ACE Rebrand Update: The Alliance for Citizen Engagement is now the Alliance for Civic Engagement.

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Become a student fellow

What is an ACE Student Policy Fellow?

ACE is proud to publish policy resources by and for youth voters.
Student Fellows collaborate to produce nonpartisan, accessible research briefs for publication. Research teams are led by ACE Research Associates, graduate students with expertise in their field or highly-qualified undergraduate students.

Research Associates work one-on-one with Student Fellows to develop and provide feedback on their research projects. Over the course of the internship, Student Fellows will design a research plan and publish two briefs in their policy area of interest.

Check out the Frequently Asked Questions section at the bottom of this page.

Ace Student Fellow

Our Amazing Fellows come from all across the country-to read more about them, click here

Application deadline

Application Deadline

ACE hosts three Student Fellowship programs per year: Spring, Summer, and Fall. Applications for Student Fellow positions are evaluated on a rolling basis, so we encourage interested students to apply as early as possible. If a posting is open on our Handshake page, we are still actively accepting applications.

Time Commitment

Time Commitment 

10- 15 hours per week

Application Process

Step 1

Develop a sense of ACE’s writing style and publication goals by reading published briefs on our website

Step 2

Visit our Handshake page to see which policy teams have openings. If your school does not use Handshake, reach out to ella@ace-usa.org for more information on how to apply.

Step 3

Thoroughly read the job description on Handshake and attach all required materials (resume and writing sample are required; cover letter is optional)

Step 4

20 to 30-minute interview with the Research Associate of your prospective policy team

Step 5

Accept your offer in a timely manner

Step 6

Complete onboarding materials and prepare for a great research cycle at ACE!

Apply to the Student Fellow Program

Writing Sample Guidelines

Pick a current piece of legislation relating to your first choice research team, describe the issue it aims to address, and discuss one argument in favor and one argument in opposition to the legislation. In addition, identify one piece of legislation relating to your second choice research team and describe it in a sentence.

Guidelines

  • The legislation does not have to have been enacted, you can pick proposed legislation.
  • You can pick legislation at the local, state, or federal level.
  • DO NOT select a topic that is not public policy. For example, do not discuss how universities responded to the pandemic. University policies are not the same thing as legislation, and ACE exclusively focuses on policies implemented by governments.
  • Do not cite sources, this is merely a writing exercise.
  • Your response should be 100-250 words in length.

Advice

The writing sample is a major part of your application. Before deciding on a topic, read recent publications from ACE to make sure you understand the type of work and subject matter we aim to discuss. Make sure you can be unbiased and neutral about the legislation you write about.

Example

First choice team: The proposed Freedom to Move Act would provide federal funds for state and local governments to expand public transportation networks and reduce fares. The United States has historically prioritized car-friendly urban planning, and public transportation is limited outside of major metropolitan areas. Currently, transportation is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change. Those in favor of this bill argue it will help the United States reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions, because public transportation is generally less emissions-intensive than individual vehicles or other forms of transportation. However, others argue it will be too expensive to expand public transportation to the point where individual vehicles are unnecessary, and the infrastructure project itself could be environmentally-damaging. They believe the funds could be better spent building infrastructure and providing subsidies for electric vehicles. Second choice team: HJ Resolution 11 proposes a Constitutional amendment which would create term limits for Representatives in the House and Senators.
Writing samples will be evaluated using this rubric.
Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload
Please upload a writing sample which demonstrates your professional writing style. The sample can be longer than 5 pages, but only the first 5 pages will be read. PDF PREFERRED.
Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload
Please upload your resume. PDF PREFERRED.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! If your school hosts an internship course or practicum program, you can count your hours at ACE for credit. If you plan to use the Student Fellowship to receive academic credit, make sure to notify your Research Associate at the beginning of the semester and clarify any specific requirements to ensure you receive credit. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure this internship meets all the requirements for academic credit from their institution, and request any necessary information or paperwork at the beginning of the internship.

We ask students to commit an average of 10 hours per week to this program. ACE recognizes that students juggle multiple commitments, and this Fellowship is designed to be a feasible addition to your academic courseload and/or work opportunities. The Fellowship primarily consists of self-scheduled work to meet weekly deadlines, with 1-2 weekly meetings that are scheduled with Fellows’ availability in mind. We always want to support students in prioritizing their mental health, and can adjust commitments in the event of an emergency. However, regularly completing less than the required hours makes it unlikely that students will end the semester with a published brief.

ACE believes in the power of young leaders and is always looking for hardworking, motivated students to take on leadership positions within the organization. Student Fellows can elect to lead team projects during their Fellowship period and propose projects to advance ACE’s mission. Exceptional Fellows can be promoted to Research Associate, to manage research teams in their area of expertise.

Student Fellows can come from any academic discipline or major, so long as they are passionate about public policy and empowering voters to make informed decisions. While we encourage students with prior experience in policy research and/or professional writing to apply, a willingness to learn and take on new challenges is just as important. ACE supports research across many policy areas, and successful Fellows tend to be those who apply to a policy team they feel especially passionate about. NOTE: Studies have shown that women and BIPOC individuals often hesitate to apply for roles unless they meet or exceed 100% of the listed requirements. We encourage anyone who thinks they have the drive to succeed in this role to apply.