Internships

PolicyLink is currently accepting applications from continuing graduate students for Summer 2012 internships. Interested candidates should apply to a specific internship listed below. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2012.

Background

PolicyLink is a national research and action institute advancing economic and social equity by Lifting Up What Works.® PolicyLink collaborates with a broad range of partners to implement strategies to ensure that everyone—including those from low-income communities of color—can contribute to and benefit from economic growth and prosperity.

PolicyLink operates a summer internship program for continuing graduate students (masters or doctoral) in public policy, urban planning, and related fields. Internships are paid and the duration is generally ten weeks.

We strive to provide each intern with two main opportunities: 1) A meaningful and challenging assignment (or set of assignments) that provides a chance to apply and hone the skills they are learning in graduate school to influence public policy; and 2) The opportunity to learn about the process of policy change and the way that PolicyLink accomplishes our mission of advancing economic, social, and racial equity through policy change.

Each intern plays an integral role in helping our organization further policy impact through research, communications, capacity building, and advocacy. We have had interns from nearly 20 different universities and colleges, in programs such as urban planning, public policy, public health, community development, information management, and journalism/communications.

Interns gain insight into the field by assuming responsibility for a project under the guidance of experienced professionals in one of the following areas:

• The PolicyLink Center for Health and Place
• The PolicyLink Center for Infrastructure Equity
• Promise Neighborhoods Institute
• Federal Policy Agenda
• Communications
  

Most internship positions are based in our Oakland office; however, if space is available and there is need, we also host interns in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and New York. Communications interns are based in our New York office.

Intern Projects

Each intern is responsible for developing one significant written product or several shorter products over the summer that contributes to a specific PolicyLink effort to advance equitable policy change. Products may include reports for public release (or components of reports), web-based tools, internal research or policy memos, case studies, literature reviews, opinion pieces, or blog posts. Interns are expected to carry out a research plan developed by their supervisor that will include gathering and analyzing qualitative and/or quantitative data. Interns typically conduct interviews, literature reviews, and web-based searches to gather information on equity challenges and promising programmatic and policy solutions. Sometimes they conduct quantitative data analyses or spatial analyses using GIS mapping software.

Interns work under the direct supervision of a senior staff member or the principal researcher or coordinator of a project.

Summer internship projects may be tailored to the specific interests of the intern provided that they match the needs of existing project areas.

At the end of the summer, each intern gives a presentation on his or her work to the PolicyLink staff.

Qualifications/Skills

Continuing graduate student in public policy, urban planning, public health, economics, sociology, or related fields. The following is a list of general qualifications; specific qualifications will be described for each internship job description.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative research, as well as the ability to organize and communicate research findings
• Commitment to economic and social equity issues
• Policy/advocacy experience
• Strong analytical skills
• Extensive computer skills
• Good team player
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment

Application Process

Candidates may apply to up to two internships. Separate applications should be sent to each position but the candidate should indicate that they have applied to two positions in their cover letter.

Applicants should submit a resume, cover letter, and list of three professional references to internships@policylink.org.

Please include in subject line: Your Name – Specific Internship Name.

We encourage you to submit the application components in a single document if possible (rather than three separate files) so we can print double-sided and save paper.

Interviews will take place during the month of March. Applicants will be contacted by telephone to schedule an interview that will take place in-person or over the telephone. Candidates not selected for interviews will be notified by e-mail in early April.

Summer 2012 Graduate Internships

• Asset-Building Interns (Oakland, CA)
• Boys and Men of Color Project Intern (Oakland, CA)
• Built Environment and Health Equity Intern (Oakland, CA)
• Community Equity Initiative Intern (Oakland, CA)
• Equitable Economy Intern (Oakland, CA)
• Healthy Food Access Interns (Oakland, CA)
• The Promise Neighborhoods Institute at PolicyLink Interns (2) (Oakland, CA & New York, NY)
• Sustainable Communities Interns (2) (Oakland, CA)

Asset-Building Interns (Oakland, CA)

PolicyLink is seeking a highly motivated graduate student intern to support our Asset Building Team. Over the past year, PolicyLink has been working closely with the Ford Foundation to organize and launch an online platform for its grantees engaged in the Building Economic Security Over a Lifetime Initiative. The platform, which will consist of a website with offline support, will provide resources to grantees while connecting them to each other and a broader network. Working through a cohort of state/local and national asset building groups, this initiative is designed to assist low-income families, individuals and people of color to build wealth that can help them weather difficult economic times while moving—and staying—out of poverty for generations. The policy and communications activities underway will deepen and strengthen the capacity of grantees to address policy failures and expand opportunities for low-income families and families of color to build financial assets.

