Available internships

The department routinely receives requests for interns.  You can find an updated list of these opportunities here:

Advocates for Human Rights
Clean Water Action
Department of Commerce
Grassroots Campaigns
HOME Line
Internships Minnesota Senate
Minnesota International Center (MIC)
Internships for Senator Franken
Project Vote Smart National Internship Program
St. Paul Mayor's Office Internships

    Political Program Intern -Clean Water Action

Clean Water Action is an organization of 100,000 Minnesotans working to empower people to take action to protect America's waters, build healthy communities and to make democracy work for all of us. For 36 years Clean Water Action has succeeded in winning some of the nation's most important environmental protections through grassroots organizing, expert policy research and political advocacy focused on holding elected officials accountable to the public.

Clean Water Action is looking for enthusiastic students or recent graduates who are willing to work hard advancing the goals of Clean Water Action in holding elected officials accountable and encouraging civic engagement in the 2010 election.

Job Description
Specifically, interns will:

Assist with the coordination of political activity.
Assist with volunteer recruitment and coordination.
Assist in preparation of outreach materials.
Write press releases, letters to editor, and other materials as needed.
Assist with writing of fact sheets and other materials for campaign use.
Assist with office administrative tasks, perform outreach as needed, and provide general support of program work.
Strategize and help develop project ideas.
Interns should posses the following qualities:

Interest in politics, policy and the environment
Strong organization skills
Strong communication skills
Independent worker
Self starter
Ability to work with a diversity of peoples and groups
Strong writing skills
Strong computer skills
Demonstrated leadership abilities
Dates & Location
When: August (or earlier) through mid-November. (specific dates negotiable)
Where: Minneapolis, MN (East Hennepin and University Ave.)
Time commitment: At least two days – or 16 hours - per week.

Application Process To apply send a resume, cover letter by e-mail to dendreson@cleanwater.org

*****************
Daniel Endreson
Program Coordinator
Clean Water Action Midwest Office
308 E. Hennepin Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55414
Twitter: @CleanWaterDan
www.cleanwateraction.org

      Grassroots Campaigns

  To: Seniors

Subject: Act Now: Be Part of the Change with Grassroots Campaigns!

Right now is a critical turning point for our country. We have the opportunity to remake America, but it will be up to us to ensure that Obama and our leaders in DC work to restore our civil and human rights, address a national healthcare crisis, and work towards ending global poverty.

Here in the Twin Cities, Grassroots Campaigns has worked with a variety of organizations including but not limited to Amnesty International, Save the Children, and the League of Conservation Voters.Grassroots Campaigns is hiring graduating seniors to work full time running our campaign offices as Citizen Outreach  Directors and Field Organizers here in Minnesota and across the country. Directors are responsible for every facet  of a campaign office, including recruitment, accounting, and staff development. Directors also get to work hands on  out in the  field as well. Ideal candidates will have great leadership experience, a good understanding of issues affecting people around the  world and a willingness to work hard.

Please contact Tiffany Hakseth at thakseth@grassrootscampaigns.com to be considered for this unique opportunity!

Grassroots Campaigns, Inc. (GCI) is a national organization that specializes in building grassroots support for progressive organizations and good causes.  We are currently hiring students across the country to take part in our campaigns for the summer.  Grassroots Campaigns' current and past clients include the ACLU, Save the Children, Amnesty International, MoveOn.org, the Democratic National Committee and the League of Conservation Voters. Locations include: CA, CO, DC, IL, MA, MN, NY, OH, OR, PA, TX, WA.

 

   St. Paul Mayors Office Internship Opportunities

Interested applicants should be college sophomores, juniors, seniors or recent grads. Those selected will have the opportunity to work closely with local government appointees to explore the many facets that engage residents and make Saint Paul the Most Livable City in America. They may submit application materials to Erica Schumacher (erica.schumacher@ci.stpaul.mn.us) or call 651-266-8531 for more information.

    Senator Al Franken - Internships

Senator Franken’s Saint Paul office is currently accepting applications for internships for the Spring 2010 term. I have attached the posting for the internship below. This information can also be found
at www.franken.senate.gov under the “contact us – MN internships” tab.

