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Summer Internship Program 2013: Jobs: Summer 2013 Internships - Students from Disciplines Other than Law

Job Details

Category: Internship

Application Deadline: 03/12/2013 11:59 PM ET

Application materials that will be uploaded into the system:

  • Resume or CV
  • Cover Letter
Description:

Each summer the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University swings open the doors of our vibrant yellow house to welcome a group of talented and curious students as full-time interns - Berkterns! - who are passionate about the promise of the Internet. Finding connected and complementary research inquiries among their diverse backgrounds, students represent all levels of study, are being trained in disciplines across the board, and come from universities all over the world to tackle issues related to the core of Berkman’s research agenda, including law, technology, innovation, and knowledge; the relationships between Internet and civic activity; and the intersection of technology, learning, and development.

Summer interns jump head first into the swirl of the Berkman universe, where they are deeply and substantively involved in our research projects and efforts. Becoming invaluable contributors to the Center’s operation and success, interns conduct collaborative and independent research under the guidance of Berkman staff, fellows, and faculty. Specific roles, tasks, and experiences vary depending on Center needs and interns' skills; a select list of expected opportunities for Summer 2013 is below. Typically, the workload of each intern is primarily based under one project or suite of projects, with encouragement and flexibility to get involved in additional projects across the Center.

In addition to joining research teams, summer interns participate in special lectures with Berkman Center faculty and fellows, engage each other through community experiences like weekly interns discussion hours, and attend Center-wide events and gatherings with members of the wider Berkman community. As well, each year interns establish new channels for fun and learning, such as organizing topical debates; establishing reading groups and book clubs; producing podcasts and videos; and hosting potlucks, cook-offs, and BBQs (fortunately for us, people share).

The word "awesome" has been thrown around to describe our internships, but don't take our word for it. Interns Royze Adolfo and Hilda Barasa documented the summer 2012 internship experience at http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/berkmancentersummer2012/. Former intern Zack McCune had this to say: "it has been an enchanting summer working at the berkman center for internet & society. everyday, i get to hang out with some of the most brilliant people on the planet. we talk, we write (emails), we blog, we laugh, we play rock band. and when things need to get done, we stay late hyped on free coffee and leftover food. it is a distinct honor to be considered a peer among such excellent people. and i am not just talking about the fellows, staff, and faculty, though they are all outstanding. no, i mean my peers as in my fellow interns, who are almost definitely the ripening next generation of changemakers."

Time Commitment:
Summer internships are full time positions (35 hours/week) for 10 weeks. Our Summer 2013 program runs from Monday, June 3 through Friday, August 9.

Payment:
Interns are paid $11.50 an hour, with the exception of certain opportunities for law students who receive summer public interest funds.

Please be forewarned that payment may not be sufficient to cover living expenses in the Boston area. No other benefits are provided, and interns must make their own housing, insurance, and transportation arrangements.

Commitment to Diversity:
The work and well-being of the Berkman Center are strengthened profoundly by the diversity of our network and our differences in background, culture, experience, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and much more. We actively seek and welcome applications from people of color, women, the LGBTQ community, and persons with disabilities, as well as applications from researchers and practitioners from across the spectrum of disciplines and methods. The roots of this deep commitment are many and, appropriately, diverse. We are not nearly far enough along in this regard, and we may never be. It is a constant process in which there remains much to learn. We welcome your inquiries, comments and ideas on how we may continue to improve.

Project Selection:
In our application system, we will ask you to identify the top two opportunities for which you would like to be considered. During the course of our review and interview process, we may identify a role in which you might excel but did not select in your application - if this is the case, we will discuss potential plans with you.

Many of the positions available this summer do not require that interns come from a specific discipline, though some of the opportunities we list on the main summer internship page require that interns be law students. Students from other disciplines will get exposure to these projects and will have the chance to work with them in conjunction with their primary responsibilities.

2013 Project Selection Options for Students from Disciplines Other than Law
  • Chilling Effects
  • Civic Engagement in Developing and Transitioning Countries
  • Digital Libraries
  • Freedom Of Expression
  • Geek Cave Software Development
  • H2O
  • Harvard Open Access Project
  • Internet Robustness
  • Media Cloud - Research
  • Media Cloud - Technical Development
  • metaLAB (at) Harvard
  • Berkman Multimedia Production
  • Open Data/Open Government
  • Special Projects - Jonathan Zittrain