Southern Education Foundation Summer 2010 Policy and Practice Internship

The Southern Education Foundation is offering a Summer 2010 internship in education policy and practice for graduate students completing their first year. The deadline for this application is Friday, March 19. Please see below for more information:

The Southern Education Foundation (SEF) is the South’s oldest education philanthropy, tracing its origins back to 1867. Its mission is to advance equity and excellence in education for low income students and communities in the South, the region that is home to 40 percent of the nation’s poor people. The South has the lowest levels of education attainment and achievement, the highest drop out rates and provides the least need-based financial aid for higher education. It has the greatest need for new leaders to develop corrective public policies and practices to improve education quality and opportunity at all levels. Education, the great equalizer, is the means to advance economic growth, strengthen democratic values and participation, and improve everyone’s quality of life.

Recognizing the need to develop new outstanding leaders in education, philanthropy and the non profit sector, SEF has initiated a unique “Southern Education Leadership Initiative.” The Initiative exposes highly motivated and diverse upperclassmen and graduate students enrolled in Southern colleges and universities to information about contemporary education issues and provides them with seven week internships in leading organizations concerned with equity and excellence in education. Since 2004, 103 students have been placed at non profit organizations such as CARE USA, Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation, College of Charleston, Clark Atlanta University, Center for Women Policy Studies, Georgia Pacific Foundation, Jessie Ball DuPont Fund, Assisi Foundation, Foundation for the Mid South, Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, Southern Regional Education Board, and the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. SEF is exposing the next generation of leaders to opportunities to use their talents in service to the public interest.

Interns are selected through a competitive process—only the most talented and committed will be able to participate. Each intern is required to participate in a pre-placement orientation meeting in Atlanta, undertake an independent project during the course of his/her internship, and present lessons learned from the internship at a closing meeting in Atlanta.

Interns receive:

• An opportunity to work for seven weeks in an organization doing outstanding work in education, e.g., a policy institution, community-based organization or philanthropic institution;
• A living expense stipend of $3,000 (for undergraduates or graduating seniors), or $3,500 (for graduate students completing their first year), as well as travel expenses to visit the Southern Education Foundation in Atlanta, Georgia, for orientation and closing activities;
• Exposure to research in the field, practical experience and opportunities to meet and work with outstanding and inspiring leaders involved in education policy and practice;
• An opportunity to develop a project – website, presentation or publication of his/her own design – to share with other students at his/her campus following the summer experience.

For more information, please visit: http://www.southerneducation.org. Click here to download the application.