Communiqué: Experiential Learning At Its Best

December 1, 2011
Communiqué: Experiential Learning At Its Best
Inessa Lurye, Ash Summer Fellow in Innovation

Students Gain Hands-On & Field Research Experience

The Ash Center’s summer fellowship and research programs are a model in experiential learning, giving students hands-on public sector experience and providing meaningful, real-world work experience in the offices of some of the most creative and effective public officials and policy advisors in the country. Students have the opportunity to translate the cutting-edge trends and ideas learned in the classroom into practice. This summer, the following seven students were selected as Summer Fellows in Innovation:

      • Jodi Beckstrom-Korzenowski, HKS MPP 2012, helped Maine evaluate the award-winning Wraparound Maine, which serves youth with complex needs who are involved in multiple service systems.

      • Isabelle Brantley, HKS MPP 2012, played a critical and multi-faceted role in Detroit Mayor Bing’s development efforts, offering oversight assistance with a forthcoming federally-funded project.

      • Jonah Evans, HKS MPP 2012, worked with Pittsburgh’s Cities of Service office to identify innovative ways to use unoccupied land and establish new citizen engagement efforts. Mayor Ravenstahl declared August 11, 2011 “Jonah Evans Day” in recognition of his work.

      • Brian Hull, HKS MPP 2012, assessed and created a reform plan for the city of Providence’s workforce development efforts.

      • Inessa Lurye, HKS MPP 2012, worked for the office of New York City Mayor Bloomberg on a government reform effort focused on IT and citizen engagement.

      • Samantha Silverberg, HKS MPP 2012, supported former New York City Mayor Bloomberg’s office with NYC Business Acceleration, a program to facilitate new business owners with inspection and permitting processes.

      • James Solomon, HKS MPP 2012, helped Newark Mayor Booker’s team on a philanthropically-funded government modernization effort.

“As I finished up my first year at the Kennedy School, I had three goals for my summer experience – I wanted to come home to New York City and serve the city I knew and loved, try my hand at a new set of policy issues or challenges, and apply some of my HKS classroom training to the ‘real world,’” said Samantha Silverberg, HKS MPP 2012. "My Ash fellowship checked all three of these boxes and provided some valuable insights about leadership and innovation.”

In addition to Summer Fellowships in Innovation, the Center supports student efforts to expand upon and perform field research around the world. This year, the Vietnam Program selected the following four summer interns to study at the Fulbright School in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam:

      • Cristian Bowen, HKS MPA 2012, studied infrastructure development in light of current urbanization pressures in Vietnam.

      • Philipp Essl, HKS MPA 2012, worked on land policy issues including property rights.

      • Minh Trinh, Harvard College 2014, researched recent trends in Vietnam’s macroeconomic policies with a focus on monetary policy.

      • Yoon Loong (Andrew) Wong, Bates College 2012, explored the livelihoods of migrant families and their children in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.