DFER’s Summer 2013 Internship Program
The Washington, DC office of Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) is pleased to announce its summer 2013 internship program. In this program, interns will conduct research on federal education policy over an eight-week program.
At DFER, we set four goals for our interns:
- Develop familiarity with federal education policy, including the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Race to the Top, the ESEA waiver program and other major federal education initiatives.
- Build issue expertise in one current area, which could include teacher evaluations, the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, public charter school authorization practices or school accountability systems.
- Strengthen professional skills by working in a high-functioning advocacy and policy research office and preparing excellent written material.
- Engage with Washington, DC, whether by attending Congressional hearings, non-profit briefings or working with local education agencies.
If this sounds like a program you are interested in, we welcome your application! We evaluate our candidates against five criteria:
- Fit: Does the candidate show a demonstrable interest in education, politics and policy (whether through coursework or extracurricular/professional experience)?
- Initiative: Can the candidate demonstrate a proven entrepreneurial drive and a willingness to take initiative on new projects?
- Capacity: Does the applicant have the excellent academic background required for the internship?
- Interpersonal Skills: Does the candidate have experience working closely with others in a professional setting? Are they fun to work with?
- Availability: Is the applicant available for the full eight weeks (June 3 – July 26)?
Accepted applicants can expect to work primarily on substantial policy research projects with a minimum of office support tasks.
To apply, submit a two-page writing sample on education policy, a resume and a cover letter to intern@dfer.org by March 29, 2013.