Asset-building interns will provide support to the team in the following key areas:

• Tracking and analysis of national policies and programs that promote and support economic security, economic inclusion, and asset building (i.e. Farm Bill, Social Security, community development, financial education, housing, and foreclosures);

• Identifying and developing tools and technical assistance resources to support the expansion of multi-field, multi-stakeholder initiatives to address economic security for all Americans and the closing of the racial wealth gap; and

• Assisting with program coordination and management. Planning and preparing briefing materials for advisory board meetings, strategic partners, and technical assistance providers.

Tasks may include literature reviews, web-based searches, interviews with national policy experts and program leaders, and other research. Written products may include internal research memos, case studies, resource guides, curricula, and drafts of external technical assistance tools. Interns may also assist in tracking and monitoring policies related to asset-building and developing policy agendas.

Qualifications/Skills:

Continuing graduate student in economics, urban planning, public policy, or related fields, with an interest in multi-field environmental and policy approaches to improving economic security for low-income people and communities of color. Specific qualifications include:

• Understanding of environmental and policy change strategies
• Commitment to and strong grasp of economic and social equity
• Background in communications, social media, and messaging a plus
• Strong computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Windows applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.

Boys and Men of Color Project Intern

PolicyLink is working with local and state partners to establish a statewide network comprised of existing practitioners, advocates, researchers, and agency representatives that are dedicated to advancing and building on local policy and systems change efforts that will improve the health and success of Boys and Men of Color (BMoC) in California, with a particular focus on the East Bay, Central Valley, and Los Angeles. The BMoC Network includes leading community practitioners and advocates, policy experts, public sector leaders, and researchers. The primary objective is to garner greater public attention and build public will on behalf of racial equity based policy and system change agenda that will benefit boys and men of color.

PolicyLink is seeking a graduate student BMoC intern to provide research and technical support on key projects that will ensure the efficacy and success of the BMoC Network. Those activities specifically include:

• Supporting the research, coordination and policy development activities required by the California State Assembly's Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color;

• Coordinating the connection between statewide policy and the local policy advocacy efforts of the Boys and Men of Color Network in strategic places throughout California; and

• Contributing to the development of tools that assist with the capacity building of the Boys and Men of Color Network and other strategic partners throughout the country.

Tasks may include literature reviews, web-based searches, interviews of local, state and national experts and program leaders, collecting and analyzing related research and policy reports, compiling and synthesizing promising community and system interventions models and initiatives, and other research. Interns may also assist in tracking and monitoring policy reform initiatives and system change efforts related to healthy development of boys and men of color. Written products may include internal research memos, case studies, resource guides, drafts of external publications, drafts of planning materials and tools for facilitation of meetings with partners and public forums.

Qualifications/Skills:

Continuing graduate student in public health, public policy, education, law or related field, with an interest in systems and policy approaches to improve the health and economic success of boys and men of color in California. Specific qualifications include:

• Experience and interest in youth development, education, public health issues (e.g., youth violence prevention, obesity, and health disparities, etc.), juvenile justice reform, jobs and workforce

Built Environment and Health Equity Intern (Oakland, CA)

PolicyLink is seeking a graduate student intern to provide research support for a new project focused on the built environment and health equity. This rapidly evolving field is characterized by efforts at policy and systems change that can improve health conditions through new approaches to land use, property development, and the planning of neighborhoods, transit corridors, cities and regions. A focus on equity means, in part, a focus on how these innovations are brought about in low-income communities and communities of color. One component of the Initiative is the identification of best practices for ensuring equity in built environment and health projects, programs, policies, and campaigns.

The intern will help the team identify, through web research and literature reviews, the projects, campaigns and policies on which to focus more intensive attention. The intern will use the information to develop a brief report identifying some best practices, challenges and opportunities in the field. The information will be used in a variety of reports, websites, and tools for practitioners and advocates.

Qualifications/Skills:

Continuing graduate student in urban planning, public health, transportation, public policy, or related field. Specific qualifications include:

• Commitment to social equity issues and experience working with low-income communities of color
• Background and skills in relevant community planning and land use methods and practices
• Background and familiarity with community health principles and policy issues
• Excellent research and writing capacities

Community Equity Initiative Intern

The Community Equity Initiative is a partnership between PolicyLink, California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc., and California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation focused on improving the condition of infrastructure and services in unincorporated communities throughout the San Joaquin Valley. Many of these communities face governance, funding, and information barriers that limit access to basic things like affordable, safe drinking water and safe parks.

