Internship Location: Remote
Organization Type: Nonprofit
Policy Areas: Food Advocacy, Health, Indigenous Sovereignty policy
I started interning with the Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition in the spring of 2024 and plan on working with them until I graduate from undergrad. It has been such a great learning experience working with them because the work is so flexible. Since the coalition is still quite new and small, one can easily take up more responsibilities. As a Data Science major, it was nice to get some experience with real, important data. In my work, I organized, visualized, and analyzed the coalition’s data to help assess the quality and equity of their services. I additionally helped research relevant policies and initiatives that would impact food advocacy and Indigenous health. My knowledge from taking classes with La Follette was particularly helpful with this sector of my work. I learned a lot from this internship experience, most importantly being my career aspirations. In the future, I hope to use my knowledge of data science as well as policy to work with organizations that will positively impact people’s lives as the Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition does. I would highly recommend this internship to future students, as it truly reveals the underbelly of policy and the American food system. Students from diverse academic studies can find a role within this organization because it truly takes a collective effort to operate as a positive organization.