Laurentian University
Laurentian University
Log in Sign up

Work-Integrated Learning for Interdisciplinarians: Management Focus

Open Closing on November 30, 2025 / 3 spots left
Main contact
The University of Virginia
The University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
Jennifer Wallace
Jennifer Wallace
She / Her / They / Them
Administrator
Timeline
  • January 13, 2026
    Experience start
  • January 28, 2026
    Milestone 1: Project Orientation & Assignment (Weeks 1–2)
  • February 11, 2026
    Milestone 2: Project Scoping & Planning (Weeks 3–4)
  • April 8, 2026
    Milestone 3: Project Development & Interim Deliverables (Weeks 5–12)
  • April 22, 2026
    Milestone 4: Final Delivery & Partner Feedback (Weeks 13–14)
  • April 29, 2026
    Milestone 5: Reflection & Evaluation (Week 15)
  • April 29, 2026
    Experience end
Experience
3 projects wanted
Dates set by experience
Agreements required
Preferred companies
Anywhere
Any company type
Any industries

Experience scope

Categories
Change management Workplace health/wellness Healthcare Communications Community engagement
Skills
content audit ethical standards and conduct data storytelling content strategy management
Learner goals and capabilities

Engage interdisciplinary management teams to solve operational, policy, and growth challenges, without heavy lift.

The UVA School of Continuing & Professional Studies (SCPS), in partnership with Riipen, is launching an interdisciplinary, project-based learning program connecting industry partners with motivated students in Healthcare Management, Public Safety Management, and Business Management. Student teams translate real problems into clear analysis, practical recommendations, and ready-to-use assets, delivering immediate value while building your future talent pipeline.


About the Learners 

Learners come from Healthcare Management, Public Safety Management, and Business Management and are developing as people-first leaders and ethical decision-makers who can connect policy, finance, communication, and strategy to day-to-day outcomes.

  • Leadership & systems thinking: Understands how people, policies, and resources interact; surfaces constraints and opportunities; recommends feasible, human-centered improvements.
  • Policy, ethics & community trust: Frames recommendations that respect privacy, legal expectations, and community relationships
  • Data-aware decision-making: Designs simple KPIs, interprets trends, and builds clear visuals that inform action (no heavy coding required).
  • Change enablement & communication: Produces executive-ready briefs, stakeholder messaging, and rollout plans that support adoption.
  • Professional habits: Clear scoping, milestone management, responsive collaboration, and polished presentations.


Project Details 

  • Entry-level scope, designed to match beginner project complexity. 
  • Runs January to April 2026
  • Approximately 300 total hours per team over a 12 week period. 
  • Teams of 3 students will be pre-assembled by the program to ensure balanced skills and collaboration. 
  • Structured to build practical skills, strengthen workplace readiness, and deliver tangible value to employers. 


Employer Role

As a partner and mentor, you’ll help shape a focused problem, share context the team can’t Google, and guide students toward professional, audience-ready work. Expect to join a brief kickoff, provide concise feedback at one or two check-ins, and attend the final readout, offering practical input on what’s working, what to refine, and how recommendations map to real constraints. Your domain expertise, examples, and quick clarifications keep the project on track; your coaching builds students’ professional judgment. The total time commitment is light, but your timely guidance is the difference between a good student project and deliverables your organization can use.


What Employers Provide 


  • A focused project brief (problem, goals, audience, constraints)
  • Relevant materials/data (brand voice guides, prior reports, sample content)
  • A single point of contact for timely feedback during check-ins
  • Access (as needed) to users/stakeholders for interviews or guidance

Learners

Learners
Undergraduate
Beginner, Intermediate levels
10 learners
Project
80-120 hours per learner
Educators assign learners to projects
Individual projects
Up to 3 team(s) or 3 learner(s) per project.
Each learner can join up to one team
Expected outcomes and deliverables

Expected Outcomes 

Think of this as a focused consulting sprint. With light guidance, students deliver a grounded view of your challenge, clear options with rationale, and adoption-friendly assets, helping you move faster, communicate better, and make responsible, evidence-based decisions.


Potential Deliverables

  • Decision memos & executive briefs (2–4 pages) with options, trade-offs, and risks
  • Stakeholder communication kits (plain-language explainers, talking points, FAQs)
  • KPI set & dashboard wireframes (definitions, baselines, and reporting cadence)
  • Program/initiative snapshot (logic model, outcomes & indicators, measurement plan)
  • Community or customer engagement plan (objectives, messages, channels, timeline)
  • Training & rollout materials (micro-modules, job aids, checklists)
  • Implementation roadmap (phased plan, roles, timeline, and success measures)
  • Final presentation + one-pager for leadership and external stakeholders


Project timeline
  • January 13, 2026
    Experience start
  • January 28, 2026
    Milestone 1: Project Orientation & Assignment (Weeks 1–2)
  • February 11, 2026
    Milestone 2: Project Scoping & Planning (Weeks 3–4)
  • April 8, 2026
    Milestone 3: Project Development & Interim Deliverables (Weeks 5–12)
  • April 22, 2026
    Milestone 4: Final Delivery & Partner Feedback (Weeks 13–14)
  • April 29, 2026
    Milestone 5: Reflection & Evaluation (Week 15)
  • April 29, 2026
    Experience end

Project examples

1) Community Access & Navigation Redesign

Objective: Improve how residents find and use the right service (clinic, safety program, social support) at the right time.

