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Internships
The Barbara Brown Springfield Internship is a paid internship located in Springfield, Illinois. Interns will have the opportunity to work on a variety of projects in lobbying, politics, and public policymaking. Students involved will also apply skills they have learned in courses at SIU and interact with and learn from experts in the public and private sector.
The internship is named in honor of Dr. Barbara Leavitt Brown, a three-degree graduate of SIU. Dr. Brown taught in the Department of Political Science and to international students through a summer program funded by the U.S. State Department. She later served as Clerk of the Courts in Randolph County, Illinois. Dr. Brown was a co-founder of the Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership, vice-chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois, co-founder of Southwestern Illinois Democratic Women, founder of Southern Illinois Democratic Women, and former chairwoman of the Randolph County Democratic Central Committee. She attended and was a nine-time delegate to the Democratic National Convention, a two-time candidate for Illinois Fifty-Eighth State Senate District, and served notable roles in the campaigns of Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
PAUL SIMON PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE INTERNSHIPS
SIU's Paul Simon Public Policy Institute also offers several internship options that may interest Political Science students. Please browse the following links to explore these opportunities:
Eligibility
Interns will be placed in Springfield, IL. The selected intern(s) will be undergraduate students who are currently enrolled full-time in political science with at least two years of undergraduate education completed. Students must also have a minimum of a 2.5 GPA. All applicants must be U.S. citizens or hold a visa permitting permanent residence in the U.S. (i.e., have a U.S. green card) to be eligible for the internship program.
Position Requirements and Required Skills:
- Interest in public policy, lobbying, and intergovernmental relations
- Strong oral and written communication skills
- Strong organizational skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
- Proficiency in conducting research and analyzing findings
- Proficiency in using social media platforms, preferred
Location
Interns will be placed in Springfield, IL. The selected intern(s) will be required to relocate to the internship location for the duration of the internship period. Relocation expenses will not be reimbursed.
Stipend
The intern(s) shall receive a $1000 monthly stipend provided by the organization hosting the intern(s). All interns are expected to work a 40-hour work week.
Available Positions
The number of internships available will be determined by the number of organizations seeking internships for the spring semester. Typically, the number ranges from 3 to 6 internships per internship period. (January to mid-May).
Application Instructions
Please contact the Political Science program for instructions on applying for this internship (618-453-2494 or sapss@siu.edu).
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Give the selection committee access to your academic records by filling out a waiver (Word file).
