Institute of Politics

Overview of Organization:

Founded in 2013 by David Axelrod, the Institute of Politics, a non-partisan, extracurricular organization at the University of Chicago, aims to inspire and cultivate the next generation of political and public service leaders. Four core programs form the heart of the Institute: civic engagement opportunities that enable students to experience politics-in-action through political exploration trips, leadership training, service programs and voter engagement projects; visiting fellowships where distinguished political officials, policymakers, journalists, diplomats and others are in residence on campus during an academic quarter; political and public service internships that provide students with paid, substantive career development opportunities; and a continuous series of public events featuring leading political figures sharing their insights on key issues of the day.

The IOP House Intern program offers students the opportunity to work closely with IOP staff to facilitate operations and programming, playing a central role in supporting the IOP's many activities and initiatives. Interns gain valuable knowledge and skills in public and social service as well as in specific program areas. IOP House Internships are available to undergraduate students, are paid, and are eligible for work study. Graduate Assistant positions are available to graduate students, are paid, and are eligible for work study.

Internship Summary and Responsibilities:

The IOP’s Alumni Strategy Intern focuses on multiple key objectives:

• Stay connected with UChicago alumni and graduating seniors who have engaged with the IOP — build the network and create a community for alumni to connect with one another, IOP staff, and current students. and continue the mission of the IOP of inspiring people to be engaged with politics and public service
• Provide continued opportunities for alumni in career development and civic engagement
• Create a pipeline of IOP alumni who can serve as future Fellows, speakers, and internship hosts, introduce programming opportunities, eventually support the IOP philanthropically
• Support IOP alumni events with the planning and logistics involved to hold events in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and potentially other locations during the academic year
• Develop and plan alumni career workshops (both virtual and in-person events) in a variety of different public service fields
• Help plan the annual alumni mentorship program for students interning as part of the Charles H. Percy Summer in Washington Program

The Alumni Strategy House Intern will be responsible for supporting IOP staff in meeting these objectives by creating new alumni programming, developing alumni communication strategies, strengthening data collection methods and more across the year.

The Alumni Strategy House Intern will undergo training during spring quarter of 2025, as the incoming intern will be trained and onboarded by the current (outgoing) intern. The internship will then begin in a full-time capacity in the fall of 2025 and continue through the end of spring quarter (June 2026). The Alumni Strategy House Intern will report directly to the IOP's Executive Suite.

The Alumni Strategy House Intern will have opportunities to plan workshops and networking events, manage the IOP alumni newsletter process, expand their personal network with IOP alumni, and collaborate with IOP staff as well as the alumni community.

Hours: 8-10 hours/week Compensation: $16.20/hour