Sample Internship Program Description
Kurt T. Weber, State Policy Network
An intern program is a good way to increase your organizational productivity at a low-marginal cost.
Points covered
- Benefits of providing an internship program
- Sample internship job description
- Sample internship application form
- FAQ template
An intern program is a good way to increase your organizational productivity at a low-marginal cost. You simultaneously provide a student with the opportunity to create a portfolio of published work, develop office skills, utilize their computer and layout skills, sharpen their research techniques as well as learn more about classical liberal principles and their practical application.
Further, you introduce interns to organizations such as the Institute for Humane Studies, Intercollegiate Studies Institute and others that have scholarships, seminars and writing competitions for students. Interns can also become employees in the short- or long-term. Below are a sample internship description and application, which can be easily modified and placed online. Also below is a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) template, which can be posted on-line and linked from the Internship Description page. An FAQ document is helpful for quickly familiarizing interns and others with your organization.
Sample Internship Job Description
CALL FOR INTERNS!
The ideal intern has above-average writing and/or editing skills and a basic understanding of current events; knowledge of contemporary Neptune history is helpful. A valued quality is an appreciation for — and understanding of — individual liberty, the free market, property rights, and limited government. Intern responsibilities may include: writing for publication, light public policy research, administrative tasks, editing NEPTUNE publications, and event planning. Internship hours are flexible; they can be tailored to fit school, athletic and work schedules. Internships are unpaid positions; however, NEPTUNE will, to the best of its ability, work with those students who wish to receive academic credit for their internship. Additionally, NEPTUNE offers its assistance in obtaining internships with market-oriented organizations in Washington, DC and around the country. Further, the Institute will provide information about seminars and scholarship opportunities open to students interested in the principles of liberty. To receive more information about the internship and NEPTUNE POLICY INSTITUTE, please contact program director Moon Cratere at 77.8888.444 or Interns@NeptunePolicy.org. Interested students are also invited to refer to www.NeptunePolicy.org, or stop by our offices in downtown Big Moon. |
Sample Internship Application Form
Neptune Policy Institute Name _________________________________________ Date ___________ Proposed start date: _________________________ Proposed end date _________________________ College/university _____________________________________________________________ Extracurricular Activities or Hobbies
How did you learn about Neptune Policy Institute?
Number of hours a week you would like to work ________ Will you apply for college What would you like to gain from working with NPI?
Are you familiar with Microsoft Word or WordPerfect? If yes, please rate your
What other skills, or qualities, do you possess that will contribute to your value as a
What intellectual figures, books, articles, movies, etc., have most influenced your
What public policy issues interest you?
Briefly describe the role of government in a free society. Word limit: 150
Please submit a one page autobiography (not a resume) with your application. |
FAQ Template
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT NEPTUNE
When was Neptune founded? Who founded it?
Spaceman Spiff founded Neptune in 2020. Spaceman managed the 2015 Neptune property tax initiative that rolled back taxes to their 1850 levels.
Where does Neptune get its funding?
Neptune is funded entirely from the voluntary contributions of individuals, foundations and corporations. Foundations that have or continue to support Neptune include: The Neptune Moon Foundation and the Saturn Family Foundation. Neptune neither solicits nor accepts government funding. Neptune does not make public the names of individual donors without their prior consent.
Who supports NPI?
Individuals who support Neptune span the political spectrum from neo liberal to conservative, populist to libertarian and independent. What Neptune supporters have in common is an interest in a frugal and efficient government.
What is the smallest contribution that one can make to get Neptune reports and studies?
Neptune gladly accepts contributions of any size. However, a $25 minimum contribution is suggested if a person or organization wishes to receive every Neptune publication, report, book, and study, as well as invitations to Neptune events. Individuals who contribute less than $25 will be placed on our mailing list, but they will only receive selected publications.
Individuals can also do general volunteer work in Neptune’s office or help coordinate specific events. In kind contributions are also welcome, i.e. donations in the forms of goods (computers, printers, filing cabinets, etc.) or services (printing, editing, writing, etc.).
Who is on NPI’s Board of Directors?
[Insert names and affiliations here or link to appropriate webpage.]
Does Neptune have a board of Board of Scholars?
Yes, Neptune has a board of Board of Scholars. The Board of Scholars review and edit Institute publications for accuracy and clarity. They also suggest possible topics to be studied. Currently, the list of Scholars includes: [Insert names and affiliations here or link to appropriate webpage.]
Is Neptune affiliated with any political party?
