This information could be taken back to the university and countless research projects developed to address the issues faced by the specific organization. The flow of information goes in both directions. The organization would benefit from exposure to the newest scientific techniques as well as an external perspective. It is hard to see how anyone could lose from this plan. Involve practitioners in graduate education .
All graduate programs offer advanced seminars and at least a modicum of practical training.
This could enrich graduate training considerably. Practicum projects . A model that works effectively at many colleges and universities bears repeating. Many local organizations can benefit from pro bono work completed by grad students and supervised by faculty members. Some organizations willingly contribute money to the graduate programs as a token of their appreciation which can then be used to fund travel to conferences, and so forth.