Powering Up Our Internship Program

By Logan Anderson

The Society Library (the Internet Government’s mother non-profit) is among many things, a public educational platform “dedicated to the betterment of society through information access, preservation, and integrity.” And this summer at the Society Library, we’ve created a suite of internship programs that’s enabling students to participate in every aspect of that mission. Using the internship webapp Handshake, we have connected with over 400 Universities and are attracting highly skilled students who are seeking to advance their education and careers with real-world responsibilities under the guidance of our program managers.

Given the Society Library’s methodologies were in part born from academia, we are delighted by the value that furthering our partnerships with universities and educational institutions will bring, as well as the value we can deliver to students in return. We’ve opened up opportunities to undergrad and graduate students alike, for credit; and we’ve made available hands-on experience on transformative projects in the following fields: data science, data analysis, media and communication, community outreach, and climate science.

Students from different corners of the USA will work concurrently on projects, utilizing virtual meetings and communication apps to keep connected as a set of distributed teams. Our goal is not only to create opportunities to increase proficiency in their field and give them real world experience, but to empower students to influence the fields themselves. By working on our Great American Debate and Internet Government programs, students are contributing to cutting edge development in mass societal communication through the sciences. And yes, there is also a place for creativity: from social media content creation, to developing augmented reality posters, and digital project flyers, we have positions where imagination is vital.

We are so pleased, and there are so many great things to come.  Wish the students luck!