Application & Deadlines

Opens
01/05/2026 at 12:00am EST
Closes
02/01/2026 at 11:59pm EST
Apply Here

Overview

The Governor's office handles a wide range of topics including same-sex marriage, gun safety, marijuana, the death penalty, universal health care, access to preschool, technology, criminal justice reform, and the minimum wage, Newsom stuck his neck out and did the right thing, which often led to sweeping changes when his policies were ultimately accepted, embraced, and replicated across the state and nation.

Please Note: This internship is co-sponsored. This means the funding for this internship is provided by two institutions at Harvard. The Primary Affiliation is with the IOP, and the Secondary Affiliation is with the Center for Public Service and Engaged Scholarship (CPSES)​. The primary institute will be the point of contact during the application and internship onboarding process. As such, applications for this placement will be processed by the IOP and count towards the IOP's three application limit.

Location & Format

Sacramento, CA
Industries
Federal / State / Local Government
Format
In-Person

Eligibility

An internship offer (if made) is contingent on the intern passing a security screening and/or obtaining the following security clearances:

  • Our office will complete a background check. It is mostly a check on Social Media posts/use.

Program Details

An internship in the Governor's Office offers students an opportunity to learn how state government works at the highest levels addressing a wide range of issues.

Intern projects include administrative support, which may include answering phones, processing mail, drafting documents, proof-reading, research, and other general office projects. Additional projects may be assigned, depending on the department and experience, proficiency, and interests of individual interns.

Moderate Supervision: Intern will meet with their supervisor regularly, but will be given the opportunity to work on independent projects.

Work culture can vary depending on the unit the intern will be assigned to. Some of our units are more formal than others and others will assign more independent work than others. Interns in our office typically excel if they are flexible and can adapt to different environments. They will meet other intern and junior staff and will have supervisors. We will typically try have at least a couple of more structured lunches with senior staff so interns can ask questions on career/education paths per term.

This Director's Internship Host will host additional undergraduate interns outside of the Director's Internship Program.

Interns should possess strong written and verbal communication skills, attention to detail, a good attitude, and a commitment to public service.

  • Laptop on loan from host organization.
  • We will provide all technology required for an internship.
  • If the intern ever works from home, they would need access to the internet.

If you have any questions about this opportunity or the Director's Internship Program in General, please reach out to IOP_ICS@hks.harvard.edu