Internship Location: Madison WI
Organization Type: State Government
Policy Areas: Childcare, quality rating and improvement systems, early care and education, childcare workforce, welfare policy
I worked as a research analyst intern at the Bureau of YoungStar (BOY), in the Division of Early Care and Education (DECE), in the Department of Children and Families. I was stationed in the Special projects and Federal Initiatives Unit. My roles and tasks included research, analysis, recommendations, and refinement of quality improvement initiatives to support early care and education across the state of Wisconsin. Through this internship opportunity, I learned a lot about policies, programs, and practices which focus on child welfare and development, building, and engaging families to promote early care and development, and childcare workforce and welfare. One highlighting project that unveiled these was the YoungStar Analysis and Update Project. This project involved research, engagement, and group discussions to collect data on how the YoungStar program is working. I was able to collaborate well with other colleagues and provide quality work due to the professional development seminar and experiences La Follette provides us as students. Further, I was able to adopt tools learnt in classes such as the stakeholder analysis, goals/alternatives matrix and 1-pager memos to engage stakeholders, analyze findings and develop recommendations in a concise manner. The environment at the workplace and the SWSDIP events were most valuable to me. It gave me an opportunity to explore new things and develop new connections. Again, I received great advice for career development. I would 100% recommend this internship to future students. This experience has reinforced my interest in working in local/state governments or non-profits and highlighted how invaluable knowledge on policies, research, and skills in policy development and recommendations are to developing changes and ensuring equitable access to all people.