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Robert M. La Follette
School of Public Affairs
1225 Observatory Drive
Madison, WI 53706

Telephone: 608.262.3581
Fax: 608.265.3233

Last updated:
August 18, 2011

Career Development: Internship Summaries 2009

Community Development on Lingira Island, Uganda
World Health Organization in Geneva
United Way of Dane County, Schools of Hope High School Program
Government Accountability Office, Washington, D.C.
U.S. Department of State: Consulate General, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Madison Mayor's Office, ASSPIRE Internship Program
EPA Region 10
City of Madison, Community Development Division
Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP
Fisheries Management, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
United Way Dane County

Community Development on Lingira Island, Uganda

My internship experience was unique in that I created my own internship position: leading a group of UW undergraduate students to implement a comprehensive community development project in an island community in Uganda's Lake Victoria. I served as the Project Manager, which required me to travel to Uganda three weeks before the rest of the group arrived to assess community needs and establish relationships with partner organizations, local government leaders, and community members.

By the time the rest of our 11-member team arrived, I had prepared a work plan for each of the individual projects we implemented: a “global studies” education program for both the primary and secondary school; an English curriculum for the secondary school; sanitation, physical education, and pen-pal programs for the primary school; construction of a grain mill to generate income and lower food costs for the secondary school; agricultural training and the formation of a farming association; creation of a family planning initiative to reach out to the entire island chain; income generation for women through fair-trade crafts; and researching future projects.

Throughout the course of our five-week project, I strengthened and maintained partnerships, and advised and assisted team members with project implementation strategies. Our goal was to empower students to take the lead on their individual projects, so I primarily served a supporting role in each of the projects. I did take the lead role in the grain mill project by researching, budgeting, overseeing the construction, and creating a monitoring and evaluation strategy for this fairly large income generation project.

World Health Organization in Geneva

It is a unique opportunity and unforgettable experience being able to conduct research in health policies as a summer intern at the department of immunization, vaccines, and biologicals of the World Health Organization in Geneva. The actual tasks and topics I have been working on throughout this period are miscellaneous and absolutely beyond the scope of this summary and my internship report.

W.H.O. interns and employees, resembling those affiliated with other agencies under the United Nations (U.N.), are given tremendous support to continue to learn and explore during their leisure time. Thus I have taken the full advantage of this arrangement to interact with outstanding young professionals from all over the world in a number of settings. In the past ten weeks, I have attended dozens of lunch seminars held at W.H.O. and U.N.A.I.D.S. as well as conferences at Palais des Nations; besides, I have visited museums in all the major cities across Switzerland. I was amazed at the many different languages used in daily communication, newspapers, and academic publications in these cities. In fact, the country of Switzerland itself can be called the ‘United Nations of food, culture, and languages.’

In the last week of my internship, I am preparing to delve deeper into the research on the solution of pervasive health inequities. I will also be participating in a teleconference, presided by eminent immunologists here at W.H.O., with experts in the United States. “Involving local communities is an integral part of the overall efforts towards health equity. This is especially important because if the ground realities with regard to equity are to be assessed accurately, then it is those who are excluded who can provide evidence of changes”.

United Way of Dane County, Schools of Hope High School Program

I was an intern with the Schools of Hope program and the United Way of Dane County (UWDC). The program was initiated in 1995 as a civic journalism project of the Wisconsin State Journal and WISC-TV. UWDC was asked to lead the community in an effort that would become an attempt to eliminate the racial achievement gap in literacy. It was later expanded to local middle schools to eliminate a similar gap in algebra. Significant research exists that indicate algebra is a course that develops critical thinking skills and can be a difference in whether one goes to college or not.

When I entered the program it was in the process of expanding to four area high schools. Federal stimulus funds had been awarded to UWDC for the expansion and little time existed between the awarding of the grant and its implementation. I played an important role in helping to recruit AmeriCorps members and prepare their summer orientation. During the academic year the AmeriCorps members will be serving as tutor coordinators and recruiting hundreds of tutors from the Madison area.

It was necessary for all of us working with the program to collaborate with other agencies such as the Urban League of Dane County to ensure that critical agencies and the community were supportive of the Schools of Hope program. I participated in the actual orientation of the AmeriCorps members in many ways including developing curriculum to help fulfill a requirement that they partake in citizenship activities. On one occasion we visited the state capitol and discussed civic involvement with the president of the State Senate, Senator Fred Risser. Other duties of my internship include assisting in the writing of grant applications.

The experience was genuinely insightful. The Schools of Hope project is part of the Agenda for Change, a plan that attempts to resolve the root causes of problems. UWDC is adamant that instead of funding band-aid approaches to managing problems that it develops and funds programs that provide solutions to problems. As the summer progressed and my understanding of their efforts increased I became more and more impressed with the strategic direction of UWDC.