Katie Kramer
Staff Assistant and Intern Coordinator
Office of Senator Al Franken
(651) 221-1016

Senator Franken's state office assists constituents with issues at the federal level, acting as a liaison between  constituents and federal agencies.  The office also provides outreach to various communities on behalf of the Senator.
 
The internship role requires individuals who are professional, articulate, and responsible with an interest in government service. Based on the individual's availability, interests, and skills, interns will work with outreach  staff, case workers, communications staff, and administrative staff.  Interns will serve as a vital component of keeping the office functional by assisting with the constituent mail process and managing the front desk.
 
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
• Answering phones and assisting constituents with requests
• Assisting constituent and field staff with casework and related tasks
• Assisting outreach staff with research, event planning, and other work
• Attending meetings with and for field and outreach staff
• Assisting the scheduling and communications staff
• Other assigned tasks based on the needs of the staff and office

In addition to assisting the office, interns will receive unique career development opportunities. Through working  with field, casework, and other state staff, and meeting with the Senator, interns will be able to make an informed decision about what areas of political work interest them and gain valuable skills that will prepare them to succeed in a political and professional career.

If you are applying for the fall or spring session, please include the days and hours you are able to work. In the  summer session, interns are expected to work full time unless enrolled in summer courses. We will work with universities that offer academic credit.

Senator Franken accepts all applications for internships, however Minnesotans will be given preference. All internships are unpaid.

Application Process

If you are interested in an internship in Senator Franken’s Saint Paul office, please submit the following materials:
• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Three References
These can be emailed to mninterns@franken.senate.gov, or faxed to (651) 221-1078. Please do not mail any applications because of the Senate’s mail delivery delay.

Applications must be received by the deadline, depending on which term you are applying for.
• Fall Internship – July 15th
• Spring Internship – November 15th
• Summer Internship – March 15th
If you have any questions concerning the program, please do not hesitate to contact the intern coordinator at
(651) 221-1016, or by emailing mninterns@franken.senate.gov.

   Minnesota International Center (MIC)

711 East River Road
Minneapolis MN 55455
612.625.4421

Are you interested in the following?
• International Relations,
• International Education,
• World Affairs
• Non-Profit Management
• Fund-raising

 GAIN VALUABLE INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MINNESOTA
 10 HOURS PER WEEK
 UNPAID, but flexible hours

Opportunities in these Programs:
 Administration
 International Visitor Leadership Program
 Community Program
 Corporate Relations & Special Events
 International classroom Connection

Terms: Summer 2010, Fall 2010---apply early, well before term approaches.
 [Spring 2011]  Applications accepted year round

Apply for/Check out:
Website: www.micglobe.org
    Click on “Get Involved”, then click “Internships”
 Complete online application and attach your cover letter and resume.

Who Are They (MIC)?
 Non-profit
 Non-partisan organization
 Mission: to inspire the community to understand global issues and cultures in an ever changing world.
 Part of a national network of similar organizations
 One of the largest Councils for International Visitors (CIV)
 One of the largest World Affairs Councils in the country
 MIC coordinates globally-focused learning opportunities for people

Contact either buhr6782@stthomas.edu, mazu2180@stthomas.edu,  mic@umn.edu or call the MIC Intern Coordinator at 612.625.4421.

   Project Vote Smart: National Internship Program

Project Vote Smart and over 6,000 staff members, volunteers, and interns have worked for the past 16 years to collect and disseminate information on thousands of candidates at the local, state and national level. After all of this hard work PVS, is now ready to announce the completion of the nation’s first comprehensive Voter Self-Defense System. You can become part of this exciting effort by joining our National Internship Program. This program gives college students from across the country and around the world the chance to have a once in a lifetime opportunity. Interns gain hands on experience in politics and public relations while spending their free time in one of the country’s most beautiful and unique settings. Interns spend their weekdays working on projects ranging from tracking and summarizing key legislation to contacting candidates for issue positions and sending out press releases. Evenings and weekends can be spent exploring the Northern Rockies.

About Project Vote Smart
Project Vote Smart has built an extensive database of information on elected officials and candidates for public office. We cover national and state level candidates and officials in several areas including, but not limited to, speeches and issue positions, biographical infonnation, interest group ratings and endorsements. We also track key votes and collect information on state elections, ballot measures, and voter registration.

