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 Institute of Politics Career Development team connects hundreds of passionate, public-service-oriented UChicago students with internships and job opportunities every year. The IOP’s jobs and internships, as well as dozens of unique career workshops and 100s of personalized office hours appointments, help students springboard exciting careers. Our work further develops ties between the IOP and the greater Chicago community and Washington, DC, through our partnerships with government offices, NGOs, and nonprofits.

Internship Summary: Under the supervision of Mark Schauerte and Laresa Lund, this in-person internship in Chicago spans 10 weeks beginning in June. The Summer in Chicago Intern will work full-time (40 hours per week) and will work out of the Institute of Politics.

The Summer in Chicago Internship is a unique opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience in the Chicago city government, bridging the gap between academia and practical political involvement.

Responsibilities:

• Managing outreach and engagement of Chicago-based alumni.
• Maintaining a database of contact information for students interning in Chicago through the IOP program.
• Planning and executing summer events in Chicago, including coordinating IOP coworking and visits to important city locations in Chicago politics.
• Creating and managing a summer calendar of events and activities.
• Keeping literature on the Chicago program up-to-date on the IOP website and communications with the Chicago alumni community.
• Creating and publishing written and multimedia content about the Chicago program for the IOP website, social media, and the Chicago alumni community.
• Developing, distributing, and analyzing post-summer surveys.
• Serving as a resource for student interns in Chicago.

Qualifications:

• Interest in politics and public service.
• Ideally, some experience organizing events or other activities (RSO, local/community, political, or high school club).
• High level of comfort working with people of all ages and at all levels, and from many different professional sectors.
• Familiarity with local Chicago politics is a plus.
• Ability to work independently and under tight deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Strong writing skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Familiarity with Google Drive, Dropbox, and Excel.
• Familiarity with Facebook, Twitter, and other online social media platforms.
• Audio/visual and other multimedia skills are preferred but not required.

Eligibility:

• Undergraduate Students
• Graduate Students

About the Supervisor: Mark Schauerte manages the placement of undergraduate and graduate students in internships nationwide and internationally. At the IOP, Mark helps bring speakers to campus to discuss career paths, roles in politics and journalism, and skills for students to position themselves for careers in public service. He previously served as chief of staff to Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) for more than four years, working both in Washington, D.C., and the Chicago suburbs. Mark is also an attorney and worked as an award-winning journalist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Chicago Lawyer Magazine.

Laresa Lund helps manage the IOP’s 300+ academic-year and summer internships, with a primary focus on the Chicago-based academic-year internship portfolio. Her areas of expertise include Chicago-based internships, resume development, cover letter writing, and networking preparation. She is also excited to help rural students, folks interested in conservation work, and those searching for AmeriCorps opportunities.

Location/Modality/Commute: The intern will work at the IOP House (5707 S Woodlawn Ave) on the University of Chicago Campus. Interns should expect to work in-person, in addition to coordinating occasional trips/events in other areas of Chicago for the Chicago cohort of IOP Summer interns.

Start/End Date: Summer internships will take place during the period of June 1 - September 25, with specific dates to be determined by the employer partner and intern during the interview process.

Required Materials:

• Resume
• Cover Letter