PolicyLink is seeking a graduate student intern to help the team investigate one or more aspects of our research agenda:

• CEI has conducted four community surveys that collect a wide range of demographic, economic, and neighborhood conditions data. CEI would like to develop community profiles for communities to use for grant support, media placement, organizing, and self-determined uses;
  
• Consolidation and extra-territorial service provision are alternatives to annexation that provide unincorporated communities with access to quality services, without falling under the jurisdiction of a city. Create a literature review and documentation of best practices for consolidation of services and extra-territorial service provision as an approach to resolving lack of infrastructure service provision and quality facing unincorporated areas and as an alternative to annexation;
• Transportation authorities submit projects for transit and transportation funding (roads, highways, buses, bikepaths, etc.) through a document called an FTIP - Federal Transportation Improvement Plan. We are concerned that certain communities are not getting their fair share of funds. We are looking for an analysis of 2-4 counties' most recent FTIPs to determine what projects and communities transportation agencies are prioritizing.  Riverside County, Kern County, Merced County, Tulare County and Fresno County are good candidates.
  

Qualifications/Skills:

Continuing graduate student in planning, public policy or public administration (with a focus on financing). Specific qualifications include:

• Experience with researching state budgets and financing.
• Experience working in an Microsoft Office environment (Excel, Word, Outlook)
• Good team player and ability to work independently
• Experience with Geographic Information Systems is a plus

Equitable Economy Intern (2 graduate-level internships, based in Oakland, CA)

PolicyLink is seeking graduate student intern to provide research support to a project focused on equitable economic growth. PolicyLink is in the second year of their partnership with the USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE), which is a research institute based at the University of Southern California. In 2011, the team produced a framing paper, America’s Tomorrow: Equity is the Superior Growth Model, that makes the case that a focus on equity—the economic and social inclusion of low-income communities and communities of color—is essential to secure our future economic prosperity, particularly in the context of our demographic transition to a majority people of color nation by 2042. In the second year of the partnership, we will continue our research on equitable economic growth, including tailoring the framing to work in different geographic, demographic, and market contexts, developing an interactive regional equity indicators atlas, and producing a series of policy briefs.

The intern will help the team prepare policy briefs, conduct research on promising practices, and assist in the development of the indicators website. Tasks will be varied and may include: literature reviews; researching promising practices; drafting case studies; statistical and GIS mapping analyses; and preparing tables and charts.

Qualifications/Skills:

Continuing graduate student in urban planning, economics, public policy, or related field. Specific qualifications include:

• Interest and experience in economic policy and economic development
• Commitment to social equity issues and experience working with low-income communities of color
• Knowledge of SPSS and GIS is a plus

Healthy Food Access Interns (2 graduate-level internships, based in Oakland, CA)

The PolicyLink Center for Health and Place is seeking a summer intern to provide research support on projects focused on environmental and policy strategies that promote healthy food access in low-income communities and communities of color.

The Healthy Food Access intern will assist with three primary projects:

• Researching and developing content for the Healthy Food Financing Initiative web portal project;
• Supporting PolicyLink legislative advocacy efforts to promote access to healthy food in underserved communities, including the national Healthy Food Financing Initiative and California FreshWorks; and
• Researching and developing policy efforts supporting urban agriculture in low-income communities across the nation.

Research tasks may include literature reviews, web-based searches, and interviews with program leaders. Written products will include online content and may include internal research memos, case studies, and drafts of external publications.

Qualifications/Skills:

Continuing graduate student in public health, urban planning, public policy, or related field, with an interest in environmental and policy approaches to improving community health. Specific qualifications include:

• Experience and interest in health / public health / health disparities

The Promise Neighborhoods Institute at PolicyLink Interns (2 graduate-level internships, a policy intern based in Oakland, CA and a communications intern based in New York, NY)

PolicyLink is seeking several highly motivated graduate student interns to support the Promise Neighborhoods Institute at PolicyLink, which is a nonprofit organization that assists Promise Neighborhoods in connecting local resources to wrap children in education, health, and social supports from the cradle-to-college-to-career, and serves as a link to federal, public, and private investors. The Institute also provides Promise Neighborhoods communities with leadership and management coaching, communications strategy, and other resources that support their efforts to ensure:

• Children are healthy and prepared for school entry;
• Children and youth are healthy and succeed in school;
• Youth graduate from high school and college; and
• Families and neighborhoods support the healthy development, academic success, and well-being of their children.

Inspired by the Harlem Children's Zone, the U.S. Department of Education's federal Promise Neighborhoods program is a bold new initiative to break the cycle of generational poverty by wrapping children in a pipeline of health, social, and educational supports from birth through college. Visit www.PromiseNeighborhoodsInstitute.org to learn more.

(1) Promise Neighborhoods Public Policy Intern (Oakland, CA)

The public policy intern will provide research and technical support to the Deputy Director on key projects focused on research and policy advocacy strategies to support the successful implementation of Promise Neighborhoods across the country. Assignments will include:

1. Tracking and analysis of state- and national-level policies and programs that promote and support Promise Neighborhoods communities;
2. Researching regulations and administrative policies that have impact on implementing successful Promise Neighborhoods; and
3. Developing accessible resources and tools for community leaders to build their capacity to be effective policy advocates.

