Heller is one of the few MPP programs that provides matching funding for summer internships, as well as offering several fully-funded internship opportunities. During the summer between your first and second year, you’ll put your emerging skills to work through an internship that increases your policy experience and allows you to explore a range of career options within the social policy space — from roles within research organizations, to nonprofit organizations, to municipal, state or federal government agencies. These internships empower students to apply the research methods and abstract concepts they learn in the classroom to a workplace setting — where they can lead to meaningful change.
MPP Internship Testimonials
Bishar Jenkins, MPP'20
"For the past eight weeks, I have had the wonderful privilege of interning at AIDS United in Washington, DC. I support their Programs team on their efforts to make their grantmaking initiatives responsive to racial, gender and broader social justice inequities in the HIV epidemic. I have also had the opportunity to attend a convening for HIV service providers to discuss shared practices on evidence-based interventions for HIV. The most rewarding experience thus far has been joining our policy team for their advocacy day on Capitol Hill. I accompanied two leading HIV advocates from Alabama in meetings with congressional staffers on HIV/AIDS and syringe service access issues."
Rachael Conway, MPP’22, Sillerman Fellow
"I completed my internship at the Boston Foundation, a large social justice-focused community foundation that supports Boston-based non-profits and other organizations. My primary focus was on Success Boston, the foundation's citywide college completion initiative. I helped plan and facilitate a three-day convening of college access coaches and community partners, and I developed a document outlining the organization's history and strategic plan. I was privileged to attend several Success Boston strategy meetings, where officials from the City of Boston challenged themselves and each other to center equity in the program's future by pushing for systems-level change.
I finished my internship with a deepened understanding and appreciation for philanthropy's role in the education policy ecosystem, and I couldn't be more grateful for the support I received from the Boston Foundation and the Sillerman Center along the way."
Pierrce Holmes MPP ’22, Segal Fellow
“I was the inaugural fellow at the RAND Center to Advance Racial Equity Policy (CARE-P), working closely with researchers to explore policy models and context for federal reparations to Black Americans. Mostly, this involved developing literature reviews, editing working papers, and supporting the research process. I also drafted commentaries and policy memos based on the reparations project and potential policing legislation. Getting my hands in this project while also developing smaller pieces of my own was extremely fulfilling, because I was able to focus all of my efforts and research on my primary interest: racial justice."
Calah McQuarters, MPP'24, Rappaport Fellow
"I worked with the City of Boston’s Planning Department, supporting the Communications Division with their community engagement efforts through three projects. In my first project, I explored the use of generative AI for qualitative data analysis. I created a comprehensive guide that Planning Department staff can use to collect, analyze, and draw key insights from qualitative data collected during engagement events. For my second project I explored how community compensation and incentivisation can be used to create more equitable engagement opportunities for the Planning Department in the future. I connected with stakeholders from various City departments to understand their compensation methodologies. Using this information, I created a compensation best practices guide that includes procurement logistics and case study examples. Lastly, I conducted an assessment of the Planning Department current communications materials. Along with the assessment, I provided recommendations and online tools to improve accessibility throughout written materials. I enjoyed my time as a Rappaport Fellow and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to real change through local government."
Carmela Belizaire, MPP'22
Recent MPP Internship Placements
- The Alliance of Community Health Plans, Washington, D.C.
- Astraea Foundation, New York, N.Y.
- Boston Foundation, Boston, Mass.
- Boston Urban Mechanics Program, Boston, Mass.
- Dream Act Campaign, Chicago, Ill.
- Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Boston, Mass.
- Government Accountability Office, Washington, D.C.
- Grants Management Association of Boston, Boston, Mass.
- Institute for Behavioral Health, Waltham, Mass.
- Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, D.C.
- Jewish Federations of North America, Jerusalem, Israel
- MassVotes, Boston, Mass.
- New Profit, Boston, Mass.
- New York Needs You, New York, N.Y.
- Sexuality Information and Education Council of the US (SIECUS), Washington, D.C.
- Sierra Club, Washington, D.C.
- Third Sector New England, Boston, Mass.
- Urban Institute, Washington, D.C.