PACE_CENTER

Public service internships challenge students to build on what they have learned in the classroom by applying this knowledge to real-world situations while working for nonprofits and government agencies throughout the world. Public service interns develop valuable skills in leadership, advocacy, and responsible citizenship and have opportunities to learn about and act on a broad range of public issues. 

Princeton students have worked in summer internship positions with a variety of organizations representing a broad spectrum of issues including the arts and humanities, environment and sustainable development, social services and community development, social and civil rights, education, finance and business development, health care, policy, political campaigns, and public-interest law and criminal justice.

These internships are arranged specifically for Princeton students by Princeton programs including the Pace Center, and by programs affiliated with the University, many of which are funded and mentored by alumni. They are unpaid positions requiring an on-site commitment of full-time work for a minimum of eight contiguous weeks, with a stipend provided to offset travel and living expenses. Learn more about these opportunities.

In addition to managing its own established internships program, the Pace Center is available to advise any student interested in a summer public service internship. This includes matching interests with available internship opportunities, offering guidance on the preparation of application materials, and providing resources for successful community engagement, safety and health issues, and professional development.

This advisement continues during the internship in the form of regular communication throughout the summer with the students and their intern supervisors, in order to support the students’ ongoing processing of their learning and experiences. After the internship, students are assisted in assimilating their summer learning in a post-internship debriefing and public presentation.