Education Policy & Advocacy Intern (Graduate Student, Recent Graduate, or Rising College Senior)

About EdVoice and EdVoice Institute

EdVoice is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit education advocacy organization that is reshaping public education in California so that all children have futures filled with opportunity. California’s public education system is not working well for children from low-income communities, and significant policy changes are needed at the state level. EdVoice is leading efforts to ensure all students receive a quality education by engaging in advocacy and lobbying activities to influence the passage of state legislation that will combat the current system’s inequities. We also lead coalition-building efforts and general awareness campaigns to champion the most important policies each legislative cycle and provide strategic political funding to leaders who prioritize the needs of students from low-income communities through our EdVoice for the Kids PAC.

Our sister organization, EdVoice Institute, is a 501(c)(3) research and coalition-building organization that uplifts scalable solutions to improve academic outcomes for children from low-income communities. EdVoice Institute provides evidence-based policy recommendations across our key pillars to restructure the public education system and prepare students for college, career, and life. These efforts help build the overall political will for change and aid in persuading legislators to prioritize passing high-impact policies that improve public education in California.

The Opportunity

EdVoice is seeking a motivated and mission-driven graduate student intern (or exceptional recent graduate or rising college senior) to support our policy and advocacy work during Summer 2025. This internship is ideal for someone pursuing or recently completing a degree in Public Policy, Public Administration, Education, or a related field, and who is interested in the intersection of education, equity, and systems change in California.

Essential Responsibilities

Projects will be scoped based on timing, candidate strengths, and team needs. Sample responsibilities may include:

• Preparing policy research summaries or landscape scans to support the development of EdVoice’s 2026 legislative agenda
• Drafting content for toolkits, one-pagers, or internal strategy documents to support EdVoice’s ongoing coalition and advocacy work
• Collaborating with the policy team to compile, clean, and conduct primary data analysis to assess the implementation of California’s recent early literacy policies
• Reviewing and assessing local policies, regulations, and education practices that impact students from low-income communities
• Completing special projects as needed, working on a wide variety of education and community issues

What You’ll Gain

• Exposure to real-world education advocacy and policymaking in California
• Opportunities to engage with a team of experienced policy professionals
• Experience producing professional work products used in legislative and public settings
• A clearer view of career pathways in advocacy, nonprofit, or government roles
• The opportunity to build a professional network in California’s education policy and public affairs landscape

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Strong writing and editing skills (memos, briefs, summaries)
• Experience with both quantitative and qualitative data cleaning, collection, and analysis
• Ability to conduct policy research and synthesize information
• Familiarity with California education issues or interest in learning
• Ability to work independently and manage deadlines
• Professional communication skills (email, Zoom, meetings, etc.)
• Attention to detail and strong organizational habits
• Ability to collaborate with a small, fast-paced team
• Proficiency with Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides)
• Commitment to equity in education and public policy

Who Should Apply

• Current graduate students in Public Policy, Public Administration, Education, Political Science, or similar
• Recent graduates or rising seniors from a California higher education institution with demonstrated academic or extracurricular experience in policy, advocacy, or education equity
• Applicants should demonstrate a strong interest in California education policy and the role of advocacy in systems change

Internship Details

• Location: Remote; must be available to work between the hours of 9am - 5pm Pacific Time
• Compensation: $25-30/hour, depending on experience
• Duration: 4–6 weeks (target start mid-June, end by mid/late August) with the potential of extending into the school year

How to Apply

Please send a brief cover letter and resume to hr@edvoice.org by 5pm Tuesday, June 10th. In your cover letter, let us know why you're interested in education policy and what skills you hope to develop this summer.

EdVoice is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, pregnancy, or veteran status. We strongly encourage applications from candidates of all races, national origins, ages, religions, creeds, veteran or disabled statuses, sexual orientations, gender identities, or gender expressions. Please visit our website for more information at www.edvoice.org.