Practicum Resources for Students
The leadership shadowing practicum is the opportunity for students to observe the life of an organization/business and bear witness to leadership in action. Organizational partners for the leadership shadowing practicum should be co-educators in students' personal development and course learning. Partners are volunteering their time and being vulnerable by opening up their organization to LEAD 4000 students. It is an honor to learn from leaders in our community and be invited into new spaces. The relationship is built on mutual investment in the shared learning process.
Process:
Students will be placed in teams and paired with an organization/business at the start of the semester. Teams will then meet as a group to discuss norms and ways of being/working with one another.
Student groups will select a partner organization/business to shadow them from weeks 5 through 11 of the course.
In close consultation with their partner organization/business, the pair will identify six points of contact or shadowing opportunities.
Points of contact will vary across organizational contexts and partners, with sample activities including a board meeting, staff meeting, customer interactions, volunteer training, fundraiser, or program event.
​​After each remote visit, student pairs will record observations or field notes from the shadowing experience using the provided memo format. Sample Areas of exploration include: what occurred, how the observation relates to course material and questions or areas of exploration. Two memos will be submitted every two weeks.
Students will primarily take on an observational role in the shadowing experience; however, you are encouraged to interact with stakeholders, ask meaningful questions when appropriate, and enter with a curious learners’ mindset.
Student pairs will present key insights from the leadership shadowing experience in class and at the LEAD 4000 poster session at the end of the semester. The presentation will address key themes and points of analysis, draw meaningful connections back to course material, and communicate what students learned about themselves and leadership in a clear, compelling, and visually appealing way.