Project Vote Smart is completely non-p artisan. For our interns, this means a ten week experience stepping into an office for 40 hours a week and separating themselves from their personal political beliefs in the pursuit of making politically unbiased facts available to all citizens. Project Vote Smart has, since its conception, maintained a policy of political balance and therefore does not allow any of our board members to join unless a member of their political opposition is joining as well. This facilitates such a diverse group of founding board members as former U.S. Senators Barry Goldwater (R) and George McGovern (D), and former U.S. Representatives Newt Gingrich (R) and Geraldine Ferraro (D). Project Vote Smarts goal over the past 16 years has been for every candidate - Democrat, Republican, third party, or independent — to be treated with equal deference, with only relevant and unbiased facts presented. Project Vote Smart does not lobby, support or oppose any candidate, position or issue. All Project staff and interns are required to sign a pledge, affirming their commitment to absolute impartiality.

As a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, Project Vote Smart is funded exclusively through private donations by over 38,000 members, and grants from private philanthropic foundations including the Carnegie and Ford Foundations. All member contributions are tax deductible. To guarantee its integrity and accountability, as a nonpartisan and wholly objective service to the American people, ProjectVote Snart does not accept financial contributions from lobbyists, governmental organizations, corporations, businesses or special interests. Over the years 5000 public libraries and over 250 national and local news organizations, including CNN, C-SPAN, Cox News, Fox, Knight-Ridder, MTV, National Journal, NBC, Newsweek, PBS, MSNBC and Washington Week in Review, have supported Project Vote Smart.

About the Location
Participation in PVS and the goal of helping voters become more infonned is only part of the reward. The true reward lies almost entirely in the Project’s surroundings. The Great Divide Ranch is approximately 27 miles from the nearest town and is nestled in the wilderness of the Northern Rockies. At an altitude of around 6,000 ft with creeks running directly through the ranch and the regular moose deer and elk sightings, PVS offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to gain hands on political experience at a mountain escape. Summer and winter activities include: hiking, biking, skiing, camping, fishing, swimming, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and much more. The facilities and amenities themselves allow interns to create a home away from home.

Over the past seven years PVS has transonned the Great Divide Ranch into a getaway that suits our specific needs. We are able to offer amenities such as wireless Internet access, satellite television, row and paddleboats, snowmobiles, basketball/tennis courts, a brand new library with thousands of books, an indoor gym with a sauna, and horseback rides.

Interns are able to get to know other students from across the country and share their passion for politics in this community style living environment. The housing facilities consist of lodges divided into rooms that sleep between two and six people.

About the Internship
Project Vote Smart’s National Internship Program provides students with unique practical and educational experiences. We seek students who are genuinely interested in working to accomplish our goal of making factual, unbiased political information easily and freely accessible to all. The overriding qualification for securing an internship position is your willingness to commit 100% to the Project’s goals and mission.

To qualify for a PVS internship you must meet the following requirements:

1. Set aside personal and political beliefs, be objective and non-partisan while working.
2. Be in good standing with your university/school.
3. Commit to 10 consecutive weeks.
4. Remember that our research facility is located in an extraordinarily beautiful but remote area. You will be expected to help maintain the facility.

About the Work: Below please find a short list of common intern responsibilities provided by the various department directors:

Political Courage Test Assistant - Maintain candidate lists on the website; administer the Political Courage Test to candidates through mailings and phone calls; collect and enter candidate issue position respohses; process election-results.’”‘--

Research Assistant - Collect and enter candidate and elected officials biographical information; Update our database of city and county officials; update our political resources database including political parties, news media, political trivia, etc.; update ratings/evaluations produced by special interest groups; update our public statements/speeches database.

Legislative Research and Hotline Assistant - Monitor Congress and state legislatures for key votes and issues. Highlight, edit and present to staff documented summaries of congressional and state legislation; articulate the mission of Project Vote Smart and answer research related special requests and e-mails from the general public via the Hotline.

Media/PR Assistant - Assists in scouting out potential events for the Project Vote Smart national bus tour, also supports our team that is on the bus; maintains contacts with media outlets from across the nation to publicize PVS events and resources; This position can also include a variety of special tasks associated with various partnerships that PVS has with other organizations.

