Institute of Politics

Overview of Organization: FirstRepair was founded by Robin Rue Simmons, a former Evanston, Illinois alderman and the architect of the nation’s first government-funded reparations program. Robin’s “solutions only” leadership style has inspired the services of FirstRepair including sharing best practices, creating tools, and developing a viable model to advance local reparations policy. Our knowledge network includes seasoned experts and social innovators with a proven commitment to reparations, racial justice, and Black community empowerment. Our services will include workshops, educational symposiums, research, stakeholder development and policy design for local government bodies and institutions.

Internship Summary: The Policy Intern will join FirstRepair during the summer to support a focused research and documentation effort examining the current landscape of local reparations initiatives across the United States. This internship is designed for a graduate student studying public policy and offers hands-on experience in policy research, program documentation, and civic engagement within a national reparations policy network. The intern will work under the supervision of Elisa Walker, Program Director of Special Initiatives.

Responsibilities:

• Support research and tracking of select local reparations initiatives by gathering and organizing publicly available information
• Assist with outreach and engagement efforts for the Student Democracy Program, including helping increase student participation and awareness
• Support implementation of Student Democracy Program activities by assisting with logistics, coordination, and preparation of materials
• Contribute to basic documentation and summaries to support internal planning and program reflection
• Collaborate with the supervisor to prioritize tasks and adjust responsibilities as needed throughout the summer

Preferred Qualifications:

• Graduate student pursuing a degree in public policy, public administration, political science, or a related field
• Interest in local government, reparations policy, civic engagement, or youth programming
• Strong organizational and written communication skills
• Comfortable supporting outreach, coordination, and program implementation efforts
• Ability to manage tasks independently while working collaboratively with a small team
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office or Google Workspace

Eligibility:

• Domestic and International Students
• Graduate students preferred

About the Supervisor: The Policy Intern will be supervised by Elisa Walker, Program Director of Special Initiatives at FirstRepair. Elisa holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Hampton University and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in urban policy. In her role, she leads coordination with municipal reparations initiatives nationwide and oversees civic engagement efforts, including the Student Democracy Program. The intern will receive structured supervision and regular feedback while gaining hands-on experience in reparations research and program implementation within a national nonprofit setting.

Location, Modality and Commute: Our team is in the office Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays. Ideally our intern would work in the office on those days as their schedule permits. Our office is located at: 1900 Asbury ave Evanston IL 60201.

Start and End Date: Summer internships will take place from June 1 to Aug 21, with specific dates to be determined by the employer partner and intern during the interview process.

Required Materials:

• Resume
• Cover Letter