ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND THE OPPORTUNITY
The Education Trust—West (ETW) seeks its 6th cohort of Russlynn Ali Summer Fellows for 2023. The goal of the Fellowship is to support people of color entering policy and advocacy leadership by laying the foundation for current and future policymakers, researchers, advocates, and educators to become lifelong leaders within California’s P-16 education ecosystem. Fellows will gain exposure to the issues, policies, and politics of the current California landscape through a cohort experience and will work on a project with an ETW team to advance educational equity and racial justice.
ETW is comprised of fierce advocates for the high academic achievement of all students — pre-kindergarten through college, particularly those of color or living in poverty. Through research and advocacy, ETW’s goal is to close the gaps in opportunity and achievement that affect millions of young people across the U.S. — especially students of color and those from low-income families. We work alongside educators, policymakers, parents, and community and business leaders across the country to advocate transforming schools and colleges into institutions that serve all students well. Lessons learned in these efforts, together with unflinching data analyses, help shape our state and national policy agendas.
This role will be based in Sacramento, CA (preferred) or remotely. All applicants must be based in the state of California. Fellows will be expected to travel to the Oakland office 1-2 times during the summer term.
This is a paid, full-time (37.5 hours/week) fellowship starting on June 20 and ending on August 15 for a term of 8 weeks.
ABOUT THE FELLOW ROLE
As the Policy & Government Relations Fellow, you will help ETW advance organizational goals that could be pursued through sponsored legislation. You will learn about the role of sponsored legislation and budget proposals in state advocacy, and what makes a proposal likely to succeed. The Government Relations Team will provide training on the legislative and budget processes to provide some grounding/context in our work. You will also learn how to collaborate with different ETW teams and/or partners to take a proposal from idea to bill language.
Starting with an audit of all ETW’s recent collateral, you will produce a sponsored legislation proposal at the end of your fellowship which may include a draft fact sheet, proposed bill language, an FAQ document, identification of possible authors/co-sponsors, and any other supporting documents necessary.
Please note that ETW is currently in a strategic planning process. Team priorities might or might not change in the coming months.
IDEAL SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICS
- Shared belief in ETW’s mission and a commitment to improving educational equity
- Commitment to “Walking the Talk,” which means operating with an understanding that systemic and institutionalized racism significantly affect communities of color and the historical impact of privilege and power on American systems
- Willingness to receive and act upon constructive feedback
- Ability to organize, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines
- Strong communication skills, with a focus on writing
- Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving ability
- Attention to detail and ability to multitask
- Ability to take initiative and be self-directed
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications and experience:
- General knowledge of education, education policy, or related field
- At least a high school diploma or GED, and enrolled in a higher education degree program
- Nice to have but not required: prior experience with policy and/or the legislature (especially grad students interested in public policy)
- Nice to have but not required: Sacramento-based
COMPENSATION
The salary for this position is $26 per hour for 37.5 hours/week. All fellows receive sick leave.
VACCINATION FOR COVID-19
At The Education Trust, the health and safety of our employees is of the utmost importance. As such, all Education Trust employees are required to be fully vaccinated and remain up to date on their vaccinations for COVID-19. Any new interns should be fully vaccinated and up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations prior to their first day of work. Requests for accommodation due to medical or religious reasons will be reviewed by Human Resources.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Please provide a cover letter and resume, combined into one document. In the file name, please write the name of the position you are applying for and your last name: e.g., “Policy & Government Relations Fellow _Robinson.”
We invite you to consider your cover letter as an opportunity to:
- Tell a story that illuminates your interest in education equity and Ed Trust–West’s mission
- Share how your background and experience make you the right fit for this position
Please submit your application materials at Recruitment (adp.com) by the deadline of April 5, 2023. Applications will be accepted/reviewed until the position is filled. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
The Education Trust is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds.