Membership Assistant -Works in all aspects of the membership department - Marketing, fund raising, data entry, bulk mailing, research and statistical analysis, contacting members, processing special requests and contacting vendors.

Information Technology Assistant - Assists the IT department in maintaining the office workstations, servers and network, as well as take part in continued development of the Project’s website and applications; provides technical support, website development in PHP and HTML, application development in Java and JSP, network and system administration. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working in a Unix environment, experienced with website development, and have some familiarity with Java and JSP.

Facilities and Recreation Assistant - Repair and enhance the living facilities and grounds minor repairs, painting, fencing, landscaping, etc).

Lodge Assistant - Assist with day-to-day operations of non-profit student housing and commercial kitchen (facilities mgt, meal preparation and planning).

Note: The majority of our National Interns work in our Research and Political Courage Test departments. However, we have a limited number of positions available in Membership, News, Graphic Design and Information Technology. The Internship Director will make all position assignments based on individual applicants skills, departmental priority, and projects available. If you have a position preference, please indicate the preferred position in your cover letter stating the reasons for the preference. There is a possibility that interns may not be assigned to the position that they request. In addition to their assigned programs, interns at Project Vote Smart may also be asked on occasion to perform special projects including painting, yard maintenance, minor repairs, etc.

About Applying: Student Interns must submit the following:

1. Completed application fonm
2. Cover letter.
3. Resume.
4. Minimum of three references. References need only b names and contact information, not
necessarily letters.

All application materials must be submitted together. Students must specify the term for which they are applying. Applications can be downloaded from our website http://www.votesmart.org or maybe requested by calling our toll-free hotline 1-888-VOTE-SMART (1-888-868-3762).

Contact Information: If you have any questions or would like to receive additional information, please contact the Internship Coordinator:

Internship Coordinator                                   Project Vote Smart Web:
One Common Ground                                   www.votesmart.org
Philip sburg, MT 59858                                 Email Address:
(406) 859-VOTE (8683)                                 intern@votesrnart.org
 

   The Advocates for Human Rights:

If you are interested in becoming involved with The Advocates for Human Rights and can commit 10 or more hours per week, then you should consider becoming an intern with The Advocates for Human Rights. Interns can play an integral role by assisting with activities such as research, writing, client service, translation or event planning as well as administrative tasks in our projects and programs (All internships include administrative duties). All volunteer positions are filled on a need basis. The Advocates internships do not offer financial compensation. 

If you are applying for an outside fellowship (i.e. you will have a source of outside funding while you intern at The Advocates) through your school or a fellowship program such as the Upper Midwest Human Rights Fellowship or Equal Justice Works, you must submit your application materials to The Advocates at least 4 weeks in advance of the deadline for your fellowship application. For example, if your fellowship application deadline is February 15th, than you must have your The Advocates internship application submitted by January 15th. Proposed fellowships must be directly related to The Advocates' program areas.

Many interns are students, however internship positions are also open to others.  During the school year most interns work 10-20 hours per week. During the summer most interns work 20-40 hours per week. We have fall, spring and summer internships that roughly follow university calendars:

Spring: January-May, applications due by December 1
Summer: late May/early June-August, applications due by March 15

NOTE: Internship placements at The Advocates are extremely competitive, so we recommend that you apply for an internship well in advance of the application deadline.

To see internship descriptions for different programs, please click on the links below:

Refugee and Immigrant Program
Human Rights Education Program
Women's Human Rights Program
International Women's Day
Human Rights Monitoring Project
Death Penalty Project

Specifically, we are seeking interns to work a minimum of 8-10 hours per week in our Women’s Human Rights Program and our Special Projects division on our Liberia Truth & Reconciliation Commission (TRC) project.

We envision that the Liberia Truth & Reconciliation Commission (TRC) project Intern will perform a variety of tasks including but not limited to:

- Assisting with research, writing, editing, citechecking and Bluebooking for The Advocates’ final report to the TRC of Liberia
- Conducting research on country conditions and international human rights standards
- Assisting staff and volunteers with compiling reports based on Human Rights Monitoring missions in Liberia and Ghana
- Helping to enter data and manage the database designed to house TRC information
- Monitoring  news reports, legislation and other developments in targeted countries
- Miscellaneous tasks as they arise or as a specific interest develops.