Government Accountability Office, Washington, D.C.

Founded in 1921, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is informally known as the "congressional watchdog." It is an independent, nonpartisan agency that investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. I interned on the Health Care team, which is one of approximately 12 policy teams.

First, I worked on an evaluation of stimulus dollars that went towards increasing the federal matching rate for Medicaid. This was a very unusual GAO engagement because the stimulus bill mandated that GAO produce a comprehensive report every 60 days. It provided me an unusual opportunity to help produce a GAO report in a very tight timeframe. I helped design the data collection instrument (a survey), interview state Medicaid officials, analyze the data, write the report, and guide the report through GAO's rigorous review process.

For my second project, I worked on a team to produce a description of the Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) premium assistance programs. Premium assistance programs use Medicaid or CHIP dollars to subsidize the purchase of private health insurance, such as employer sponsored health insurance. I got to work on creating the survey, interviewing state Medicaid offices, and analyzing information. The job requires creative thinking when proposing the study's scope and methodology, and acute attention to detail when collecting and analyzing data.

U.S. Department of State: Consulate General, Chiang Mai, Thailand

I was an intern with the US Department of State in the Politics-Econ sector at the US Consulate General in Chiang Mai, Thailand during the summer of 2009. I chose this particular internship as I am focusing my studies on economics and development in Southeast Asia. My previous experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand combined with LaFollette course work prepared me for all duties assigned during the internship.

Before arriving at the consulate, I expected the internship to be formally organized, but I was surprised because very little was actually assigned. It was up to me to make the most out of the internship. I was able to coordinate with the econ officer on topics that I was interested in and had relevance to the consulate. After a topic was decided upon, I conducted my own research by finding relevant articles and contacts. Since the consulate in Chiang Mai covers all of northern Thailand, I had the opportunity to travel to a number of provinces to collect information. After I gathered enough information and conducted a sufficient amount of interviews, I would write cables that would go out to the greater Department of State, to report my findings. By the end of the internship I expect to write six cables on diverse topics such as Burmese migrant remittance flows, informal economies in Burmese refugee camps, BIMSTEC-GMS developments, Hmong hill tribe economies, and the dynamic political situation in Thailand.

Aside from conducting research, I attended a number of conferences and met many high profile Thai people including trade ministers, central bankers, chamber of commerce members, etc. I also had the pleasure to attend a number of formal US consulate events where American, Thai, and foreign officials gathered to have fun and network instead of just working full time. Overall, I enjoyed the internship at the consulate and will be taking the Foreign Service exam in October to try and be a Foreign Service officer in the economics career track.

Madison Mayor's Office, ASSPIRE Internship Program

I researched alcohol policies of other states, cities, and transportation systems through internet research and by calling local officials. I created summary reports of these findings and made recommendations for changes to Madison and Wisconsin statutes. I attended all meetings with my supervisor which included meetings with local alders, local police and fire officials, and business owners. I also worked with the Alcohol License Review Committee (ALRC), the committee responsible for approving and supervising alcohol licenses for Madison. I attended ALRC hearings and prepared memos for the committee. I really enjoyed the internship and feel like I got a strong understanding of how Madison's alcohol policy functions. I also think the internship was a great mix of substantive work and observing alcohol policy in action. I had a great supervisor and mentor and who included me on everything she was doing while I was there.

Environmental Protection Agency Region 10

Interning at EPA's Region 10 Seattle office has enabled me to pursue my established interests in climate and energy policy while providing exposure to the unique environmental policy problems of the Pacific Northwest. Surrounded by a diversity of complex and highly vulnerable ecosystems, the Seattle office lies at the heart of passionate environmental debate. Witnessing firsthand the majesty and fragility of resident orca pods has instilled new respect for this debate and its place in discussions about the proper role of human beings in the natural environment. The peril of such a dominant and seemingly untouchable creature is a testament to our power to corrupt nature and the importance of keeping that power in check.

I appreciated working with others at EPA who shared my enthusiasm for improving the relationship between humans and the natural environment. While my work focused directly on climate change, waste and materials management, I was also able to explore problems in ecosystem management, environmental permitting, hazardous materials measurement, and pollution prevention through various forms of intra-agency communication. I also had the privilege of touring a hazardous waste processing facility to observe the scale and rigor of the operations required to contain adverse environmental impacts.

City of Madison, Community Development Division

The Community Development Division is a public investment agency within the Department of Planning and Community and Economic Development. The Division works with community-based non-profit organizations to improve the quality of life for Madison's low- and moderate-income people and neighborhoods.

