Institute of Politics

The Student Advisory Board is responsible for bringing new students into the IOP, building an IOP community, and advising IOP staff and senior leadership. SAB members have moderated public events with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Illinois U.S. Senate primary candidates, and former Vice President Mike Pence. The time commitment is 5-10 hours a week. IOP experience and leadership preferred. Apply.

IOP house interns and grad assistants are essential parts of the IOP team, working closely with staff to facilitate programming, welcoming students to our space, and gaining experience in event production, data management, communications, and more. Paid opportunity. 10-15 hours a week. No IOP experience necessary.

• Speaker Series Intern – Outreach and Data Analysis
• Speaker Series Intern – Event Production
• Communications Interns (3 positions)
• House Manager Intern (2 positions)
• Civic Engagement Finance Intern
• Civic Engagement Programming Intern
• Pritzker Fellows Interns (2 positions)
• Career Development House Interns (2 positions)
• Career Development Data Intern
• Career Development Graduate Assistant
• Bridge Graduate Assistant
• Civic Engagement & Experiential Programming Graduate Intern

The Graduate Student Advisory Board is responsible for creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all IOP-engaged graduate students, serving as ambassadors for the IOP within the broader UChicago graduate student community (including outreach to all graduate schools and hosting events and programming geared towards graduate students), and advising the IOP Executive Director as well as IOP staff via quarterly meetings. Apply.

UChiVotes is a student-led, nonpartisan voter engagement initiative boosting voter turnout and engagement on the UChicago campus. This is your chance to lead campus-wide get out the vote efforts ahead of the 2026 midterms! UChiVotes' leadership team is made up of two Co-Chairs, a Communications Director, an Outreach Director, and multiple Voting Ambassador Directors. Apply.

TechTeam creates websites, apps, and digital tools for community organizations and local government agencies. Recent projects include DemistifyAI (a community initiative aimed at bridging the gap between artificial intelligence and public understanding) and mRelief (a redesigned, simplified interface to apply for SNAP benefits). TechTeam also puts on panels, workshops, and conferences focused on civic technology. Apply.

The Bridge Civic Education Program aims to civically engage, educate, and learn from incarcerated individuals at Cook County Jail, one of the largest jails in the nation. Through our in-person sessions and presentations at CCJ, we teach participants about the history of voting rights, candidates in upcoming elections, and encourage all pre-trial detainees to exercise their fundamental right to vote. Apply.

The Bridge Graduate Assistant works with the IOP's Civic Engagement team to coordinate the program and support Bridge student participants. Apply.

The Gate is UChicago’s student-led political review. Editors and writers offer reporting and analysis from perspectives across the political spectrum. The Gate also hosts workshops on the foundations of political journalism, speaker events, and community-building opportunities. The leadership consists of two Editors-in-Chief, two Managing Editors, Section Editors for our Campus, Chicago, US, World, Culture, Interview, and Opinion Sections, and a Social Media Manager. Apply.

W+ is a civic engagement that organizes leadership development workshops, service projects, and panels focusing on issues affecting women and gender minorities in politics and public service. We're recruiting Institute, Engage, and Outreach Co-Chairs. Learn more and apply.

Spectrum is an LGBTQ+ civic engagement and leadership program at the Institute of Politics that offers a cohort experience (complete with service opportunities, weekly programming, and workshops) and public-facing community-building and speaker events. We're recruiting chairs for our events, service, career, cohort, and promotion/social media committees! Apply.

Leaders of Color is a civic engagement group addressing the current deficit of racial and ethnic diversity in public service by fostering an environment where all students can access leadership opportunities. The group organizes a yearly leadership development cohort, community-building events, and discussions focused on politics and public service. We're recruiting a Career Advancement Coordinator, an Events and Partnerships Coordinator, Leadership Development Coordinator, and Communications Coordinator. Apply.

Chicago Style puts on speaker events focused on Chicago and Illinois politics. Students gain experience in event production while bringing together local journalists, activists, politicians, community members, and students. Apply.

Fellows Ambassadors function as the chief liaisons for Fellows, assisting with their IOP engagements and serving as their guide to student life. In addition, it is a unique opportunity for students to benefit from mentorship from some of the most successful practitioners in politics and public service. The priority deadline for Fall 2026 applications is Monday, April 13. The final deadline for Fall 2026 applications is Wednesday, April 29. Apply.

Career Development Ambassadors offer individualized career advice to their peers, assist with Career Development programming, and create their own career workshop in an area of interest. Applications are open and will be reviewed quarterly. Apply.