Welcome our 2021 Municipal Internship Program (MIP) class! This year’s interns joined us on May 26th for the program’s virtual orientation and shared all of the unique projects happening this summer.

MIP connects current college students to local government entities to provide hands-on experience and real-world education on municipal and COG functions. Grads and undergrads across western Pennsylvania and beyond have been selected for local government projects since 1998. These projects revolve around building capacity in a variety of ways, such as creating GIS databases, developing capital improvement projects, updating municipal websites and social media pages, and initiating community development plans.

This year, 13 interns represent various municipalities, parks departments, and COGs. Our interns come from a variety of backgrounds, colleges, and programs, and they were selected for their breadth of work, skills, and a desire to make a change in their communities. We have both undergraduates and graduates from local higher education such as the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, and CCAC, as well as schools such as Thiel College, Harvard Extension, Penn State, and West Virginia University.

Sean Vannata from the University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, was selected by the Borough of Swissvale as a Community Outreach and Public Education Coordinator. This project encompasses a rebranding of the community’s website and social media platforms, coordination of community-wide events, and connecting the municipality and its residents. Sean is spearheading an initiative to bridge the gap between the municipality and its residents to allow efficient information and resource sharing.

“My internship at the Borough of Swissvale has given me a broad introduction to the workings of local government,” Sean said. “I have personally been working on organizing community clean up days and expanding the Borough’s commercial trash collection services. I recently met with the Borough Council’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, and I am looking forward to working with them on projects aimed at making Swissvale more equitable.”

Another project, led by Molly Shepler, Thiel College, who is a returning intern from 2020, focuses on the construction of Greenville’s Administrative Manual. Last year, Molly performed preliminary research and compiled documents in order to draft a municipal administrative code. This year, she will be synthesizing her work so far to craft the leading document that will define the community’s operating policies and procedures after their recent Home Rule establishment. The manual takes a deep dive into the town’s code on ethics, finance, planning and zoning, city records management, public works, and public safety.

“In the weeks since my internship began this summer, it has been great to work again with the administration at the Town of Greenville,” Molly said. “In the process, I acquired so much valuable knowledge about the general structure of local government processes and relations. I am glad to be continuing this work for the town, and I am grateful for the support that my supervisor and the rest of the administration have continued to give me.”

Congratulations to the 2021 MIP class on their selections and good luck with their service to our communities!