The Center for Public Service (CPS) at Gettysburg College challenges students to "think critically and act compassionately" through student leadership, reflective service, service learning, and immersion projects. CPS partnered with FSD in 2007 to create the Heston Summer Program, aimed at furthering Gettysburg College's vision for active engagement in local and global contexts by providing a summer experience to eleven students. Six of the students participate in FSD's

Intern Abroad Program in Nicaragua, while five students intern in Adams County, PA. Program fees for all participants are covered by the James Heston Fund.

The program begins with the entire group of eleven participating in on-campus orientation and training that challenges the meaning and assumptions of service and development. Students explore methods of effective community engagement and are challenged to recognize unacknowledged power, privilege, and other factors within "Western"culture that may inhibit sustainable development. Upon completion of on-campus training, students begin their nine week summer internships in the field. All six FSD interns work individually within our Nicaragua program. At the beginning of the following school year, students reconvene on several occasions to share resources, link theoretical learnings to practical experiences, and compare cultures.

By placing students in local and international contexts, the Heston Summer Program and FSD offer rich opportunities for learning and action, allowing students to develop dynamic relationships and learn how to address some of the world's most challenging problems.

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