New America Public Policy Fellowship

New America Millennial Public Policy Fellowship

“New America is seeking enterprising, mission-driven young adults to work on the next big public policy challenges facing their generation. We invite applicants with a strong interest in public policy to apply for a competitive and paid fellowship in Washington, D.C.

This fellowship is designed to create opportunities for new and diverse voices to contribute to future public policy discussions. New America seeks to invest in some of the most promising young minds in the country; to deepen exposure to contemporary public policy and issue areas; to create valuable professional development experiences that will support their growth as future leaders, critical thinkers, and policy entrepreneurs; and to incubate and advance ideas that are capable of transforming policy systems for the better.

Selected applicants will be embedded in one of New America’s public policy programs, headquartered in Washington, D.C., where they will provide policy research support and collaborate with their cohort of fellows to explore the dynamics of a generational policy agenda. Each fellow will be paired with a mentor, contribute to the work of the program, and pursue a personalized project under the direction of New America staff. The cohort will meet regularly with their peers to participate in seminar-style sessions where they will share learnings, hear from a range of experts, pursue professional development activities, and work to develop high-impact policy ideas that can engage their peers and add value to a constructive public policy discourse focused on creating solutions to the challenges facing their generation.

The Millennial Public Policy Fellowship at New America is supported by the Citi Foundation as part of their Pathways to Progress global approach to prepare urban youth to thrive in today’s economy through career readiness opportunities. Pathways to Progress programs include entrepreneurship education, engagement in the formal economy through first jobs, and the acquisition of leadership, financial, and workplace skills.

Selection Criteria

We are looking to identify and support promising young adults from a diverse set of backgrounds who are interested in deepening their engagement with public policy.

Selected candidates must be 24 years old or under at the start of the program.

We know that everyone has different strengths, so we don’t expect fellows to be the perfect embodiment of all these characteristics. But we do believe that the most successful fellows are those who possess a combination of:

•      A commitment to addressing an issue affecting a community to which they are connected.
•      An ability to engage in policy research and express analyses into written products for a range of audiences.
•      An excellent work ethic matched by openness to feedback and collaboration.
•     An inclination to think creatively and independently about public policy issues.

We strongly encourage applications from those who have faced barriers in accessing education, employment, and other resources, including first-generation college graduates, women, and people of color.”