Opportunities
Editorial and Communications
You
A news junkie, an accomplished writer, an adept editor, and a passionate progressive who is excited about having an impact on the world. You get a kick out of taking complicated concepts and helping others to engage with and understand them. You’re detail oriented, you enjoy noticing grammatical errors in the New York Times, and you aren’t bad at the crossword either. Adept at juggling multiple tasks at once, you’ll thrive in an environment where you’re responsible for getting through varied small jobs throughout the day, while also managing a larger project in the background. Last but not least, you’re a people person and like working as part of a team.The Job
The Editorial and Communications Scholar will become part of our team for the summer, helping out on everything from editing and trafficking posts for the website, to drafting website copy, press releases, and subscriber emails, to staffing events, building stakeholder lists, proofreading documents, updating our website, and designing posts for social media. You’ll also be involved in our strategic discussions about ensuring that TCF’s work has the greatest possible impact. View the general qualifications below ApplyHigher Education Policy
You
A self-proclaimed policy nerd who lives for researching policy, writing about policy, organizing events around policy...you get the picture. You're equally at home writing formal policy analysis and 600-word blog posts—-and you understand that these two things shouldn't sound the same. You've already spent some time figuring out which TCF fellow you really want to work with this summer, and you have some ideas about how you can advance her/his research. You can't wait to spend a summer in Manhattan with the smartest policy people in the business.The Job
The Higher Ed Policy Scholar will work on projects that promote accountability, access, and quality in higher education, defined as the system of formal academic and career training programs that follow K-12 education. You will assist in documenting the ways that disadvantaged students are not served well by the laws that shape the current higher education system. This may include studying the growth of predatory for-profit colleges, the effects of student loan debt, an connections between higher education policies and racial and socioeconomic inequality. This is a fast-changing regulatory area with significant shifts happening at the federal, state and local levels and across advocacy platforms that include legislative change, administrative rule making, community organizing, and litigation. Applicants with advanced degrees or specialized skills would receive assignments that reflect those capacities. View the general qualifications below ApplyK-12 Education Policy
You
A self-proclaimed policy wonk who lives for researching policy, writing about policy, organizing events around policy...you get the picture. You're equally at home writing formal policy analysis and 600-word blog posts—-and you understand that these two things shouldn't sound the same. You can't wait to spend a summer in Manhattan with the smartest policy people in the business.The Job
The Education Policy Scholar will work on projects that study and uplift the importance of diversity, justice, and equity in public schools. You will assist in documenting the growth and success of racial and socioeconomic integration strategies in K–12 education, and will present this content in a variety of forms, possibly including case studies, fact sheets, and interviews with students, teachers, and families. You should be able to look at school diversity through an intersectional lens, recognizing the importance of elevating the experiences of low-income students, LGBTQ students, English-language learners, and students of color in their work. You will also pay particular attention to possible ways low-income students can gain access to better schools through changes in housing policy, such as the elimination of exclusionary zoning policies, implementation of inclusionary zoning policies, or strengthening of Fair Housing Act enforcement. View the general qualifications below ApplyLabor
You
A self-proclaimed policy nerd who lives for researching policy, writing about policy, organizing events around policy...you get the picture. You're equally at home writing formal policy analysis and 600-word blog posts—and you understand that these two things shouldn't sound the same. You've already spent some time figuring out which TCF fellow you really want to work with this summer, and you have some ideas about how you can advance her/his research. You can't wait to spend a summer working with the smartest policy people in the business.The Job
The Labor Policy Scholar will focus on conducting research related to initiatives aimed at improving the rights and protections of American workers. Your work will cover researching and analyzing initiatives aimed at modernizing unemployment insurance, upgrading job training, addressing poverty, bolstering labor rights, and forging high-quality factory jobs. That work will entail a blend of quantitative and qualitative policy analysis. View the general qualifications below ApplyHealth Care Reform
You
A self-proclaimed policy wonk who lives for researching policy, writing about policy, organizing events around policy...you get the picture. You’re especially interested in working at the intersection of health care, racism, and inequality. Beyond the research, you’re driven by a desire to have an impact.The Job
The Health Care Reform Policy Scholar will have the opportunity to work with TCF’s Director of Health Care Reform to advance policies that improve health care access, equity, and quality. This could include research relating to the black maternal health crisis, reproductive justice, the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion, and more. A typical day might involve working on a research memo on abortion laws in a particular state, building a chart to more clearly depict racial disparities relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, and building on our networks to engage on these important issues. View the general qualifications below ApplyYour Qualifications?
- Some college, perhaps more. You should be an undergrad, grad student, or recent graduate with a strong background in policy analysis or communications.
- Exceptional research skills. You need to be quick, thorough, and accurate. You should be able to work with complex data, and then present that data in engaging graphic formats.
- A good writer. Everyone thinks they write well. You actually do. If you can also communicate well in-person, that’s even better.
- A self-starter. You’re looking for the opportunity to own a project and work independently.
- A team player. TCF is highly collaborative. We want you to own your project, but we also want you to remember that your colleagues have some skills that you probably don’t.
- A multi-tasker. You’ll be working on a lot of different things on any given day. You’ll have to be organized, good with details, and have a knack for problem solving to succeed here.
- A progressive. TCF is a progressive public policy think tank. If you spend your evenings with Hannity and Breitbart, you’ll probably be pretty unhappy here.
- A sense of humor. Have you read these descriptions? This will be your life.
- To be considered, apply by February 15, 2021.
About TCF
The Century Foundation is a progressive, nonpartisan think tank based in New York City with an additional office in Washington, D.C. We issue reports on issues ranging from economic inequality to education reform to the social safety net to foreign policy. Our fellows are among the world’s best in their respective fields, and include professors at the country’s top universities, journalists, best-selling authors, and successful business leaders. We have the resources and respect that come with being one of the nation’s oldest think tanks, but the flexibility and innovation that come from having a new management team. We like to describe ourselves as “a 102-year-old startup.”