Organization Overview
The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), located in Washington, DC and New York City, is a nonprofit public policy and technical assistance organization. We work in partnership with federal, state and local governments and communities to shape new ideas for public policy and develop and support networks of innovators. All CSSP's work centers on increasing the chances that vulnerable children and youth will thrive and have developmental supports, access to a quality education and other opportunities that lead to a brighter future, and on helping families experience the support and financial stability they need to rear healthy and successful children.
Purpose of Internships at CSSP:
- To provide interns with work experiences by contributing to one or more of CSSP's areas of work
- To expose interns to learning opportunities regarding systems reform, public policy and community change
- To support interns to apply skills learned from college and graduate school to policy and practice work
General Information:
- Internships are unpaid, though a stipend may be available based on funding availability.
- The application period closes February 28, 2013.
- Internship areas: Public Policy, Neighborhood Investment, Child Welfare (2), Accounting
- Please indicate if you would like to be considered in one or more area.
- Decisions will be made no later than March 29, 2013.
- Due to the high volume of applications received, only the most qualified candidates will be contacted.
CHILD WELFARE (2 available) CSSP seeks two (2) interns, one for our New York office and one for our Washington, D.C. office, to help carry out our child welfare work focused on improving outcomes for all children and families at risk of, or already involved with, child protection systems. This work may include assisting state and local child welfare agencies to work more effectively with families and community stakeholders, striving to reduce racial disparities that contribute to poor outcomes for minority children in the care of child welfare agencies, helping states use class-action litigation as a less adversarial tool to bring about positive change in child welfare systems and analyzing and recommending improvements to state and national child welfare policies, practices and accountability systems. Click here for more information about CSSP's systems reform work.
Specific duties may include:
- Conducting research on implementation strategies for Youth Thrive, a research-based framework for promoting healthy development and well-being for adolescents involved with child welfare systems
- Supporting technical assistance approaches for sites participating in the Pregnant and Parenting Youth in Foster Care National Learning Network
- Participating as a member of a team charged with monitoring child welfare system performance through in-depth analysis of data (quantitative and qualitative), policies and practices, case record reviews and interviews with agency leaders, workers and stakeholders
How to Apply: Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume and writing sample to:
New York City Center for the Study of Social Policy c/o Myra Soto 50 Broadway, Suite 1504 New York, NY 10004[[mailto:myra.soto@cssp.org myra.soto@cssp.org]] with the subject line "child welfare intern"
Washington, D.C. Center for the Study of Social Policy c/o Alexandra Citrin 1575 Eye Street, NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20005 alexandra.citrin@cssp.org with the subject line "child welfare intern"
PUBLIC POLICY CSSP seeks an intern to support its work advancing CSSP's public policy agenda and policy projects. The public policy intern will participate as a member of a team charged with helping federal and state elected officials develop policies and funding to achieve better results for children and families; including working on PolicyforResults.org, a leading national resource for result-based policy and funding strategies. The position offers the opportunity to explore a wide range of policy issues, including child welfare, poverty, health and education, as well as other social and economic policy issues. The intern selected will have the chance to sharpen their research and writing skills while working with a dedicated and rigorous staff. He or she will also have an opportunity to learn about the public policy process by attending internal strategy meetings, hearings on Capitol Hill and meetings with partner organizations. The position will also require assistance with research, writing and PolicyforResults.org content development and updates. Click here for more information on CSSP's public policy work.
All applicants must:
- Currently be pursuing a graduate degree in public policy, social policy or a related field, or pursuing an undergraduate degree with experience in public policy development and analysis
- Have a demonstrated commitment to the mission and values of CSSP
- Possess very strong analytical skills
- Possess strong research and writing skills
- Work well autonomously and as a member of a team
- Understand public policy at the state and federal level
Specific duties may include:
- Conducting policy research
- Assisting in the preparation of reports
- Conducting social media activities (blog, Facebook, Twitter)
How to Apply: Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume and writing sample to: The Center for the Study of Social Policy c/o Megan Martin 1575 Eye Street NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20005 megan.martin@cssp.org with the subject line "Public Policy Intern"
COMMUNITY CHANGE/NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENT CSSP seeks an intern to be part of the Neighborhood Investment Team, which provides technical assistance and support to communities working to build the infrastructure and capacity needed to achieve, bring to scale, and sustain better results for all children and families. The Neighborhood Investment Intern will participate as a member of a team working on several place-based initiatives, such as Promise Neighborhoods and Building Neighborhood Capacity Programs, and will work with the team to update content on both the Building Neighborhood Capacity Resource Center and the Investing in Community Change blog.
Follow these links for more information about CSSP's Community Change and Neighborhood Investment work.
All applicants must:
- Currently be pursuing a graduate degree in public policy, social policy or a related field, or pursuing an undergraduate degree with experience in these areas
- Have a demonstrated commitment to the mission and values of CSSP
- Possess strong research and writing skills
- Work well autonomously and as a member of a team
Specific duties may include:
- Tracking fiscal and public policy developments at the federal, state and/or local levels that could impact neighborhood based community change efforts
- Conducting research related to improving outcomes for children and families through innovative policy and financing strategies at the neighborhood level
- Assisting in the preparation of reports and other written content, such as fact sheets, white papers and blog content
How to Apply: Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume and writing sample to: Center for the Study of Social Policy c/o Kirstin Yeado 1575 Eye Street NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20005[[mailto:kirstin.yeado@cssp.orgkirstin.yeado@cssp.org]] with the subject line "Neighborhood Investment Intern"
ACCOUNTING CSSP seeks an intern that is available to work full or part-time on the finance and accounting team to help support its work. The accounting intern will participate as a member of a team charged with responsibility for the monthly accounting records as well as grants administration and management. The position offers the opportunity for exposure to basic accounting procedures and principles ranging from accounts payable and receivable systems to financial statement preparation and analysis.
All applicants must:
- Currently be pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in accounting or finance
- Have a demonstrated commitment to the mission and values of CSSP
- Possess strong analytical skills and the ability to communicate orally and in written form
- Understand basic accounting principals
Additional qualifications: Knowledge of Sage MIP Fund Accounting and Microsoft excel is preferred
Specific duties may include:
- Assist in preparing financial statements and analysis
- Assist accounting manager with general ledger analysis, reports, and budgeting
- Involved with A/P and A/R functions; including invoicing and cash receipts
- Assist in accounting schedules and filing
- Perform miscellaneous administrative duties as needed
How to Apply: Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to: The Center for the Study of Social Policy c/o Denise Thompkins 1575 Eye Street NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20005[[mailto:denise.thompkins@cssp.orgdenise.thompkins@cssp.org]] with the subject line "Accounting Intern"
