INTERNSHIP Policy & Advocacy Intern, Heartland Alliance

Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights

2011-2012 Internships in Social IMPACT Research Center and Policy & Advocacy
(formerly known as the Mid-America Institute on Poverty)

Heartland Alliance is a service-based human rights organization focused on investments in and solutions
for the most poor and vulnerable men, women and children in our society. We believe that all individuals
and families have a right to housing, healthcare, economic opportunity, and legal protection. Heartland
Alliance’s research, policy, and advocacy efforts focus on realizing human rights through systemic
change that improves the quality of life for poor and vulnerable individuals and families.
On the policy side, Heartland Alliance develops policy proposals, builds strategic alliances, and pursues
collective action to achieve systemic change. Our proposals are based in the experiences of impacted
populations and the programs that serve them and we utilize research and data to illustrate barriers as well
as the effectiveness of solutions. We combine our unique service-based understanding of the
administrative and policy barriers that plague public systems with our expertise in developing and
advancing proven solutions to achieve meaningful, sustainable social change. Areas of policy expertise
include income supports and the social safety net, youth development, affordable housing and
homelessness, asset building and workforce policy.

On the research side, Heartland Alliance’s Social IMPACT Research Center (IMPACT) has extensive
experience evaluating pilot programs, analyzing policies, documenting systems, and in producing final
evaluation reports that serve as a means of informing policymakers, program operators and researchers.
IMPACT uses the following research techniques: surveys, consumer interviewing, focus groups, case
studies, administrative data sets, census data analysis, and program observation. IMPACT has research
expertise in innovative housing models, homelessness, poverty dimensions, affordable housing, and
employment programs for isolated and marginalized populations.

Finally, IMPACT houses the National Transitional Jobs Network (NTJN), a coalition of Transitional Jobs
(TJ) programs, policy organizations, and others. TJ is a workforce strategy designed to overcome
employment obstacles by using time-limited, wage-paying jobs and combining real work, skill
development, and supportive services to transition participants successfully into the labor market. The
Network works to ensure that policies account for the hard-to-employ, that the public understands the
need to invest in these services, and that best practices and technical assistance are widely shared and
implemented.

Internship Priorities: Priority will be given to:
- Second year masters level, JD or PhD students.
- Students available to work 3 days per week most weeks through the entire school year.
- As space/project needs allow, undergraduate and summer-only interns may be considered.*
Applicant Process: Interns who meet the pre-requisites are asked to submit the following in order to be
considered for an internship:
- Please submit a cover letter, a resume, and a short writing sample (4 pages or less).
- The above items should be email to Jean Lam at jlam@heartlandalliance.org.
- Internships will pay a stipend.

Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, c/o Social IMPACT Research Center and Policy & Advocacy
www.heartlandalliance.org/research - www.heartlandalliance.org/poverty - www.transitionaljobs.net