Overview

One of the best ways to learn the inner workings of government and your community is through a City Council internship program. The office is looking for bright, self-motivated, energetic individuals who are interested in learning the dynamics of working in a legislative office. This is an active role in the political office of an elected Councilmember vs. a more routine internship in the City of Palo Alto.

Description

Among the chief roles of a Councilmember’s office is to keep the local community connected with the legislative work taking place at City Hall. This is accomplished through analysis of data, modeling data, building machine learning models and workflow automation. As an intern you will be at the intersection of politics and technology. The goal is to establish a workable and mutually beneficial relationship between the legislator and the intern.

Desired qualifications

The ideal candidate must be enrolled in an educational program upon the start of your internship and have an interest in computer science and political science or a similar area of study or career path. Candidates must also be able to dedicate a minimum of nine months part-time (10 hr./wk.) or 3 months full time (40 hr./wk.) towards this program.

Essential duties include:

• Knowledge of Tableau, Google Datastudio or similar data visualization tools
• Python programming (knowledge of Pandas is a plus)
• Proficient in using Google Docs/Sheets
• Machine learning knowledge is a big plus
• Knowledge of

Benefits Although unpaid, interns receive important benefits like working directly with elected officials, community leaders and local residents on issues and events related to the community. Interns may also qualify for internship credit from their university or school, as well as earn a letter of recommendation from the Councilmember. Depending on college, sponsorships are possible: https://sig.stanford.edu/fellowships/