PPIC’s Summer Intern Program provides an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students interested in a public policy career to work in a policy research environment. Intern projects are proposed by PPIC researchers and designed around a specific set of tasks and deliverables that can be accomplished within the term of the internship.

Please complete your application by February 7, 2022. We expect to make the selection decisions for intern projects by mid-April. No phone calls, please.

Project 3: Improving CalFresh Policy to Support Employment and Stabilize Incomes

Project Directors

Caroline Danielson and Tess Thorman

Project Summary

Since fall 2019 several members of the Safety Net group at PPIC have been engaged in analyzing longitudinal administrative data on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants. This program is called CalFresh in California. Most recently, we have been examining CalFresh adults’ connections to employment. CalFresh is designed to prevent short-term deprivation, with the idea that many working-age adult participants will transition into jobs that pay more than enough to meet their basic needs. Yet we lack detailed information about participants’ employment and income stability that can inform policy aimed at improving the connection between safety net participation and economic opportunity. The intern will provide support to further investigate the policy implications of this research, the first two publications of which are scheduled to be released in late spring 2022.

The goal for the summer project is to identify key policy questions and expand our engagement with stakeholders. The intern will learn about key project findings by engaging with the project leaders and will review research literature and policy documents on the topic of economic opportunity and safety net program participants. The intern will work with project directors to develop an outreach strategy with 4-6 stakeholder/ stakeholder groups centered around deepening our understanding of the policy implications and remaining policy questions that derive from the research. For example, we may want to further investigate the intersection of specific Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) or SNAP Employment and Training programs with the typical experiences of CalFresh adult participants.

Responsibilities

The intern will work with project leaders to:

• Review relevant academic literature and research reports
• Review state and local policy
• Write policy memo(s) and a literature review
• Identify key stakeholder groups
• Craft effective outreach materials and summaries of outreach activities
• Conduct outreach to key stakeholder groups

The intern may also contribute to a related blog post. The intern will be a member of the Safety Net policy group.

Qualifications

The intern for this project should possess:

• Training in economics, political science, public health, public policy, sociology, or urban planning
• Strong research and communication skills
• Ability to work independently, handle feedback well, and change direction when necessary
• Interviewing or qualitative research experience a plus

PPIC values the wide variety of backgrounds and experiences of our research staff, and key elements in the consideration of qualified candidates include excellence; diversity of talents, backgrounds, and viewpoints; and a strong fit with the institute’s mission, values, and priorities.

The Research Environment

Interns are offered the opportunity to participate in the collegial atmosphere of PPIC through daily interaction with all aspects of the institution. They are invited to join the research staff in their regular meetings and to attend PPIC’s outside events, including the institute’s public affairs programs and research briefings. PPIC offers access to the Institute of Governmental Sciences library at the University of California, Berkeley, allowing interns to work with many important databases, journals, and statistical datasets. The intern program also includes a discussion of California state policy by PPIC’s government affairs staff.

Each intern’s project will include an initial meeting with research staff, evaluation and feedback at the beginning and end of the project, and a briefing by the intern on the goals, findings, and significance of the project. Interns are encouraged to discuss their work throughout the course of the project, to meet with research staff to discuss careers in research, and to meet with communications staff to learn about outreach and building an audience of policymakers.

Location, Compensation, and Time on Project

The 2022 intern program will be conducted remotely, or via a hybrid setup if circumstances allow. Compensation is $22 per hour. This full-time internship will last up to eleven weeks, ideally beginning June 13, 2022.

To Apply

As part of completing this application, submit your cover letter highlighting the particular skills you bring to the project and describing how this internship would contribute to your career development, and attach your resume in PDF or MS Word format.

PPIC is committed to excellence through diversity. Our work is rooted in objective, data-driven policy analysis. We welcome and encourage applicants who reflect the full diversity of California. The expertise of our staff members is essential to the success of PPIC’s mission, and we assist career and personal growth through robust support of skill development at all levels of the organization. PPIC offers a collaborative, intellectually stimulating, impactful work environment with a competitive compensation and benefits package.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. AA / EEO / Veterans / Disabled employer.