Get Involved

The Spring 2021 application is available here. Applications are due by 11:59pm ET on Friday, February 5th. Please reach out to the IOP Executive Team with any questions.

Develop personally and professionally. Interview your heroes. Help a new friend become a US citizen. Get a selfie with the vice president. Join one of 16 programs at the Institute of Politics.

Harvard undergraduates can get involved with the IOP by applying to any programs that interest you at the beginning of each semester through the IOP common application. The entire Harvard and extended community is invited to attend JFK Jr. Forums, debates, special events and study groups. The IOP welcomes students of all genders, gender identities, race and ethnicity.

Spotlight on Harvard Political Union

Founded in 1832 as the Harvard Union, the Harvard Political Union (HPU) is the world’s oldest collegiate debate society.  Today, the HPU is the center for political discourse and discussion on Harvard’s campus. 

Women’s Initiative in Leadership Spotlight

The Institute of Politics’ Women’s Initiative in Leadership (WIL) was created to address the interest and importance of students of all gender and gender identities at Harvard in developing leadership skills.

Politics of Race & Ethnicity Spotlight

The Politics of Race and Ethnicity (PRE) program works to create a sustained, nuanced, welcoming and informed discussion on the intersection of race, ethnicity and politics.

IOP Programs

Campaign & Advocacy Program (CAP)

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The Campaign & Advocacy Program (CAP) was created to address student interest in developing campaign and advocacy skills. CAP members gain a better understanding of campaigns and advocacy through discussions and interactive workshops.

Citizenship Tutoring

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The Citizenship Tutoring (Cit Tut) program is rooted in the idea that public service can build greater civic engagement throughout the Harvard community. The program is a partnership between the undergraduate program members at the IOP and the Harvard Bridge, an adult training program open to all Harvard University staff and faculty. Every week our tutors meet with employees from various departments within the Harvard community to help them apply for citizenship and study for the four components of the U.S. citizenship test: civics, speaking, reading, and writing.

Community Action

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The Community Action Committee's (CAC) goal is to educate and inform members about community organizing through theory, historical case studies, and guest speakers, and then to use that knowledge to politically engage the Harvard, greater Boston/Cambridge communities, and the nation as a whole. The committee's programming offers a rewarding opportunity for Harvard students interested in public service and community organizing to work directly with non-profit organizations through the development of capstone projects

Fellows & Study Groups

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The Fellows program offers a unique opportunity to interact with and get to know one of our Resident Fellows - public figures with exceptional careers and experiences in politics and public service - in an intimate & personal setting. Student liaison teams of six help plan, produce and publicize a study group each week.

Harvard Political Review

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The Harvard Political Review is a quarterly journal of politics, policy, and culture written and produced by Harvard undergraduate students.

Harvard Political Union

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The Harvard Political Union is the premier association for political debate and discussion at Harvard University. ​

Harvard Public Opinion Project

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Members of the Harvard Public Opinion Project brainstorm and draft the questions for the biannual Harvard Youth Poll examining the political opinions and civic engagement of young Americans, analyze the collected data, and present the results to the media and other interested parties.

Harvard Votes Challenge

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The Harvard Votes Challenge is a non-partisan movement to increase voter participation around the university and beyond.

Internships and Career Services Program

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The IOP Internships and Career Services Program offers diverse political and public service opportunities for Harvard undergraduates and recent alumni. ​

John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum

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The John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum, Harvard’s premier arena for political speech, discussion, and debate, by helping with event execution, promotion, and outreach.

National Campaign

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The National Campaign committee work with students and administrators from colleges and universities across the country to develop campus programming to share best practices for political involvement and civic engagement on campus.

Politics of Race and Ethnicity

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The Politics of Race and Ethnicity (PRE) program focuses on highlighting and discussing the intersection of race, ethnicity, and politics. ​

STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics

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The IOP Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Program explores the interdisciplinary study of politics. In a time of rapid technological change, STEAM promotes intelligent policy-making capable of tackling modern societal issues.

The CIVICS Program

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The Harvard CIVICS Program places motivated undergraduates in classrooms throughout the Boston area, teaching civics and government classes to inspire students to take an active role in their communities and grow into participants in our democracy. We focus our curriculum on the function of government, the meaning of active citizenship, and avenues of community engagement.

The Policy Program

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The Policy Program is the leading group on campus for researching and developing actionable solutions to issues facing the Commonwealth and nation. Similar to an undergraduate think-tank, the program allows students to take the time to study an issue they are passionate about, explore potential policy solutions, and advocate for those solutions.

Women's Initiative in Leadership

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The Women’s Initiative in Leadership (WIL) is a program aimed to connect female students in the Harvard community to inspiring women in various fields and points of their career.