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Voices. Knowledge. Solutions.

The Municipal Association of South Carolina exists to offer the services, programs and tools that will give municipal officials the knowledge and experience for enabling the most efficient and effective operation of their municipalities in the complex world of municipal government.

What is Build the Bench? 

Build the Bench places interns with municipalities to build a diverse and well-prepared pool of future leaders.  The Association will reimburse qualifying municipalities 50% of the total cost up to a maximum of $3,000 per intern. 


Why are we doing it? 

The Association is advancing a broader initiative to deepen awareness of the essential role that local governments play in South Carolina, expand civic education and highlight career opportunities in cities and towns across the state. 

Recognizing that succession planning is vital to the future health of local government, the Municipal Association’s board of directors resolved to establish the Build the Bench program.


What should an intern gain from the internship? 

  • An understanding of municipal government – why it exists, how it functions and why it is important to the health of our state. 
  • The various job opportunities and roles available within municipal government. 
  • The revenue streams that support municipal government and how those are used to make lives better for residents.

 

To qualify for the Build the Bench internship reimbursement, the municipality must meet the following requirements:

  • The municipality must apply to the Association and be preapproved for reimbursement through the Build the Bench program before the intern is hired. 
  • The intern is a current undergraduate or graduate student interested in pursuing a career in local government in South Carolina. Preference will be given to municipalities with interns currently enrolled in an in-state MPA program. 

  • The municipality must pay the intern a minimum rate of $15 per hour.

     

Acceptance into the program will be based on the city’s ability to provide a high-quality intern experience. If you are interested in participating, please complete the online form below.