Public Policy Summer Internship Fellowship

Jake Stuebner in front of the West Virginia Capitol during his Public Policy summer internship with the West Virginia Department of Education.
Jake Stuebner in front of the West Virginia Capitol during his Public Policy summer internship with the West Virginia Department of Education.

The Public Policy Program is happy to announce the 2024 Summer internship fellowship program! These awards are available to continuing Stanford Public Policy students interested in completing an unpaid summer internship with a public or non-profit organization. Eligible students must be pursuing a BA, BAH, MA, or MPP degree in Public Policy, be in good academic standing, and have completed sufficient coursework in the Public Policy core curriculum. Graduating students will not be eligible. 

This opportunity is one of nearly 500 Cardinal Quarter opportunities through which Stanford undergraduates pursue a full-time summer or quarter-long public service experience with Stanford support. 

The priority application deadline is Friday, May 3rd, 2024.

Internships are expected to:

  1. Address a social problem or societal need.
  2. Benefit both the student and a community partner.
  3. Enable students to examine and reflect on public issues by integrating their academic learning and research with a direct service experience.
  4. Provide opportunities for student participants to explore and strengthen their civic identities, paying particular attention to:
    • Civic skills: well-honed abilities to do specific tasks in ways that advance the welfare of the community (e.g., gathering and analyzing information, communicating orally, in writing, and through social media, organizing to achieve a goal, etc.).
    • Civic dispositions: values and attitudes that guide thinking and create the potential for action (i.e., empathy, responsibility to serve, open-mindedness, ethical integrity).
    • Civic knowledge: understanding of social problems and policy challenges, and how they relate to democratic institutions and decision-making processes.
    • Civic practice: applying skills, dispositions, and knowledge toward positive social change. 

The internship must be related to the student’s program of study or career plans. To be eligible to receive the full amount of internship funding available per student, the internship must provide a term minimum of 8-10 consecutive weeks of at least 35 hours per week. Students may receive funds on a pro-rated basis in support of internships lasting fewer than 8 weeks or fewer than 35 hours per week.

I loved the cohort experience--I learned so much from the 30+ BRILLIANT people I worked with this summer.

A complete application includes all of the following:

  • 1-page statement of purpose, including applicant's interest in Public Policy and a proposal outlining the internship to be undertaken.
  • An unofficial Stanford transcript 
  • Evidence of formal arrangements with an organization which includes the dates and responsibilities of your internship, and if you will be receiving any compensation. Email correspondence from the organization’s director or manager is acceptable.
  • Provide an explanation if internship is in a remote format. Students can comment on how mentorship, communication, project goals and objectives and assessment will be facilitated throughout the duration of the internship.

Apply here.