2024-32i: 2025 Paid Undergrad Internship

Are you a rising undergraduate senior with a strong interest in learning about social or education programs, policies, and research? Are you curious how program evaluations can inform public policy? Are you considering graduate education or a career in public policy?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may be an ideal candidate for the Gueron Scholars Program’s paid summer internship at MDRC, one of the nation’s premier social and education policy research firms. Directed by MDRC’s Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Inclusion, in collaboration with The Policy Academies, and with input from MDRC’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Advocacy Council, the mission of the internship is to provide individuals from groups that are underrepresented in the social and education policy research community with an opportunity for professional experience in the field. Applications are open to all interested students. The internship is designed to provide opportunities for rising seniors to get “hands-on” exposure to social policy research, gain insight into employment options beyond the academic and public sectors, and benefit from the guidance and support of MDRC’s staff. 

In summer 2025, MDRC will offer four rising seniors a paid eight-week internship. Students selected for this opportunity will be exposed to multidisciplinary teams that develop and evaluate programs focused on current social and education policy issues. Interns will have the opportunity to engage in assigned hands-on tasks (described in more detail below) to support projects within one or more of MDRC’s five policy areas, two centers, or one of its research policy support units: 

• Family Well-Being and Children’s Development Policy Area
• K-12 Education Policy Area
• Postsecondary Education Policy Area
• Economic Mobility, Housing, and Communities Policy Area
• Youth Development, Criminal Justice, and Employment Policy Area
• Center for Applied Behavioral Science
• Center for Data Insights
• Data Collection Unit

As part of their project onboarding experience, interns will be matched with near-peer MDRC team members on each of their assigned projects. These MDRC staff will be available to answer project inquiries and serve as the project’s primary points of contact.

Responsibilities

The paid internship provides the opportunity to work with MDRC teams on a range of activities, including: 

• Participating in seminars to learn about MDRC’s education and social policy research.
• Engaging with real-life MDRC projects to learn about the day-to-day aspects of social and education policy projects, as well as their research and policy contexts.
• Networking within the MDRC community to learn more about topic areas of interest to understand the context of MDRC’s research and policy work.
• Participating in other professional development activities, such as delivering a presentation on the internship experience and receiving résumé coaching. 

In addition, the internship may include the following organizational, administrative, and analytical opportunities to support the intern’s skill development: 

• Learning about contemporary social and educational programs, policies, and research practices in the social and educational policy field.
• Exposure to project management by developing materials, such as agendas and meeting notes.
• Developing professional relationships with staff to support ongoing career development.
• Developing communication skills through written and oral presentations based on assigned MDRC project work.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate student who will be a college senior in the Fall of 2025 or Spring of 2026 academic year. 
• Demonstrated interest in social and education policy issues. 
• Basic understanding of research methods. 
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to manage multiple tasks. 
• Comfort working in a team-oriented, fast-paced environment.
• Comfort with and interest in learning to use new software and technology and the ability to collaborate in a virtual environment.
• Strong writing and communication skills. 

 Deadline 

Applications should be submitted by Tuesday, December 31, 2024. All applications and supporting materials will be reviewed after the application deadline. 

How to Apply

Instructions: When submitting your application, please include the following:

• A résumé, including relevant work and academic experience.
• A personal statement (up to two single-spaced pages), which must include the following: (1) your interest in public policy issues and research, (2) your immediate career interests and goals after graduating from college, (3) how this internship, coupled with your academic pursuits and/or prior experiences, will contribute to your professional growth, and (4) how your background, identity, academic studies, and life experience have impacted your professional pursuits and help achieve the goal of the Gueron Scholars Program to bring greater diversity to the field. In addition, applicants who intend to receive academic credit for the internship must state this in their personal statement.
• A copy of your unofficial college transcript(s), which must document your status as a registered student.
• Two academic or professional references. Applicants will be asked to submit the names, email addresses, and phone numbers of their references.
• Please note: Applications that do not include all the required materials will be deemed incomplete and removed from consideration. This includes personal statements that do not explicitly address in detail the four points stated above.

Important Things to Know 

• Interns will be expected to begin their internships in June of 2025.
• Interns are paid $18.00 per hour.
• Interns are expected to work 35 hours per week.
• Interns will be required to work in the New York office five days a week to participate in programs activities.
• MDRC is pleased to provide housing for all interns. Applicants invited to interview virtually will receive more information about this benefit.
• This position may require minimal travel for site visits and a multi-day trip to Washington, DC. for professional networking. These expenses will be covered by the program.

MDRC is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. No qualified applicant, employee, intern, volunteer, or apprenticeship trainee will be discriminated against on the basis of his, her, or their race (including traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, national origin (including physical, cultural or linguistic characteristics), marriage to or association with persons of a national origin group, tribal affiliation, membership in or association with an organization identified with or seeking to promote the interests of a national origin group, name that is associated with a national origin group, accent, language use, immigration status, citizenship, possession of a driver’s license issued to persons unable to prove their lawful presence in the United States, and other definitions under California or other states’ laws, ancestry, creed, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), age, citizenship, veteran and/or military status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity (including transgender status), gender expression, gender transitioning or perceived gender transitioning, marital status or civil partnership/union status, physical or mental disability (actual or perceived), medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, protected medical leaves (requesting or being approved for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act) or similar state family medical leave laws, domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state or local law. Legal work authorization is required. To request a reasonable accommodation during any stage of MDRC’s employment process due to a disability, please contact [email protected]. 

MDRC’s dedication to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion exceed compliance requirements. We believe that recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce of all backgrounds and perspectives improves the quality and relevance of our research, as well as the daily experiences of our staff. By fostering an equitable culture of inclusivity and belonging, we seek an environment in which staff feel welcomed, valued, and engaged in their work.