First-Year Fellows Program

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First-Year Fellows Brochure

A Unique Opportunity for First-Year Students!

The First-Year Fellows Program provides you with opportunities to engage meaningfully in public policy early in your Dartmouth career. Up to twenty students who have successfully completed the introductory public policy and research method courses will be selected as First-Year Fellows. First-Year Fellows are placed in internships with Dartmouth alumni in Washington, D.C., serving in policy positions where the supervisor is willing to take on a significant mentor role. Prior to beginning their internships, students participate in the Civic Skills Training. This intensive, expense-paid, five-day program in Washington, D.C., is an important advantage for these students, providing them with training in public speaking; networking; writing press releases and op-eds; and policy briefs, networking, and project management. Panels with Dartmouth alumni are also arranged to provide students with exposure to career paths following Dartmouth, as well as how to get the most out of their time on campus.

A critical component of the Civic Skills Training is that students are trained in project management and asked to identify a project to complete during their internships. They work with their supervisors on tangible substantive projects that address the needs of their organizations and can be completed within the eight-to-ten weeks of their internships. The Rockefeller Center provides ongoing support to students, assisting them in identifying on-campus resources relevant to the projects they have identified, and organizes a mid-summer gathering of all First-Year Fellows in Washington, D.C.

Here's How to Participate

• Take Public Policy 5: Introduction to Public Policy during the Winter Term.

• Take a statistical methods course (e.g. ECON 10, GOVT 10, MATH 10, MSS 15, PBPL 10, PSYC 10, SOCY 10) during the Fall, Winter or Spring terms of your first year.

  • If you have received an AP credit for MATH 10, this also satisfies the statistical methods course requirement.

• Apply to be a First-Year Fellow during the Spring term of your Freshman year.  See application deadline on the Rockefeller Center Calendar.  See Application Process information below. 

• Participate in the special Civic Skills Training after Spring Term. 

• Intern in Washington, DC, during the summer after your first year in a congressional office, policy think tank, executive branch agency, or advocacy organization with support from the Rockefeller Center, and Dartmouth alumni serving as mentors. 

• Complete final report and program evaluations at the end of your internship experience. 

• Attend a debriefing session when you return to Hanover.

For More Information Contact

• Robin Frye, program coordinator for Co-Curricular Programs
  603.646.4099