Eighteen undergraduate brothers from 14 chapters journeyed to Phi Psi’s inaugural EXPLORE program in New York City. EXPLORE is a multi-day externship program that encourages undergraduates to see theoretical classroom knowledge practiced in real-world settings. Many program iterations exist to align with a participant’s field or industry.

EXPLORE offers participants valuable insights into their specific industry’s day-to-day operations, culture, and challenges. Networking within the program and forming relationships can open up mentorship, internship, and job opportunities.

EXPLORE began in the real estate field, with tracks focusing on finance, management, construction, engineering, architecture, and design. Over three days, participants engaged in professional development workshops on resume preparation, social media usage, branding, and interviewing; took part in sessions covering real estate development, portfolio management, sales/leasing legal, construction processes, and architecture and engineering processes; experienced an architectural/historical walking tour and visited multiple construction sites; and met with hosts Marcus & Millichap, Turner Construction, and MFS Engineers where the students examined case studies, attended client meetings, applied information they have learned in their courses, and discussed topics such as credentialing and certifications.

Alumni and undergraduate participants’ feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. One student stated, “These three days benefited my professional career more than the last 2.5 years in college. The hands-on experience, talking to people who want to see us succeed, and the connections made are irreplaceable.”

Plans are currently underway for the next EXPLORE program and future iterations. We are considering industry focus and program locations based on our members’ declared majors, cities that are industry hubs, and alum professionals who will act as hosts.

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Thanks to the support of alumni donors and hosts, this opportunity was able to be provided at minimal cost to the students. Funding for the program was provided through gifts to the Phi Psi Fund, with individual student costs having the ability to be covered through Chapter OneFunds. If you are interested in learning more about ways to advance the availability of EXPLORE, please email info@pkpfoundation.org.