Mayor’s Office Fellowship Program – Summer 2011

Mayor’s Office Fellowship Program – Summer 2011

Program Background

The City of Chicago is strongly committed to improving public services for its citizens. Attaining this goal requires the hard work and dedication of qualified public service professionals. Recruiting highly qualified graduate level students, from universities across the country, has proven to be one of the best ways to attain this goal.

The Mayor’s Office Fellowship Program attracts bright, highly motivated individuals, gives them a broad overview of municipal government and provides a unique, “hands-on” experience. Fellows participate in budgetary, legislative, and programmatic areas of city government and work directly with Mayor’s Office staff. Mayoral Fellows are afforded an unparalleled opportunity to learn about public service and policy-making by directly contributing to the executive office of the City of Chicago.

Objectives

Through the Mayor’s Office Fellowship Program, you may accomplish the following:

 Develop new initiatives that keep Chicago green;
 Research ways to keep Chicago affordable;
 Work on workforce development initiatives targeting specific industries;
 Outline best practices in public safety programs and youth engagement;
 Research and compare housing-related policies in U.S. cities;
 Create innovative solutions to traffic and infrastructure challenges;
 Recommend ways to better integrate technology with City functions;
 Analyze information on regional issues and Great Lakes policies;
 Create new programs that connect City residents with the great cultural resources of Chicago.

Nature of the Program

The City of Chicago Mayor’s Office Fellowship Program offers fellowships to students interested in learning about City government and public policy. The program provides an in-depth view of how City government operates. Fellows will have the opportunity to:
 Work directly with the Mayor’s senior staff;
 Research policies and evaluate their potential benefit to Chicago;
 Draft memoranda on upcoming issues and new initiatives;
 Interact with and attend meetings with Commissioners, Aldermen, senior-level staff from various City departments, and experts in a variety of policy fields;
 Learn about the work and mission of the City’s departments through weekly presentations by department commissioners and senior level staff, and through guided tours of City facilities.
 Attend press conferences, City Council hearings, senior staff meetings, and strategic planning sessions.
 Develop “New Ideas” for policies and initiatives.

Eligibility Criteria

The Mayor’s Office encourages graduate students from all disciplines to apply. While there are no preferences to specific graduate fields or majors, the program seeks candidates who are enthusiastic to learn about city government and have demonstrated a substantial commitment to excellence as evidenced by academic honors, leadership ability, extracurricular activities, and involvement in community or public service. You must be a currently enrolled student at the time of employment in order to be eligible.

International students must have an F-1 Student Visa and must be a full-time student. International students are required to have a social security number/card which states “VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION.” The college or university can assist international students with obtaining authorization.
(DHS = Department of Homeland Security).

Selection Process

Completed applications for participation in the summer session (June 13, 2011 through August 26, 2011) must be postmarked no later than FEBRUARY 11, 2011. Candidates must submit an application, which requires two written responses and two letters of recommendation, as well as a resume, official transcript and letter of enrollment. To download an application, visit www.cityofchicago.org/mayorfellowship.

Applications will be screened for eligibility and qualifications. Applicants will be selected for interviews and based upon the results of the interview process, a final selection of fellows will be made.

Candidates are selected on a nationwide basis from public and private colleges and universities. Candidates must be current students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or a minimum cumulative GPA of 4.0 on a 5.0 scale. Fellows are not classified as full-time employees. Residency in the City of Chicago is required prior to starting the fellowship program. Relocation is at the applicant’s expense. Fellows are paid at a rate of $20 per hour.

For further information, contact Kathryn O’Connell, Office of the Mayor, 121 N. LaSalle Street, Room 406, Chicago, IL 60602, 312-744-9500.
To download an application, please visit www.cityofchicago.org/mayorfellowship

Alumni

Past participants in the Mayor’s Fellowship program have been selected from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds. Many pursued degrees in public policy, city planning and administration, business, law, social service, landscape architecture, design, and doctorate programs.

Among our alumni, we count the recipients of prestigious awards such as the Rhodes and Harry S. Truman Scholarships. Mayoral Fellows have continued on to successful careers at all levels of government, many returning to Chicago to pursue challenging positions with a number of City departments and sister agencies.