The Internship Experience

Excerpts from Student Journals

The central feature of this program involves a high-quality internship experience that bridges the gap between classroom learning and the "real world" of Pennsylvania politics and policy making. Harrisburg Semester internships provide students with realistic opportunities to obtain practical, on-the-job experience working in their field of professional interest while earning academic credit. The internship thus advances several goals crucial to students’ career development. These include:

• Increasing students' self-confidence as public service professionals;

• Building students’ resumes and portfolios;

• Enhancing students' opportunities for professional employment following graduation; and

• Spurring students' intellectual growth by challenging them with the task of integrating classroom learning with workplace experiences.

The Harrisburg Semester faculty coordinators work closely with each student to place interns in state and local government agencies, community and economic development organizations, as well as with government-related businesses and non-profit organizations. Students may be deeply involved in particular policy areas like alternative bio-fuels, cyberbullying, specific urban development projects, and so on.
There are a wide variety of possible placements with the state legislature, state agencies, public affairs and lobbying firms, and policy advocacy organizations in areas such as economic development, human rights, environmental policy, and so on. We also have the ability to seek out new internship sites to match students’ interests, although this may require a reasonable lead time.
In recent years students have interned with the following organizations:

• The state legislature (various committees, representatives, and senators)

• State agencies like the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Governor’s Policy Office, the PA Dept. of Agriculture, The Pennsylvania Department of Aging

• Lobbying and public relations firms like Novak Strategic Advisors, the Winter Group, the Bravo Group, Greenlee Partners, Delta Development Group, and TRIAD

• Economic development organizations involved in public-private partnerships like Harristown Development Corporation

• Policy advocacy organizations like the Pennsylvania League of Conservation Voters, Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations, the Pennsylvania Council on Independent Living, Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce

• Organizations like United Way and the YWCA

• Pennsylvania Legislative Services (provides legislative, regulatory, and executive information to its clients)

Internship duties cover a range of activities, depending on the placement. The most common responsibilities involve researching legislative issues, attending legislative committee meetings, hearings, planning and promoting conferences and special events, preparing marketing and media reports, designing and updating web sites, responding to constituent requests, tracking federal or state legislation, preparing campaign events, and engaging in policy advocacy on behalf of clients or a cause. For more information on student responsibilities, see excerpts from student journals.

Compensation

Most internships are unpaid, some are paid. Those that are paid may pay an hourly wage or a stipend. Ideally, students should choose an internship placement based on the value of the placement to their future career goals. We have several stipends available for students who accept unpaid internships—see information on the Cliff Jones Fund under Financial Costs.  

We strongly encourage EARLY APPLICATION to increase the probability of landing the internship of your choice. Apply now!