No. Neptune is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research institute, commonly referred to as a "think tank." It is not affiliated with any political party, political organization, or political action committee (PAC). Further, Neptune is not affiliated with any religion or religious organization.
Does Neptune lobby the legislature?
No. Neptune could spend, by law, some of its resources lobbying, but it has elected not to. Neptune takes the long-range approach to its mission. Neptune works to change minds and influence public opinion, not votes. Of course, public opinion influences political winds.
Is a free-market institute necessarily conservative?
No. To paraphrase the late Joseph Overton, former Executive Vice President of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, to call a person a conservative because they support a free-market economy and property rights is like calling someone a vegetarian because they like green beans. The same is true of institutes that support free-markets over command and control economies. There are many varieties of conservatism, one of those varieties is people who are fiscally conservative and socially liberal. They are libertarians.
NPI’s philosophical roots can be traced to Henry David Thoreau, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, Rose Wilder Lane, John Locke, James Madison, George Mason, Ayn Rand, and Adam Smith. Contemporary equivalents include Milton Friedman, Friedrich A. Hayek, Ludwig von Mises, Charles Murray, P.J. O'Rourke, Thomas Sowell, and Walter Williams.
Are there other groups on Neptune that do what Neptune does?
No, Neptune is unique. It is the only Neptune organization that covers a broad range of public policy issues and promotes solutions based on a framework of individual liberty, property rights, free markets and limited government. Other single issue organizations in do exist in Neptune that share an overlapping philosophy, including the Interplanetary Institute (free trade) and Neptune Tax Foundation (tax and budget issues). NPI is not a politically active organization; it is an educational institute.
Are there groups similar to Neptune in other states?
Yes. Neptune is a member of the State Policy Network. "State Net" is a coalition of nearly 50 other state-level, free-market institutes across the country. Neptune is also part a larger network of national and international free-market institutes under the Atlas Economic Research Foundation umbrella.
Are there any groups on the national level that are similar to NPI?
Yes, Cato Institute and the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC, and the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas, Texas, among countless others.
On what topic areas does Neptune direct its efforts?
Neptune concentrates on five main areas: education, tax and budget issues, health care, science and technology, and the environment.
Does Neptune do research on non-economic issues?
Yes. However, Neptune focuses almost solely on the economic, taxation and budgetary aspects of any issue that it researches. Neptune also concentrates on property rights in its work. NPI's research on non-economic issues is grounded in individual liberty and personal responsibility.
Do Neptune policy analysts and staff members do public speaking?
Yes. Neptune policy analysts and staff members routinely appear on radio and television programs, as guests on public forum panels and they talk before civic groups and organizations. Inquiries about speakers are welcomed.
How does Neptune get its message out? Who are the primary recipients of its publications?
Neptune distributes its studies to its database of supporters and contributors, legislators, top-level government officials, the media--electronic and print, educators and select audiences. For example, NPI’s study on education was sent to all school board members. Finally, NPI policy analysts and staff members routinely appear on radio and television programs, as guests on public forum panels and give presentation before a variety of civic groups and organizations.
Can books be checked out of the Neptune library?
As a rule, no. In rare cases, however, and only with the approval of a staff member, a book may be checked out. If permission is granted for a book to be borrowed, it must be recorded. Nevertheless, anyone wishing to utilize the library for research is welcome to do so, during regular business hours, provided no office events are scheduled during the proposed research time.
What can a volunteer expect from Neptune?
Undying gratitude! As is the case with every organization, there exists more work than resources. Neptune is truly grateful for those who give their time to help Neptune fulfill its mission. Volunteers can expect: help in obtaining university, college or high school credit for their efforts if desired; assistance with research related to public policy issues; invitations to Neptune's public functions; the opportunity to write and receive credit for radio commentaries; to learn about private, voluntary solutions to public policy problems; to sharpen their event organizing skills; to occasionally do research; to help with light administrative tasks; and, assist with the editing of Neptune publications.
What does Neptune expect from volunteers?
We expect volunteers to complete their tasks in a responsible, thorough, and timely manner, as well as act in a professional manner while performing them. We ask that volunteers contact the office when they are unable to work at a scheduled time. We encourage volunteers to ask questions and to make suggestions as to how things can be done better, be it the layout of a publication, the organization of an event, or the performance of a routine task. We expect volunteers to offer their honest opinions and stand behind them. Finally, we expect that volunteers will display independence and initiative.
What are the backgrounds of the staff members?
[Insert names and bios here or link to appropriate webpage.]
Kurt T. Weber is senior advisor at State Policy Network.