The Women’s Human Rights Program Intern will perform a variety of tasks including but not limited to:

- Assisting with research, writing, editing, and citechecking for The Advocates’ www.StopVAW.org (Stop Violence Against Women) website
- Conducting research on country conditions and international human rights standards
- Miscellaneous tasks as they arise or as a specific interest develops.

To apply for any of these internships, please download the Intern Application (Word document) and include a cover letter, resume and brief (3-5 pages) writing sample with your application. Please email your application (MS Word) to hrights@advrights.org or mail the application to:

Intern Coordinator
The Advocates for Human Rights
650 Third Avenue South, #550
Minneapolis, MN 55402-1940

Or fax it to: 612-341-2971.

 

   HOME Line: A nonprofit Minnesota statewide tenant advocacy organization

Our tenant hotline is staffed by volunteers. In the past our volunteer base has consisted largely of law students but we believe undergrads with a interest in law and/or social justice could benefit greatly from this opportunity. Volunteering consists of three or more hours / week  on our tenant hotline. The volunteers field calls and answer questions concerning landlord tenant law and empower tenants with the resources and knowledge they need to stay in their apartment or take appropriate legal actions.

While the hotline is available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday thorough Thursday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, our volunteers usually spend three hour shifts answering questions and returning calls.

There is a mandatory training that takes place three or four times a year.  More information can be found at the HOME Line website by clicking here.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Darren at darrenj@homelinemn.org or (612) 728-5770 x105.

 

   The Department of Commerce (DOC)

The Department of Commerce (DOC) announces opportunities for both summer and academic year paid internships.  Currently, there are 4 internships open for the following majors and locations: 

Desired Major	Year of Study	GPA	Location
Economics, Business Admin, Public Policy	Junior/Senior	Minimum 3.5 out of 4.0	Washington, DC
Communications/Government,	Junior/Senior	Minimum 3.5 out of 4.0	Washington, DC
Economics or Business Administration	Junior or Senior	Minimum 3.5 out of 4.0	Atlanta, GA

Students interested in being considered for opportunities under the Department of Commerce Postsecondary Internship Program should directly contact Alicia Wells at Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) by e-mail at Alicia.Wells@orau.org or visit www.orau.org/doc to find out more about eligibility criteria, program benefits and the application form. Please note that all programs are open to any students who meet program eligibility criteria.

• Interns participate in on-site work experiences with DOC bureaus and offices in order to integrate academic theory and workplace requirements, gain relevant skills and knowledge, explore Federal career options, develop professional networks, and gain a greater awareness of the role of Federal agencies.

• Basic eligibility requires enrollment as an undergraduate or graduate student at two and four-year accredited educational institutions, as well as U.S. citizenship.

• Interns receive stipends as well as paid round-trip transportation expenses between their schools/homes and work locations.  Most internships are in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area, but some assignments are available at locations around the United States, where Commerce regional and local offices are situated (see matrix above).

• Interns hosted under the Postsecondary Internship Program are not employees of the Department of Commerce; rather, they are affiliated with the sponsoring organization with which the Department collaborates to recruit interns.

Students interested in being considered for opportunities under the Department of Commerce Postsecondary Internship Program should directly contact Alicia Wells at Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) by e-mail at Alicia.Wells@orau.org or visit www.orau.org/doc to find out more about eligibility criteria, program benefits and the application form. Please note that all programs are open to any students who meet program eligibility criteria.

Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) is a private not-for-profit consortium of 87 colleges and universities with a mission to provide and develop capabilities critical to the nation’s science and engineering infrastructure. One of the nation’s first university-based, science-related university consortia, ORAU was founded in 1946. For more than 50 years, ORAU has operated programs for more than a dozen Federal agencies. Annually, it supports approximately 2,600 individuals (undergraduates, graduate students, post graduates, and faculty) in internship, research participation and other education programs at 100 federal laboratories and research centers across the country. Its programs are national in scope and attract participants from the full range of academic institutions, including HBCUs, HSIs and tribal colleges. For additional information click www.orau.org/doc or call Alicia Wells at (865)576-3409.