The Center for Policy Practice

Group Internships

Program Description

The Center for Policy Practice designs group internships that enable students to apply their skills to policy-related projects and to work in a team environment. Offered in all sectors both domestically and internationally, previous projects have addressed a wide range of policy issues, including affordable housing, community development, the environment, information technology, poverty alleviation, and social policy. Most group internship opportunities accommodate three to four students and typically last ten weeks during the summer, during which time students are paid stipends from the Harris School and participating agencies. All students, regardless of internship location, are responsible for securing their own living arrangements and expenses.

The internships are developed in cooperation with agency staff, to ensure that the projects are beneficial both to students and to the sponsoring agencies who supervise the students' work. All projects give students firsthand experience of the institutional, economic, and political forces that shape public policy. They also provide a valuable service for the sponsoring agencies through the work students accomplish.

Organizations with which the Harris School has partnered include the Chicago Housing Authority, Chicago Rehab Network, the City of Chicago, Illinois Department of Public Aid, National Ecology Institute of Mexico, the Ministry of Social Development of the Government of Mexico (SEDESOL), and ShoreBank Corporation.

Get Involved

Students
All Harris School M.P.P. students will be informed of group internship opportunities via email in the spring quarter preceding the internship summer. As determined by the participating agencies, students will be required to apply for internships and interview for the positions. Selected students will then work with CPP and agency staff to make all administrative arrangements prior to the start of the internships in June. Participating students must be in good academic standing at the Harris School and are expected to work full-time at the host organization site and under the supervision of the organization. If students have any questions about the internships, they should contact CPP staff.

External Partners
CPP staff will work with your organization to discuss the suggested project and determine if it is a feasible project for Harris School students. Summer internships are generally confirmed no later than April 1st preceding the summer in which the internship will take place. CPP staff work with participating organizations to identify interested students, conduct interviews, and make other administrative arrangements. Students generally begin work in June, immediately after the end of spring quarter. An organization, company, or agency interested in a group internship with Harris School students should contact CPP staff.

Recent Internships

Read about recent student internship experiences.