ENGAGEMENT ORIENTATION:
A week-long summer orientation program designed to introduce the ELSP mission and vision, as well as the fundamentals of professional behavior and civic responsibility. Training sessions will focus on such subjects as public speaking, networking, team building, advocacy writing, project management, professionalism, and much more.

COMMON CURRICULUM:
While ELSP students can come from any major, all scholars will participate in a common curriculum designed to prepare them for their leadership roles in the region. This will include at least five courses on entrepreneurship, leadership, and community engagement to prepare them for their chosen careers after graduation.  

Each of these courses not only reinforce program goals introduced during orientation, but, also fulfill Stockton General Studies degree requirements, and thus fit seamlessly into any degree. Examples include:

• GAH 2372: Cultural Stereotypes in the Media
• GEN 1014: Business and Life
• GEN 1117: Community Leadership
• GEN 1036: Leadership Strategy and Change
• GEN 1138: Perspectives in Childhood
• GEN 1043: Tools for Social Change
• GEN 2101: Leadership Strategy and Change
• GEN 2106: Leadership and Leadership Research
• GEN 2168: Business Basics
• GEN 2240: Introduction to Research
• GEN 2243: Exploring Your Digital Portfolio
• GEN 2248: Perspectives on Civic Engagement
• GEN 2343: Professional Communication and Workplace Writing
• GEN 2412: Visual Social Marketing
• GEN 2510: Atlantic City History--Research Methods
• GEN 2850: Civic Learning
• GEN 3851: Service Learning
• GEN 3151: Starting Your Own Business
• GIS 3348: Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Business
• GIS 3353: Perspectives on New Jersey Communities
• GIS 3404: Critical Thinking in Life and Work
• GIS 3684: New Jersey Natural Resources
• GIS 3692: Environment, Society and Business
• GIS 4652: Atlantic City-Past as Prologue
• GIS 4687: Leaders Influencing People and Change
• GNM 2176: Public Health Crisis
• GNM 2234: The Pine Barrens
• GNM 2261: Introduction to Environmental Pollution
• GNM 2438: The Science of Decision Making
• GSS 2119: Law for Life
• GSS 2128: Diversity
• GSS 2150: Writing for the Workplace
• GSS 2251: Nonprofits and Your Community
• GSS 2316: Research in the Digital Age
• GSS 2370: Global Change and Business
• GSS 2432: Civic Mindedness in the 21st Century
• GSS 3105: The News Media and Society
• GSS 3124: Entrepreneurial Thinking and Behavior
• GSS 3184: Community Schools-Urban Change Agents
• GSS 3208: Data Analytics for Entrepreneurs
• GSS 3360: Schools of the Future
• GSS4602: International Model UN Study Tour

Additional program courses include:

• BIOL 2200: Human Adaptation and Variation
• EDUC 1515: Diversity in Families, Schools, and Communities
• EDUC 2241: Inclusive Learning in Education
• HLTH 2501: Ethics and Teamwork in Healthcare
• MGMT 3175: Small Business Entrepreneurship
• MGMT 3220: Entrepreneurship and the Lean Startup
• SOCY 2290: Schools and Society

Other courses can be considered on request.

Students are also strongly encouraged to consider taking GEN 2510 Atlantic City: Research Methods to familiarize themselves with the region in which they live and learn.  Additional courses focused on scholarhip programs goals can also considered upon request and with approval.

INTERNSHIP:

Stockton is committed to experiential learning that connects classroom experiences to broader opportunities and enables students to practice key management and leadership skills. Students also gain an understanding about how to work in teams, and how to lead within organizations to achieve social good.  These positions are carefully selected to individually place students in their field of choice with select for-profit and non-profit entities, as well as municipal government. The goal is to create direct access to current Atlantic City influencers and create the next generation of such leaders.

Internships are organized in the summers following your sophomore and junior years. ELSP students have completed internships with the following organizations:

• AtlantiCare
• Atlantic City Arts Foundation
• Atlantic City Office of the Mayor
• Atlantic City Police Department
• Atlantic County Superintendant of Elections
• Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City
• City of Atlantic City Business Administrator
• City of Atlantic City Information Technology
• Stockton University Division of Finance and Administration
• Stockton University Speech and Hearing Clinic

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES:
University coursework is complemented by co-curricular seminars and workshops in personal and professional development, a monthly set of programs ranging from roundtable discussions, invited lectures (by both campus and off-campus experts), field trips to local businesses, governmental offices, and cultural venues, personal coaching, mock interview, and resume development sessions. These opportunities are intended to both introduce students to the local business and civic landscape, as well as introduce local entrepreneurs and leaders to ELSP students and their potential. The series includes opportunities to develop and apply quantitative and qualitative knowledge, interpersonal skills, and techniques to manage projects in a wide range of fields and occupations, with particular attention to critical thinking, project planning, teamwork, risk management, cost and time management, and decision making.

ELSP scholars have met with representatives from the following organizations:

• AtlantiCare
• Atlantic Cape Community College
• Atlantic City Arts Foundation
• Atlantic City Development Corporation (ACDEVCO)
• Atlantic City Initiatives Project Office
• Atlantic City Sheriff's Office
• Atlantic County Chamber of Commerce
• Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office
• Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind
• Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City
• Casino Reinvestment Development Authority
• Caesars
• Chelsea EDC
• Covenant House
• Federal Aviation Administration
• Hard Rock
• Homeland Security
• Law Offices of Cooper Levenson
• The Mayor of Atlantic City
• Meet AC
• New Jersey Small Development Center
• Resorts Atlantic City
• South Jersey Industries
• Steel Pier

CAPSTONE PROJECT

The culmination of both classroom and co-curricular learning is a collaborative capstone project in which ELSP students work together to practice key management and leadership skills. This might consist of developing a mock start-up business plan, or draft pieces of local or state legislation. Such work offers students valuable insights in weighing competing ideas and how to lead within organizations to achieve social good and economic success. Students are also assigned to work one-on-one with a community mentor to ensure input from business, political, cultural, or non-governmental agency perspectives. Such mentoring opportunities will bear academic credit as an independent study, so they contribute to a student’s academic progress.

 

COHORT 1 (2022): Atlantic City has lower rates of income per capita as well as lower literacy rates and test scores compared to the country and state. The purpose of this capstone was to look at these issues and recommend a remedy. The end result was an after-school literacy program developed in partnership with the Salvation Army of Atlantic City.

 

 

 

 

 

COHORT 2 (2023): Atlantic City has a significant immigrant population, many of who face challenges because of their non-citizen status. The focus of this capstone was to work with Stockton's Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning and Local 54, the union representing most of the city's hospitality workers, to identify barriers to naturalization.