Specific tasks may include: research state-level legislation efforts in California, Florida, and others; researching specific government programs with related funding streams and matching them to any administration priorities or legislation; developing templates to Lift Up What Works in local Promise Neighborhood sites for Congressional visits; updating of the in-district advocacy guide for sites; planning webinars and conference calls to provide policy updates to the field; and other tasks as necessary to support the center's technical assistance and communications teams.

Qualifications/Skills:

Continuing graduate student in public policy, education, public health, urban planning, or related fields, with an interest in multi-field policy approaches to improving the academic and life outcomes of children and their families.

(2) Promise Neighborhoods Communications Intern (New York, NY)

The communications intern will provide support to the Senior Communications Associate on key projects focused on communications strategies to support the successful implementation of Promise Neighborhoods across the country. Assignments will include:

1. Developing a media training toolkit for leaders implement a Promise Neighborhood;
2. Launching a story-telling project with leaders from Promise Neighborhoods communities.

Specific tasks may include: Creating a comprehensive media training toolkit to help communities tell their results story using Results-Based Accountability (RBA) language and embedding real results in their stories. The intern will compile necessary materials, list useful sources, and work with the PolicyLink designer to create a unified, intuitive, step-by-step packet of information. Additionally, the intern will create and encourage the making of videos that tell the results story of leaders implementing a Promise Neighborhood.

Qualifications/Skills:

Continuing graduate student in communications, public policy, education, public health, urban planning, or related fields, with an interest in multi-field policy approaches to improving the academic and life outcomes of children and their families. Specific qualifications include:

• Background in communications, social media, and messaging

Sustainable Communities Initiative (SCI) Interns (2) (Oakland, CA)

PolicyLink is working with grantees of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Sustainable Communities Regional Planning and Community Challenge grant program to provide technical assistance and capacity building support related to social equity. The team is seeking two graduate student interns to provide research and technical support on key projects that will ensure the effectiveness and success of SCI grantees.

(1) Sustainable Communities Equitable Infrastructure Finance Intern (Oakland, CA)

PolicyLink is seeking a graduate student intern to provide research and technical support for different components of the Initiative. One task is to analyze the regulations, laws and other policy levers by which key federal programs and funding streams for infrastructure can be directed toward outcomes that would improve equity and protect civil rights. Another task is to provide research assistance for a series of policy briefs on various aspects of sustainable development and equity. Activities specifically include:.

• Tracking and analysis of programs and funding streams that will support equitable outcomes in regional and local planning processes;
• Research best practices in advancing equity in both planning and implementation at local and regional levels;
• Develop information for policy briefs for equity leaders and practitioners that illustrate the challenges and opportunities in these programs

Specific tasks may include: research state-level legislation efforts in California, Florida, and others; researching specific government programs with related funding streams and matching them to any administration priorities or legislation; developing templates to Lift Up What Works in local Promise Neighborhood sites for Congressional visits; updating of the in-district advocacy guide for sites; planning webinars and conference calls to provide policy updates to the field; and other tasks as necessary to support the center's technical assistance and communications teams.

Qualifications/Skills:

Continuing graduate student in planning, public policy, government, law or related field. The ideal candidate has an interest and background in budgeting, systems change and approaches to policy that focus on the use of infrastructure to improve access to opportunities for low-income communities and communities of color.

(2) Sustainable Communities Best Practices Research Intern (Oakland, CA)

The SCI team is seeking a graduate student intern to provide research support for a variety of written and web-based resources (issue briefs, framing papers, etc.) under development, all of which are aimed at increasing the effectiveness and success of SCI grantees. Activities specifically include:

• Document examples of successful policies, projects, and implementation strategies in areas important for the SCI grantees that may include: Regional Equity Networks, Affordable and Fair Housing, Transportation Equity, Development Without Displacement, Healthy Communities;
• Identify examples of promising or successful processes and outcomes among the SCI grantees, likely through a series of interviews with grantees; and
• Identify local leaders for potential inclusion in the SCI equity leaders database, which will be used for communications and partnership development for the SCI program.

Tasks may include: literature reviews, web-based searches, interviews of local, state and national experts and program leaders, collecting and analyzing related research and policy reports, and compiling promising models and initiatives. Interns may also assist in tracking and monitoring policy efforts related to transportation, economic development, jobs and workforce development, affordable housing, and mitigating the negative impacts of gentrification.

Qualifications/Skills:

Continuing graduate student in planning, public policy, law or related field, with an interest in infrastructure and improving economic conditions for low-income communities and communities of color. Specific qualifications include:

• Experience and interest in land use, zoning, transportation, public infrastructure investments, racial and income disparities.

PolicyLink is committed to maintaining a diverse, multi-cultural working environment.

For more information please contact our headquarters at 510.663.2333, ext. 313.