Institute of Politics

Overview of Organization: The Illinois Economic Development Corporation (Illinois EDC) is a not-for-profit, public-private partnership committed to advancing inclusive economic development across the state. With a collaborative team and a mission-driven approach, Illinois EDC leverages both private and public funding to support economic development efforts in Illinois.

Internship Summary: Illinois EDC seeks an organized, motivated, and creative intern with strong writing and content creation skills to support the organization’s communications and public relations efforts. A successful candidate should be invested in Illinois and its economic growth and be able to assist with sharing that message externally, through social media and additional channels. This position offers hands-on experience in strategic communications, media relations, and digital content creation in a dynamic statewide organization that’s nonetheless small enough that an intern will be able to cultivate meaningful relationships and mentoring, be involved in day-to-day operations, and build up a professional portfolio. This internship is likely to be heavily focused on multi-media content creation, with an opportunity to be involved in various strategic communications and public relations activities. Please note that this internship will require a background check or confidentiality agreement.

Responsibilities:

• Content creation: Assist in developing, creating, filming, and editing videos, photos, and other multimedia content for social media and other campaigns.
• Social media: Support the planning, execution and tracking of social media campaigns across platforms including LinkedIn, BlueSky, Instagram, Facebook, and X.
• Writing and editing: Assist with drafting speeches, talking points, blog posts, press releases, and related content and announcements.
• Research: Monitor news about Illinois EDC and the state’s businesses, and conduct background research on media trends, industry sectors, and partner organizations.
• Events and outreach: Support the coordination of press events, trade shows, speaking engagements, internal workshops, and other events.
• Administrative: Curate and update media and other priority audience lists for distributing content, assist with the digital preservation and indexing of Illinois EDC communications assets, scheduling and file tracking.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Preferred majors aligned with the internship focus (e.g., Public Relations, Journalism, Business, Marketing, Communications, or a related field)
• Minimum GPA requirement (often 3.0 or higher).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, preferably with knowledge base of AP style.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team setting.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); familiarity with tools like Monday, Google Workspace, Canva, or CRM platforms is a plus.
• Skilled in video and social media editing platforms (such as Instagram, CapCut, Premiere, FinalCut pro)
• Analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Professionalism and organizational skills.
• Prior internship or relevant work experience is helpful but not always required.
• Demonstrated interest in the field (e.g., public affairs, content creation, media or economic development)
• Participation in student organizations, volunteer work, or leadership roles is often valued.

Eligibility:

• Domestic and international students
• Undergraduate and graduate students

About the Supervisor: Amanda Vinicky is vice president, communications at the Illinois Economic Development Corporation. Most recently, she was a correspondent and host of the recap program “Week in Review” who focuses primarily on Illinois government and politics—though her insatiable curiosity lead her to cover a little bit of everything. Vinicky joined “Chicago Tonight” in 2017, after spending a decade as the Statehouse Bureau Chief for NPR Illinois and the Illinois Public Radio network. She also co-hosted WSEC-TV’s “CapitolView,” and was a regular analyst on the “State Week” roundtable. Her work and analysis has been featured on shows including NPR’s “Morning Edition,” “All Things Considered” and “The Takeaway,” and she’s garnered top honors from the Illinois Associated Press and the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors, and is proud to have earned a pair of Emmys as part of the WTTW team. Vinicky received her master’s degree in Public Affairs Reporting from the University of Illinois Springfield and has degrees in political science and journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She began her career in the Chicago suburbs (where she grew up) as a newspaper reporter. Vinicky’s always looking for stories to tell, foods to try, books to read and new places to discover.

Location/Modality/Commute: We will host the intern in the office at least one day per week (on one of our lighter‑traffic onsite days—Monday, Wednesday, or Friday) while also having them join us a few times on Tuesdays or Thursdays so they can experience the full team and organizational atmosphere. Our office is at 230 W. Monroe, Suite 330, Chicago, IL 60606.

Start/End Date: Flexible

Required Materials:

• Resume
• Cover Letter