Scope & Workstreams: service mapping across providers; barrier/ equity analysis; channel strategy (web, phone, in-person); cost/benefit for options; pilot design.

Deliverables: current→future service blueprint; plain-language navigation guide; channel/content plan; KPI framework (access, wait time, resolution); pilot roadmap with roles and budget.


2) Crisis & Continuity Communications System

Objective: Build a reusable system for clear, trustworthy communication during outages, health advisories, and public safety incidents.

Scope & Workstreams: audience mapping; message testing; governance & escalation paths; tool/ channel evaluation; training plan for spokespeople.

Deliverables: activation playbook (roles/timelines); template library (alerts, FAQs, social copy, briefing decks); measurement plan (reach, comprehension, trust); tabletop drill and after-action notes.


3) Frontline Wellbeing & Retention Initiative

Objective: Reduce burnout and turnover among frontline staff while sustaining service quality.

Scope & Workstreams: driver analysis (interviews + de-identified HR snapshots); quick-win redesign of schedules/briefings; manager toolkit; economics of retention.

Deliverables: insights report; manager playbook (micro-practices, scripts); 90-day pilot plan with budget; dashboard wireframes (absences, intent to stay, pulse scores); executive memo with ROI scenarios.


4) Inclusive Service Redesign (Equity & Accessibility)

Objective: Make a high-volume journey (intake, enrollment, discharge, citations, claims) easier and fairer for priority populations.

Scope & Workstreams: usability/plain-language audit; policy/ethics review; barrier mapping; redesign of forms, scripts, and signage; community feedback loop.

Deliverables: before/after artifacts; style guide (plain language + accessibility); implementation plan; indicators (drop-offs, error rates, complaints); stakeholder brief for leadership approval.


5) Demand–Capacity & Staffing Optimization

Objective: Align staffing and hours to real demand patterns without harming quality or trust.

Scope & Workstreams: time-series snapshot of de-identified volume; queue/bottleneck analysis; scenario testing (hours, roles, triage); change implications.

Deliverables: demand–capacity model (spreadsheet + guide); scenario deck with trade-offs; recommended schedule templates; KPI set (wait, completion, rework); change & communication plan.


6) Prevention & Compliance Behavior-Change Program

Objective: Increase adoption of a critical behavior (screenings, home safety checks, cyber hygiene, policy sign-offs).

Scope & Workstreams: audience segmentation; message & nudge design; channel plan; low-cost incentives; measurement and data collection.

Deliverables: campaign strategy + creative toolkit; rollout calendar; training for ambassadors; indicator plan (reach, uptake, sustained adherence); leadership memo with risk/mitigation.


7) Incident-to-Insight Learning System

Objective: Turn incidents/near-misses into organizational learning that actually changes practice.

Scope & Workstreams: process mapping from report→action; template and taxonomy design; governance & feedback loops; privacy/ethics guardrails.

Deliverables: standardized AAR (after-action) package; roles & workflow guide; quarterly learning dashboard mockups; implementation plan with pilot; change-management comms.


8) Vendor & Partner Performance Framework

Objective: Improve outcomes and value from external partners (tech, staffing, outreach).

Scope & Workstreams: current-state contract & SLA review; value and risk scoring; selection/renewal checklist; escalation & remediation paths.

Deliverables: balanced scorecard + RFP/renewal toolkit; governance calendar; onboarding/offboarding checklist; dashboard wireframes; decision memo with recommendations.


9) Revenue & Funding Diversification Strategy

Objective: Stabilize or grow a priority program through diversified revenue and partnerships.

Scope & Workstreams: market and benchmark scan; opportunity sizing; pricing/ reimbursement/ grant pathways; legal/ethical considerations; staged rollout.

Deliverables: strategy deck with scenarios and sensitivities; partner pipeline and outreach kit; 12-month roadmap; risk register; board-ready one-pager.


10) Digital Access & Plain-Language Transformation

Objective: Increase comprehension and completion for high-traffic digital tasks (appointments, reports, claims, permits).

Scope & Workstreams: content and microcopy audit; UX writing and form redesign; readability targets; governance for upkeep; analytics plan.

Deliverables: before/after content package; voice & style guide; instrumentation plan (what to track, how); training module for staff; exec summary with success metrics and timeline.

Additional company criteria

Companies must answer the following questions to submit a match request to this experience:

  • Q1 - Checkbox
    I confirm that I have read and understand the Agreements of this program.  *
  • Q2 - Checkbox
    I understand that students are not responsible for sourcing the data needed for their project and that the organization must provide access to relevant datasets.  *
  • Q3 - Checkbox
    I understand that I must provide ongoing mentorship and guidance to the student(s) working on my project(s), be responsive to questions, check in on progress, and provide any tools or resources needed to complete the project.  *
  • Q4 - Checkbox
    I understand that I must provide a point of contact who is available for questions that arise and ongoing feedback and who will reply to student queries within 24-48 hours.  *
  • Q5 - Checkbox
    I will evaluate the students' final project submissions within 5 business days, offering feedback on the platform that can be utilized by the students to strengthen their resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and overall professional development.  *
  • Q6 - Multiple choice
    My project requires an NDA to be signed by learners .  *
    • Yes
    • No
  • Q7 - Multiple choice
    Will learners need access to any internal systems, software, or programs to complete your project (e.g., company tools, platforms, secure environments)?  *
    • Yes
    • No
  • Q8 - Text long
    If yes, please specify which systems, tools, or programs learners will be granted access to.