Institute of Politics

Organization Overview:

Cook County Commissioners are elected representatives who serve Cook County and the Forest Preserves; they enact legislation at the County level and their offices assist residents in navigating County services. Commissioner Quezada serves Cook County’s 8th District, a vibrant area on the northwest side of the City of Chicago. The 8th district is a culturally and economically diverse district spanning 11 neighborhoods; known for its rich immigrant history, the district is home to 300,000 residents of Puerto Rican, Mexican, and Polish descent, among many other ethnicities. The Commissioner shares an office with Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, who serves the 35th ward; the offices collaborate to ensure that residents receive city and County services. The Commissioner’s district office is focused on a progressive vision to support residents with all County-related issues through the lens of community organizing, and staff collaborates with residents to advocate for the long-term, systemic changes required to meet the needs of our communities.

Internship Summary:

Join the dynamic team of Cook County Commissioner Anthony Quezada and contribute to meaningful change in the vibrant 8th District. As an intern, you will work under the supervision of the Commissioner, the Chief of Staff, and the Policy Director at the district office, and will primarily help with policy research and may assist with day-to-day County service functions. Constituent service needs include answering phones, assisting constituents with requests, data entry, creating social media content, and developing community resources. The intern will work with the policy director to research policy and study issues that are affecting 8th district constituents.

Responsibilities:

This intern would work on different projects, including mapping and creating visual representations of data and development, creating written correspondence to respond to policy inquiries, tracking, tabulating, and organizing resident feedback, and performing outreach to the business community.

Required Qualifications:

• Strong written communication skills,
• an interest in public policy, community organizing, and/or zoning and planning,
• experience creating visual representations of data,
• and excellent interpersonal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Preferably, at least six (6) months of volunteer or paid work experience, with a particular focus on customer service experience
• Preferred fluency in verbal and written Spanish or fluency in verbal and written Polish

About the Supervisor:

Your internship supervisor will be Scott Jaburek.

Eligibility:

• Undergraduate students
• Graduate students
• Domestic and international students

Location, Modality, and Commuting:

The office is seeking one (1) intern, who will primarily be based at the 8th District Office at 2934 N. Milwaukee Ave. Unit C. Occasionally, the intern will also work out of our downtown office at 118 N. Clark St. Suite 1020. While some work may be completed remotely depending on assignments, any remote work will be pre-scheduled in consultation with the Chief of Staff. To get to the District Office, take the Metra downtown and then use the Blue Line to the Belmont Blue Line stop.

Start and End Date:

The Academic Year internships will take place according to the IOP’s timeline, with specific dates and weekly hours to be determined by the employer partner and intern during the interview process:

• Onboarding: November – December 2025
• Intern Work Period: January – May 2026