Gov. Peter Shumlin and the University of Vermont are accepting applications for the Vermont Governor’s Cabinet Graduate Internship Program.
The program, administered by the UVM Department of Community Development and Applied Economics Master of Public Administration program, provides opportunities for top graduate students to work alongside state officials, doing meaningful work for the state while gaining invaluable experience in the public sector. The opportunity is open to graduate students attending Vermont schools and to Vermont graduate students attending out-of-state schools.
“This program is a wonderful opportunity for motivated Vermont graduate students to experience public service in action,” said Gov. Shumlin. “The program also allows state agencies to rely on the valued experience of graduate students who lend their unique perspective and skill sets to state government. The more we can encourage this collaboration, the more experience our Vermont students get and the more state government will run efficiently and creatively. It’s a win-win.”
Christopher Koliba, director of the UVM Master of Public Administration Program, said of the program, “This opportunity provides a unique access to public policy that fosters a real understanding of how our government works. In turn, the graduate students who participate in this program are a huge asset to state government. This exceptional partnership is an outstanding learning laboratory providing instruction outside the classroom and allowing interns to develop skills that will be very valuable to future employers.”
“My experience as a Governor’s Cabinet intern at the Department of Environmental Conservation has been extraordinary”, said Linnea Myers, UVM MPA candidate, and the program’s first intern. “I am seeing first-hand the intersections between state and local government and how various partners across agencies can come together to meet goals, specifically in this case about water quality in Lake Champlain.” Myers is currently working on a program that will be called ECO Vermont and is in the process of applying for AmeriCorps funding.
“We feel fortunate to have a high-level intern of Linnea’s caliber working in our department”, stated Carey Hengstenberg, planning manager for the Agency of Natural Resources. “Her education, work experience and outside perspective have helped us tremendously in moving our ECO Vermont Service Corp concept to a solid project proposal.”
To learn more about the program, view current internship opportunities and apply, students can visit www.uvm.edu/mpa. For questions, contact Jason Duquette-Hoffman, UVM MPA Internship Coordinator, at Jason.Duquette-Hoffman@uvm.edu or (802) 656-8755. While applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, students interested in spring opportunities should submit their applications by mid-December.