whole class. The best way to know is to contact the program and tell them about your interest.

Thank you to Erica Sallander with the YWCA of Minneapolis Girls RAP program for bringing this opportunity to our attention at YIPA’s quarterly membership meeting this summer. Erica recently worked with three Humphrey students to create a sustainable strategic business plan for her program. Using YIPA Social Return on Investment study and other Girls RAP data, the students helped identify ways to create a stable funding stream. What did Erica do to get three free researchers? In the spring she presented her idea to a capstone class along with about ten other programs. Then, she sat at a table as students moved around the room asking questions of each program. She waited as the students deliberated privately to determine which projects to choose. Happily, the YWCA project got chosen!

Our friends at the Juvenile Justice Coalition of Minnesota have taken advantage of this incredible resource for three semesters. What advice do these programs have for those of you who might be interested in learning more?

1. Have a champion. Connecting with a faculty member or a student before the vetting process is a huge asset.
2. Design a project that is doable in one semester.
3. Design a project that has a clear purpose and tangible results.
4. Deign a project that sounds like fun! (to public policy grad students anyway…)

Additionally, YIPA has designed a project around our advocacy efforts and applied to have our project taken on by a group of students in the 2010-11 year. YIPA’s Executive Director, Scott Beaty, will present the project to students and we will anxiously wait to hear if ours was picked.

YIPA will be working more in the future with the Humphrey to strengthen these connections and find champions for youth intervention projects. For more information contact Jessi Strinmoen, YIPA’s Director of Services at jstrinmoen@mnyipa.org.