NHSA Internship Program

"I have previously spent time volunteering in a Head Start center in Oklahoma and ever since I have been interested in how things operated outside of the classroom. As a government affairs intern, I was given a diverse set of tasks this summer. I was able to research the new nutrition guidelines and prepare a brief. This was later used as a reference guide for the effective practice team and I was also able to use it when I attended an Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) meeting on early childhood nutrition. I also wrote a blog post, drafted tweets for NHSA's Twitter, helped collect and organize questions from the last virtual Town Hall meeting, and listened in on meetings with our external affairs team on the Hill. I have thoroughly loved working in an environment where everyone is passionate about NHSA's mission. My time here has reignited my passion for early childhood education and health and reconfirmed that I should continue in the fight for equitable solutions." — Giannina Garcia, George Washington University, Government Affairs Intern

"Interning at NHSA has been an incredible, eye-opening opportunity. From the moment I began working at NHSA, it was abundantly clear that the people in this office are passionate, warm and devoted co-workers. As the Government Affairs intern, I have had many opportunities to learn about the integral role non-profit agencies have in ensuring critical programs like Head Start are funded and supported by our government. Throughout my internship I have been able to attend hearings on the Hill, to talk with our organization’s lobbyist, sit in on meetings where we strategize ways to engage with members of Congress, help launch an advocacy campaign, and work on many other engaging projects. At NHSA each day brings a new experience and I am so appreciative to have been a part of a team that is so devoted to supporting our nation’s most at-risk children, families, and communities." — Zoie Albrecht, University of North Carolina, Government Affairs Intern

"Interning at NHSA has been an amazing experience full of encouraging support from the whole staff. Everyone has been extremely organized and willing to share tasks that sparked my interest. In addition to general tasks, I was able to develop an independent project based on a main need within the Head Start community. This allowed me to expand my writing abilities and communication skills as I reached out to programs throughout the country. I have felt welcomed and creatively stimulated as I took part in meetings from other organizations, and departments within NHSA, giving me a larger sense of all that is going on and possibly include them into my own work. Collaboration, encouragement, and innovation are only some of the words I would use to describe the environment at NHSA." — Olivia Marcus, Miami University, Effective Practice Intern

"I first learned about Head Start three years ago when I was researching exemplary early childhood programs for vulnerable populations for a national think tank affiliated with the State Council of China. In graduate school, I took a course in education policy where students participated in congressional debates about Head Start policies, and my academic advisor happens to be a Head Start mentor who has researched Head Start for more than 40 years. At NHSA, my primary responsibility is to conduct comprehensive research on Head Start and Early Head Start’s impact and write synthesized one-pagers, including eight topics upon which the governmental affairs team and the data team agreed. The one-pagers mainly serve as dissemination resources for NHSA’s outreach effort to people on the hill as well as for local Head Start centers to collaborate with local service agencies. I am deeply grateful to have experienced and witnessed what it takes to build, nurture, and care for a Head Start family – where each member is respected, valued, and expected." — Zijin Zhang, University of Pennsylvania, Data Intern