Daily communication between the technical assistant and the counterpart is critical to the success of the program. Most requests for technical assistance received by the University of Oregon include data collection, planning, and policy analysis. Projects have dealt with community development, land use, architecture, landscape architecture, parks and recreation, education, energy, natural resources, recycling, tourism, historic preservation, sports, marine resources, women's issues, agriculture, and libraries. Funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Technical Assistance Program covers the technical assistant's travel and meals. The requesting agency is responsible for providing the housing and resources necessary to conduct the project.
Technical assistants live in an apartment or with local families.
Students may obtain credit for their work through the internship program at the University of Oregon. I was able to live and learn in an environment unique in the world. It may be a truism, but I learned as much about myself and my country as I learned about the people and their island. In a nutshell, my summer cleared away many cobwebs and gave me a much wider perspective on my career, politics, and worldview. I hope I was able to initiate a program with my counterpart that helped Yap move toward a sustainable future.