Internship Location: Madison
Organization Type: Nonprofit
Policy Areas: Social Welfare Policy, Government Relations/Lobbying
The National Association of Social Workers-Wisconsin Chapter is an organization focused on mobilizing social workers based on their interests to participate in advocacy efforts. The internship included direct contact with NASW-WI members and a large focus on researching bills and political figures to support upcoming election efforts across Wisconsin. Because of the focused legislative efforts, it was important for me to be politically active and informed as to what issues are most important to Wisconsin voters and NASW-WI members. The organization supported various lobbying efforts and is involved in a variety of coalitions intended to support the rights of people in Wisconsin, such as the Raise the Age coalition that is seeking to raise the age that a person is automatically tried as an adult for a crime in Wisconsin from 17 to 18. As a macro-level intern, I learned a lot about how organizations run on a day-to-day basis and was able to assist in different projects intended to improve social welfare policies in the state and contribute to legislative efforts to improve social equity.