 In April of 2010 MAFEL members gathered to discuss the structural elements of successful internship programs that lead to positive experiences for students and internships sites. Participating MAFEL members represented both academic internship programs and internship sites. Using the group’s collective wisdom through a facilitated process, we generated an extensive list and then narrowed our focus to include only the top 10 structural elements. Though it’s common for students to complete internships without the support of an academic, for-credit program, as a best-practice internships are a partnership between academic institutions, internship sites, and students. Each has its own objectives, and the partnership’s structure has a major impact on how each objective will be met or unmet. MAFEL endorses the following best practices for the structure of internship programs, and the relationship between academic programs, internship sites and interns. MAFEL’s Top Ten Best Practices for Providing Orientations MAFEL's Top Ten Best Practices for Evaluations MAFEL's Top Ten Best Practices for Performance Management In June of 2010 MAFEL members gathered to discuss the performance management elements of successful internship programs that lead to positive experiences for students and internships sites. Participating MAFEL members represented both academic internship programs and internship sites. Using the group’s collective wisdom through a facilitated process, we generated an extensive list and then narrowed our focus to include only the top 10 performance management elements. Though it’s common for students to complete internships without the support of an academic, for-credit program, as a best-practice, internships are a partnership between academic institutions, internship sites, and students. As with any partnership, communication is a major factor determining whether objectives will be met or unmet. This is especially true for internships because interns are typically new to the workforce and need strong guidance in order to meet learning objectives and work objectives at the same time. MAFEL endorses the following best practices for intern performance management and the relationship between academic programs, internship sites and interns. Related Resources National Society for Experiential Education (www.nsee.org) publishes the NSEE Quarterly, resource papers, monographs, and books, including:
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