As a Management Intern I worked on two main projects. First, I worked on the city’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation grant proposal and oversaw its submission to The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The proposal outlined how the city will allocate its green stimulus funds (totaling $2.4 million) in areas such as housing, economic development, and workforce development. Second, I worked on the city’s Consolidated Plan. This plan, which is submitted to HUD every five years, outlines how the city will approach its goals to provide decent housing, a suitable living environment, and expanded economic opportunities for low- and moderate-income persons. In addition to writing and compiling statistical information, this project required listening sessions with a broad range of citizens and community leaders.

Smaller projects included, but were not limited to: attending Neighborhood Resource Team meetings to discuss the city’s challenged neighborhoods; evaluating proposals from local agencies seeking stimulus funds and preparing contracts for those agencies that received funding; attending staff meetings and Community Development Commission meetings; and attending homelessness consortium meetings.

This 320-hour internship was an excellent introduction to municipal government and the interplay between city government and federal government agencies. Most important, the internship provided exposure to a broad range of issues affecting citizens throughout the City of Madison, particularly those citizens of limited means.

Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP

Over the past semester I have been a project intern at Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP. The Local Government Institute of Wisconsin retained Baker Tilly to perform an assessment of the current level and the potential for intergovernmental cooperation between local governments throughout Wisconsin. We did this by first surveying local government officials throughout the state and undertaking several focus groups throughout the state to gauge official’s general sentiment towards intergovernmental cooperation. After the results of the survey came in, we identified around 15 potential case studies to perform. These case studies were examples throughout Wisconsin where local governments had started cooperating with neighboring communities on providing services (such as fire protection, law enforcement or sanitation). My role involved analyzing the survey results, conducting interviews with relevant officials for the case studies, and transcribing the interviews into a format that could be presented in the final product to the Local Government Institute. I also built a database consisting of all expenditures and revenues of each local government (cities, towns, villages and counties) in Wisconsin over the past decade. The final product will be published early in 2010.
Working at Baker Tilly has vastly increased my knowledge of local government finance and service delivery, something I had little familiarity with, since I am an International Public Affairs student. The experience has reinforced my desire to work in consulting after graduation, as new projects constantly present themselves, insuring an interesting and ever-changing workplace.

Fisheries Management, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

My internship at the DNR was rather unique, since I created an internship in a department that was unaccustomed to interns. I was split between two supervisors, one focused on the administrative rules process and helping to update and evaluate current DNR rules while the other involved assisting in the implementation of the new Invasive Species Rule, NR 40.

The rulemaking part of my internship involved compiling information for various administrative rules being put forth by the DNR, writing up required documents, and ensuring all relevant organizations received copies at the appropriate time. This was often a learning process for my supervisor as well; he had recently been given many of the rulemaking duties following the retirement of another DNR employee. Sitting in on meetings I developed a strong appreciation for how much DNR policy is influenced by members of the public and DNR employees on-the ground.
The other part of my internship concerned Chapter NR 40: Invasive Species Identification, Classification and Control; most of this involved outreach to the aquarium and baitfish industries about NR 40. Most of my work was in the office, but I did have chances to get away. As part of developing best management practices for bait fish wholesalers I given the opportunity to visit a bait wholesaler operation in action. Seeing an operation in person provides a unique perspective that can’t be captured in an email or telephone conversation, and this trip was one of the highlights of my internship.

United Way Dane County

I was an intern for United Way Dane County (UWDC) in both the Community Impact Department and 2-1-1. My dual assignment gave me a better understanding of the numerous activities a large nonprofit organization engages in. My primary role with the Community Impact Department involved outreach efforts for free tax preparation sites targeting low-income workers who qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit. I spent my time learning about UWDC’s past involvement in this initiative and helped direct their future involvement. I coordinated and helped lead a collaborative planning session with major community actors in the nonprofit, private and government sectors. We met to improve communication in planning across sites, identify service gaps and areas of need, discuss options for expansion, and determine how to uniformly collect data to measure the successes of our outreach efforts.

My assignment with 2-1-1 was unique in that my job duties changed almost immediately after my placement due to the flu pandemic. 2-1-1 is an information and referral telephone line that individuals in need call to get connected to community resources. 2-1-1 has a partnership with the Department of Public Health and was involved extensively with the H1N1 flu pandemic efforts. My primary role with 2-1-1 involved data and resource work, finding which medical clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies would receive the H1N1 vaccine for public distribution in 7 different counties. I worked with one of the best computer programs for data resource management on a daily basis as well as carried out over 50 hours of research on just flu-related activities. I enjoyed being one of the flu leads at 2-1-1 during a public crisis as the sense of urgency intensified my desire to help those in need.