Building a Strong Foundation for a McCourt Education

This year, the McCourt School launched a new experiential learning orientation program called McCourt Foundations to facilitate the transition to policy school and introduce incoming students to a set of core leadership and communications skills to catalyze equity-centered policy work and advocacy.

The program, created by McCourt’s Curriculum Committee led by Professor Jennifer Tobin, is designed to cultivate a student body that embraces the ideas and insights contributed by people from different backgrounds and perspectives. It goes beyond traditional new student orientation activities such as icebreaker games and dives into deep discussions around equity, impact assessment, and community building.

“Foundations jumpstarts the McCourt experience,” said Tobin. “In addition to building community, the program empowers students to examine and design policy solutions with an equity lens, a critical tool for success in the policy world.”

Building Community, Virtually

All incoming MPP, MIDP, and DSPP students completed Foundations to launch their academic journey this year. While originally designed as an in-person, three-day course during orientation week, the program adapted its curriculum to facilitate a virtual course delivered to students all over the world.

“I came into this program feeling pretty anxious because I was moving across the country and going back to school,” said Anshuman Chiplunkar, a Georgetown student enrolled in McCourt classes. “I am leaving Foundations feeling like I have a community, some friendships, and people who care about me that I can reach out to.”

Students learned the fundamentals of engaging in difficult conversations with empathy and discussed tools for team building. They also learned about Racial Equity Impact Assessments (REIA) and conducted an equity analysis of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations’ (GAVI) proposal for an advance market commitment to help distribute COVID-19 vaccines.

Here's what I can tell you after 3 days of grad school orientation:
– Zoom fatigue is real.
– @McCourtSchool is committed to empathy, vulnerability, equity, and inclusion in policymaking, which is exactly what we need.
– I'm in the right place.

— Hope Cutchins (@HopeCutchins) August 21, 2020

Leadership Fellows

 
A critical element to the program included the 2020 McCourt Leadership Fellows , 26 returning McCourt students that served in mentor-like roles for incoming students. The Fellows helped facilitate and moderate conversations with new students while sharing tips and information on ways to navigate graduate school. In preparation for the Foundations program, the Fellows participated in intensive training over the summer to learn various coaching and leadership skills, which also helped build professional development skills.

“Community is integral to the McCourt experience, especially being virtual, and I think we were able to provide a glimpse into the McCourt community through Foundations,” said Shwetha Parvathy (MPP’21), a Leadership Fellow. “The team of incoming students I worked closely with now have a WhatsApp group to stay connected and are planning socially distanced activities they can do together.”

The transition to graduate school, whether full-time or part-time, is undoubtedly a delicate balance––perhaps even more so this academic year––which is why it is important to enter into the new school year grounded on a strong foundation. A big thank you to all the Leadership Fellows, staff, and faculty who helped make the Foundations program a success, and welcome to all of the new McCourt students!

Hoya Saxa!