Program Specialist
Peak Performance!
posted: Oct 25, 2002 and closes: Jan 01, 2011
Description and Details
Field placement at Peak Performance! is a highly individualized arrangement. Students are responsible for specific assignments designed to make significant contributions to their educational objectives and to the success and mission of the center. Students will select one of the following areas in which to spend most of their time, but can expect to assist in most of these areas during the course of their fieldwork: program development and implementation, administration, conference hospitality, marketing & public relations, site & facility management. In 2003 there will be special opportunities for those interested in learning and working in the areas of marketing and accreditation. While formal training or experience in marketing is ideal, the appropriate candidate will be offered "on-the-job" training.
The intern will help conduct market research, develop Customer Values Hierarchies and Articulated Sales Arguments, write collateral/website/advertising copy, and survey program participants. S/he will also receive further training in the consultative sales process, market differentiation, and branding. Interns can expect to develop experience working with all of Peak Performance!'s client groups: youth/adult, schools, "at-risk", international, corporate, religious, etc. Internships, practica, and other fieldwork challenge students to translate key theoretical concepts into skilled professional action. (This posting uses internship and fieldwork interchangeably.) Activities in the internship provide the experiential base for integrative knowledge and skill development. We believe that, just as students cannot be prepared for the field without the classroom, there is no substitute for supervised fieldwork, in real client-service settings, for preparation of capable, competent, caring professionals. The key ingredient of successful placement is open, honest, and frequent communications between the student, supervisor, and appropriate faculty at the academic institution. After that, a careful match is important between the student's educational goals, and the opportunities and resources of the agency. Peak Performance!™ internships aren't just for students. About 50% of the folks who do an internship here use it as a way to get into the field more full-time in southern California. They get experience and a recommendation from a nationally known program, introductions to several other experiential education companies, they network with top-notch staff who can give them the inside scoop on who to work for & how to get in, they hone their facilitation and program development skills with the widest possible variety of clients, (and they get a place to live when they move out here!). These experiences are hard work, take above average ambition and motivation, and require the ability to work with indirect supervision (after appropriate training). They offer an outstanding opportunity for professional development with a significant investment of "sweat equity."
Commitments Peak Performance! Makes to You:
- Providing appropriate learning opportunities, consonant with the intern's educational development and the organization's mission and resources;
- Allocating sufficient human resources to supervise and support the intern's efforts and maximize the educational opportunities of the internship;
- Submitting necessary forms, paperwork, and other information so that the experience and the intern's work can be evaluated;
- Prompt communication with the student and school personnel, should any problems occur in the placement, or with any change of contact information.
Commitments Interns Make to Peak Performance!:"
- Conduct all activities in a professional manner, in accordance with established personnel policies of the company;
- Abide by ethical guidelines of the Therapeutic Adventure Professional Group of the Association for Experiential Education (regardless of program type);
- Commit to being a positive contributing team member of the organization;
- Provide services exclusively within the scope of their training, experience, and current abilities.
Students will be selected for field placement with Peak Performance! based on the following criteria:
- The apparent match between the student's educational objectives and the opportunities and resources available at Peak Performance! (this is the single most important selection criteria).
- The "fit" of strengths, weaknesses, experience, and personality of the applicant and other interns already appointed for the semester in question.
- The availability of supervisor(s) with demonstrated strengths in the applicant's indicated area(s) of interest.
- The academic, education/camping, and avocational experience of the applicant. Training and experience in challenge course facilitation, and leading experience-based training activities is a plus.
Desired skills for those interested in marketing include:
- Creative thinker, good at brainstorming, with outstanding writing skills
- The ability to express nebulous, intangible concepts in simple, moving language that everyone understands
- Team-oriented, friendly, and focused on overall organizational success, willing to "pitch-in" wherever needed
- An understanding of what motivates business buyers, especially in Human Resource and Training disciplines
- Basic word-processing ability. MS-Word desirable, and basic Power Point is ideal
- Generally, junior standing at an accredited college/university, or comparable training and experience, is required.
Location
Big Bear City, CA
Application Info
Students desiring field placement at Peak Performance! must: 1. Submit a letter of application stating general educational goals for the internship, a resume, and, in some cases, an agency employment application. 2. Complete an interview, either in person or by telephone, which will included goals of the experience, expectations and requirements of the students, and the relationship of the experience to any academic program. 3. Clearly communicate to the placement supervisor all expectations which any academic institution has of the agency. Although there is no specific application deadline, students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to maximize their opportunities.
Mark Rowland
info@peaktraining.comfax: 909.584.9764
Salary & Benefits
Students are accepted for internships on both compensated and uncompensated bases. Primary factors affecting the compensation category include: duration of the fieldwork period, availability of compensation funds, and qualifications and credentials of the
