Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy at Dartmouth

When Phoebe Abrahms '28 was looking at colleges with an eye toward studying government, she was so intrigued by the Class of 1964 Policy Research Shop that she mentioned it in her Dartmouth application as one of the reasons she wanted to attend. 

Now celebrating its 20th year of operation and based in the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy, the PRS offers undergraduates a chance to research and make nonpartisan recommendations on public policy to legislators, the judiciary, and other regional policymakers in New Hampshire and Vermont.

"It is such a unique opportunity to engage in the policy space in a tangible and meaningful way as a part of my coursework," Abrahms, a government major, says of the 10-week class, which is followed by an intensive research term that culminates in a final presentation before a client.

It is unusual, says PRS director Kristin Smith, for colleges to offer this kind of program, with its direct access to legislators, judges, and policy experts.

"What's really unique about the Policy Research Shop is that we give undergraduate students this amazing opportunity to learn all these skills in policy research and writing, and then they present their findings in a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy manner to policymakers who are really interested in the topic. So, it's a win-win for everyone," says Smith, a visiting associate professor of sociology. 

This term Smith has overseen 28 students working on eight projects for policymakers in the two states. The students work in groups of three or four, mentored by Rockefeller Center faculty, which means they can explore their own avenues of research while also learning the critical workforce skill of collaboration, Smith says. 

Because the state governments in New Hampshire and Vermont rely on part-time citizen legislators, the PRS is meeting research needs at no cost to its clients; all the work is pro bono.

On March 10, Abrahms, Ryan Alahyari '28 and Iris WeaverBell '28 traveled to Concord, N.H., with Smith to present their team report on "Investing in Child Care Quality" to state Reps. David Paige and Mary Jane Wallner, the deputy Democratic leader in the New Hampshire House. Other attendees at the meeting, which took place in an historic state building near the Statehouse, included representatives of nonprofits, state agencies and think tanks. A Q&A period followed. 

The team's report examines New Hampshire's pressing need for reliable, affordable, and high-caliber programs aimed at children ages five and under, while acknowledging the existing barriers to such programs in the form of low wages, poor staff retention, and insufficient training and credentialing. 

The data on quality care of young children shows that it reaps benefits later in life, among them a likely reduction in the prevalence of crime, an overreliance on social welfare services and an erratic employment record, the students reported. 

By comparing the quality rating and improvement systems in the case study states of Vermont, Massachusetts and Nevada to those in New Hampshire, Abrahms, Alahyari and WeaverBell were able to suggest ways for New Hampshire to make better, more efficient use of its federally allocated Child Care and Development Fund dollars. 

In their report, the students said that 26% of children in New Hampshire do not have access to formal child care, which means that parents or caregivers lose work time–resulting in a loss of economic growth to New Hampshire of between $700 million and $1 billion. 

"Early educator retention emerges as key throughout our interviews and our initial research," Abrahms said during the presentation. In New Hampshire, the rate of staff turnover by child care providers is around 17%, which is higher than the national average of 15%, Abrahms said.

WeaverBell told the lawmakers that the team conducted 22 child care provider interviews, which turned out to be the "most impactful part of our methodology. These provided direct, on-the-ground insight about what providers need from the state and where they think the gaps are." 

Wallner, one of the Democratic lawmakers, said that she was struck by the fact that only 20% of providers have signed up for the Granite Steps for Quality professional development program. 

"I wonder if the incentives that are provided to be in it, are not enough to get people in," Wallner said.

As an economics major and public policy minor, WeaverBell said after the presentation that it has been "interesting to apply my classwork to the workforce aspects of our project."

Alahyari, a government major, enrolled in the PRS because, he says, "it was the most accessible opportunity for me to do research that could directly impact policy."

The fact that the team got some questions they didn't necessarily anticipate shows "how different perspectives can really enrich research," he says. 

Before signing up for PRS, students must complete Smith's Introduction to Public Policy Research class in the fall term, which trains them on both quantitative and qualitative methods of research including statistical data analysis, in-depth expert interviews, case studies and running focus groups.

It is critical for students, Smith says, to thoroughly examine a topic without falling back on preconceptions. 

"I tell my students to check our biases at the door. And in that way, we have a better product. I think the policymakers really appreciate that the research is grounded in the issues and the facts and the findings, rather than the politics of the day," she says.

Other Policy Research Shop presentations this year have included reports on:

• Mileage-based user fees in Vermont
• Medicaid GLP-1 coverage for obesity in New Hampshire
• Accessible housing for people with disabilities in the Upper Valley

Upcoming presentations in spring term include:

• Medication for opioid use disorder in Vermont prisons
• Guardians ad litem in New Hampshire courts
• Minimum wage in New Hampshire
• Recruitment and retention of lawyers in rural Vermont

For Erin Parker '26, a government major from Massachusetts who has enrolled in the Policy Research Shop twice and is now a PRS student mentor, one of the program's key benefits is learning how "to synthesize a lot of information and present it in a way to legislators that isn't super wordy, or super complex, and being able to distill it down to the five bullet points, the key takeaways."

If a student can "present in front of a committee," Parker says, then that student can "walk into any internship or any job and be able to talk to a client or talk to supervisors."