Tell me about an especially effective community program you initiated or led. What made it successful?
The interviewer wants to know about your experience initiating or leading programs. This question also demonstrates how you assess success. When you explain what made the program effective, you show your understanding of the difference between a good outcome and an excellent outcome.
Don't say that there have been so many effective programs that you can't choose one. If you do not have a shining example, say that you'd like to be able to say the program was especially effective, but it was more of a moderate success, then explain what was successful and what you think could have made it even better.
"I created a program at my university called Mentor Me, which paired college students who were studying to become teachers with middle school children from low-income families. The program benefited the kids by giving them an older 'big brother' figure, but it also really helped the college students understand the needs of the kids they would soon be teaching."
