"My placement through The Philadelphia Center was exactly what I was looking for. Working at the Philadelphia Orchestra confirmed that a career in arts administration is the right fit for me personally and professionally."
Emily Yoder, Bucknell University
Spring 2005
Philadelphia Orchestra, Development Intern
Intentional Reflection
Students also benefit from our use of intentional reflection during their semester in Philadelphia.
To fully engage the student in learning, TPC requires each participant to design a learning plan and a portfolio. A learning plan outlines what they would like to learn from working full time, taking classes, and living in the city. TPC also requires each participant to create a portfolio that documents their areas of learning (knowledge, skills, and values), evidence of learning, and areas for future development.
Sara Bailey (Hanover College, Fall 2010) reflects upon her semester in Philadelphia. “During my first two years at Hanover College I was constantly faced with decisions that I knew would ultimately affect my future. Attending the Philadelphia Center was one of these decisions. For me, attending The Philadelphia Center meant leaving my friends behind and giving up campus leadership opportunities, but I knew that the things I would be gaining from this experience made it worth these sacrifices. Now, looking back at the program, attending The Philadelphia Center was the best decision I have made during my time at Hanover.
While attending TPC I was constantly challenged through my classes and internship, and the City Living component of the program. In my classes I was encouraged to look at things differently and express my own opinion, and was able to strengthen my written and oral communication skills through class discussion, presentations, and papers.
Through my 32 hour per week internship with the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia I was able to gain hands on experience that is relevant to my future career path and participate in an experience that contributed to my professional development. Beyond this, I fulfilled the City Living component of the program which allowed me to gain a greater level of self-confidence as I experienced living on my own, navigated my way around the City, and learned about and enjoyed the different sites in and around Philadelphia.
As you can see, the Philadelphia Center provided me with an endless amount of opportunities, and provided me with an off campus experience that opened my eyes to a whole new world. From my experience with TPC I was able to gain a better understanding of who I am and who I want to be in the future as the components of the program gave me the opportunity to discover my direction in life.”