3/18/2020 Update
Dear SHECP Community,
As we communicated and committed to you last week, our Governing Board and staff are working daily to understand the impact of the COVID-19 virus on the SHECP 2020 Summer Internship Program.
We are continuing to maintain an optimistic attitude while also planning for contingencies in the event that we must make significant changes to the 2020 summer program. Please be assured that we will prioritize the health and safety of our interns as well as the responsibility we hold as an organization to contain further spread of the virus.
Our COVID-19 Response Team met this week, and we came to consensus on two important decisions:
1) We are still moving forward with plans for a successful 2020 summer internship program, and we hope that the program will proceed with only minor changes to the format and schedule.
2) In compliance with current norms for events that exceed 10 or even 50 attendees, we believe that we should forego hosting the Opening Conference – the orientation and instruction event normally held each summer at Marymount University in Arlington, VA. In lieu of such a gathering, we intend to focus on developing online/remote resources and virtual cohort meetings that will ensure responsible preparation for our interns prior to their arrival at the internship site.
Please note that “matching” emails will be sent to interns by April 9th – one week later than our original targeted date. We intend to review our plans every few days, and we will get back to you promptly with any additional changes. We will be in touch over the next several weeks about travel arrangements as we get closer to the start of the summer program.
We acknowledge that all of us have been dealing with some uncertainty the past few weeks, and these times of adjustment will require patience and cooperation among us all. We appreciate very much your partnership and participation in our SHECP community.
If you have any questions, you may contact me via email at jim.langford@shepherdconsortium.org. Alternatively, you may also contact our Academic Director, Dr. Stephanie Rolph at rolphsc@shepherdconsortium.org, or our Internship Director, Amy DeHart, at dehartak@shepherdconsortium.org.
All best wishes,
Jim Langford, Executive Director – SHECP
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