Notes From the Field: Isaiah Miller '21

Isaiah Miller '21 interned on the Close the Workhouse campaign during the 2018 summer term. The following is an excerpt from his internship report.

The Close the Workhouse campaign's goals are threefold: close the St. Louis city jail colloquially known as the "Workhouse," reduce St. Louis city’s incarcerated population by 33%, and invest in programs and services that support communities instead of jails.

My work as an intern varied but centered around outreach to and coordination of potential "members" - people in the community deeply affected by the Workhouse. This consisted of outside outreach at the courthouse, attending criminal justice-related events, dispersing campaign literature to organizations with formerly-incarcerated clients, canvassing neighborhoods, attending city hall meetings, and postering at popular businesses and train stops. I also met with potential members to integrate them into the campaign and hear their stories. I worked to build relationships with members and potential members, keep them up to date with upcoming campaign events, and facilitate their involvement. I attended and helped facilitate all campaign events, including bi-weekly meetings and a major rally on July 4th.

Towards the end of the internship, my focus shifted from outreach to development of administration systems: I became responsible for the campaign's voicemail, volunteering spreadsheets, and meeting attendance. I worked on developing a facile pathway to connect clients from the campaign's core organizations to the campaign itself. More personally, I brought the campaign with me everywhere I went, wearing the signature button on my shirt and stopping to talk with anyone who seemed interested.

I am deeply grateful to have worked on the Close the Workhouse campaign this summer. I am grateful to Dartmouth, the Rockefeller Center, and family of E. John Rosenwald, Jr. ‘52 for giving me the funding I needed to take on the experience this summer.

The Rockefeller Internships Program has funding for Dartmouth undergraduate students to help defray the cost of living expenses associated with a full-time, unpaid, leave-term internships in the fields of public policy, public affairs, and social entrepreneurship.