MPA Internship Certificate of Appreciation: Edwardsville Township, IL
Each year, the PAPA department selects internship partners to highlight and acknowledge through the issuance of a certificate of appreciation. For 2021, this honor was bestowed upon Beth Behrhorst and Fred Schulte with Edwardsville Township.
MPA interns from the Township have left the agency after graduating to make their mark in careers with Madison County government, the City of Edwardsville, BJC HealthCare, the St. Louis Art Museum, and many other organizations across the region and the country. Some have continued their studies, pursuing degrees in law and other graduate programs as well as professional certificates that complement their SIUE education.
Graduate interns help the Township in many ways—assisting the administrator with the preparation of important board documents and grant applications, updating the Township’s website to comply with state transparency requirements, and supporting the community outreach coordinator to deliver essential services to low-income seniors, families and individuals. Additionally, SIUE interns assist in coordinating the details of the Township’s Lunch and Learn workshops.
“These workshops tackle important issues of substance in today’s world, such as human trafficking, domestic violence, pandemic response, diversity and inclusion, and more,” said Bethany Behrhorst, Edwardsville Township administrator and 2002 alumna of SIUE’s MPA program. “Through these programs, community partnerships are formed and strengthened, and more people are helped through improved access to services. Representatives from area governmental agencies and service providers are connected with each other to discuss these relevant, timely issues and develop a coordinated response.”
Behrhorst added the intentional coordination proved to be extremely beneficial during the Township’s pandemic response.
“Because of our partnerships, which have been nurtured through the years and strengthened through these workshops, we were able to not only help residents, but triage and lead them to other governmental units and nonprofit agencies,” she said. “This augmented the level of support people received. Additionally, our interns were instrumental in the Township’s response. I am so impressed by their adaptability and willingness to step in and get things done. That is a testament to the strength of SIUE’s MPA program.”
SIUE MPA interns also assist with the coordination of the Township’s annual Touch-A-Truck event at Edwardsville Township Community Park. While the event is free and open to the public, drawing thousands of parents, grandparents and children to Edwardsville Township Community Park for a fun-filled day of exploring a mix of vehicles and helicopters, area businesses sponsor the event at several donation levels. While last year’s event was canceled due to the pandemic, more than $20,000 was raised in 2019. Money raised is used to support Main Street Community Center in Edwardsville and other organizations that assist seniors, families and individuals in need throughout the community.
