Make an IMPACT on your community: Jumpstart a career in Public Service
Throughout this one-week summer course, students will get immersed in the world of civics and public service - starting with the building blocks of public policy development. Students will work as individuals and teams to explore the institutions, rules, actors, and processes that shape policymaking. Interactive class activities will navigate the “Who/What/Why/How/When” of policy development, how we review the effectiveness of those policies, illustrate the power dynamics in play, and uncover paths to seat oneself in the “room where it happens.” Students will also explore current approaches to civic engagement that will prepare them to stay attuned to current events and make a difference in their local communities.
Beyond the building blocks of the policy making process, students will learn about the day-to-day professional contexts of leaders on the front lines of public service. Current leaders in local and state government, nonprofits, and adjacent private sector organizations will offer insights into how they got to this point in their career and share advice on how to best pursue personal and professional passions. Given our location in Hartford, students will participate in activities on the UConn Hartford campus but will also get to see first-hand some behind-the-scenes work at the Connecticut State Capitol, City Hall for the City of Hartford, and local nonprofit organizations.
By the end of the weeklong experience, students will be better informed on the stakeholders involved with public policy development and public service career paths, and will be prepared to think critically, navigate political processes, and understand their place in society and making an impact locally.
Sessions Offered
Hartford
June 29, 2026 - July 3, 2026
Course Fees
Format
Non-Credit
This class is meant to be immersive.
Course outcomes include:
- Visit local government and nonprofit organizations to see first hand how staff in public service roles support their communities.
- Build comfort in public speaking, debate, and interpersonal communication.
- Explore career and volunteer pathways that enable you to make an impact in your local communities and beyond.
- Complete interactive individual and group activities to explore the processes and power dynamics in the world of public policy and government.
- Understand how to get involved in local, state, and national initiatives of interest, allowing them to build broader professional networks and align them with opportunities with low barriers to entry.
Meet the Professor
Ryan Baldassario
Director of Engagement, UConn School of Public Policy
Ryan Baldassario is the Director of Engagement for the School of Public Policy (SPP). In this role, Ryan manages professional development programs, community outreach, external relations, and student career programming. Prior to SPP, Ryan spent six years administering the Full-Time MBA program at the UConn School of Business, taught several First Year Experience courses, and has advised numerous “Alternative Break” student service trips across the country. Ryan earned his undergraduate degree from the Honors Program at CCSU, his MA in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the Neag School of Education at UConn, and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the UConn School of Public Policy.
Ryan originally went to college to become a K-12 civics teacher. Midstream he pivoted to political science. After some campus leadership programs, an honors thesis on revising CT high school curricular requirements to increase young adult civic engagement, and community volunteering - he fell into campus research and pivotal internships. Parlayed that into a job serving with a Member of Congress, then eventually went back to grad school to focus on higher education student services. Since getting into higher ed Ryan has worked with a TON of great staff and faculty and hundreds of graduate students hailing from every part of the world. Outside of work, Ryan also serves as the chair of an environmental commission in his town, and has previously run sports-focused nonprofits. His career has taken him across the country and across the world - and Ryan considers it a privilege to be in a space to support the next generation of public servants and our local communities.
