Conducting Transparent Evaluations
As internships draw to an end, interns participate in a process of evaluation within their ministry contexts. The purpose of evaluation is to facilitate the intern's own learning in context and is designed to empower the intern in this process of formation for ministry. The method of evaluation is primarily one of reflection and conversation between the intern and the two learning partners. Each member of the learning team completes the evaluation—intern and each learning partners. In congregational settings, the lay and clergy partners will separately evaluate the intern. In nonprofit settings, the site and mentoring partners will separately evaluate the intern. Afterwards, interns continue to reflect upon the evaluations as they discuss them in colloquy.
The steps below describe the process in detail. As you prepare for the internship and for the seminarian evaluation process, please review samples of evaluations by a learning partner and an intern: Learning Partners Intern Evaluation Demo and Seminarian’s Self Evaluation Demo.