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"I believe the Public Administraiton Program effectively tempers theory wth practice, training professionals to handle even the most complex public issue. I was truly impressed by the commitment both participants and faculty shared in improving the quality of their public work. This Program has renewed my faith in the power of public service to better our community."

Blayne Higa
Legislative Office Manager
Office of Representative
Sylvia J. Luke

 

Public Administration > The Program > Master's Degree > Practicum

Practicum

The practicum is designed to place individuals in settings where they can compare organizational structures and policy processes. Participants may choose public, non-profit or private organizations as practicum sites. The faculty adviser will work closely with each person to make arrangements. Sites are not restricted to Hawai'i or the U.S. The focus and arrangements are set in conjunction with a faculty adviser, and are based upon the participant's interests and objectives. The practicum is a minimum of 240 hours. It is expected that most pepole will find it convenient to undertake the practicum in the summer months; however, there is flexibility on timing and scheduling. Examples of practicum that participants have chosen:

  • Department of Social Work, Madras Christian College - Chennai, India. Through the College, the participant worked with Action Aid International, an international non governmental organization (NGO) and its local NGO partners. This network of NGOs was involved in relief and rehabilitation of the coastal communities affected by the destruction of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The participant assisted in the relief efforts in fisher folk villages affected by the tsunami. This practicum experience gave the participant excellent exposure to the operations of international and local NGOs in disaster relief, complementing her PUBA concentration area of disaster management and humanitarian assistance.
  • Aloha United Way - Honolulu, Hawai'i. Aloha United Way (AUW) is a non-profit organization that provides leadership in bringing people together to create a healthier and more compassionate community. The participant assisted in the development of public policy positions on national issues, such as AUW support for a national 2-1-1 outreach system, and federal tax incentives for charitable giving. The participant also assisted in composing state legislative proposals for other public policy positions such as grant requests for AUW 2-1-1 crisis response and disaster preparedness, and for the coordination of the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Program under AUWís Family Economic Self Sufficiency Program. Each issue required extensive research and the development of a policy proposal. Many of the proposals have been accepted by AUWís President/CPO (Chief Professional Officer) and are ready for Board action.
  • Ka Halau Hanakeaka - Honolulu, Hawai'i. Ka Halau Hanakeaka is a small Hawaiian language theatre troupe. The participant worked closely with the orgaqnizationís principals in developin a mission statement for the organization, organized a board of directors, drafting by-laws and articles of incorporation, and completing the groupís application for federal non-profit tax status (501c3). The participant also found time to assist with the logistics and to accompany the group to the World Indigenous Peopleís Conference in New Zealand. The practicum also involved writing grants to secure funding for incorporating Native Hawaiian arts into the business sector.
  • U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs - Washington, DC. The Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA), situated in the Management office, administers laws, formulates regulations and implements policies relating to the broad range of consular services and immigration. The participant worked with the Inter Country Adoption section of CA, assisting Americans who wanted to adopt a child from abroad, and also assisted in the emergency evacuation of American citizens from Lebanon during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict.
  • Senate Election Campaign of Allan Lichtman [D, Maryland]. The participant volunteered for grassroots efforts of the primary Senate election campaign of Allan Lichtman [D, Maryland] and aided in Lichtmanís campaign communications with staff and other volunteers, likely voters and the media, and also facilitated internal communications. The participantís objectives were to learn about campaign communications at the grassroots level and describe campaign actions through analysis of political action.
  • National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP) - Washington D.C. NCCEP is a national, non-profit organization that works with the Dept. of Education, Congress, local educational agencies and various corporate and non-profit partners to develop and strengthen broad-based partnerships throughout the education continuum. Their projects include Gaining Early Awareness and REadiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), ENgaging LAtino Communities in Education (ENLACE), and the Booz Allen Hamilton Yough Leadership Summit. The participant joined the NCCEP's Policy, Research and Evaluation Fellows Program and was primarily involved in the area of K-16 educational policy research and evaluation.