Internship Location: Madison WI
Organization Type: Nonprofit
Policy Areas: Education, environment, health, and human rights policy
This summer, I interned with the Institute for Regional and International Studies National Resource Center, or IRIS NRC for short. IRIS NRC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and promotes education and awareness about global issues that are directly tied to several key Sustainable Development Goals as established by the United Nations. In my role, I helped administer grants to educators around the state of Wisconsin, performed archival research on a pre-dissertation travel fellowship, and designed the layout of an academic journal. Being exposed to the intricacies of working at a national resource center gave me a unique perspective on what a career in this field would be like. From wrangling data in spreadsheets to basic web design, each day is refreshingly different, and there will always be a new project for you to test the knowledge that you have developed through your coursework at La Follette on. This internship has afforded me the opportunity to experience what it is like working at a national resource center that specializes in cross-regional programming. You will be able to leverage your skills and hone them further with each new project. If education policy with a global focus is your jam, keep an eye out for opportunities with IRIS NRC in the future!