Keystone Policy Center

Keystone Policy Center
Internship Overview
About Keystone Policy Center
Keystone Policy Center (Keystone) is a trusted non-profit organization founded in 1975 to drive
actionable, shared solutions to contentious agriculture, environment, energy, education, and public
health issues. Keystone is recognized by public, private, and civic-sector leaders throughout the United
States for independent, collaborative problem-solving approaches that offer a proven blueprint for
progress and collective impact.
In every effort we undertake, we apply more than 40 years of organizational experience and individual
staff expertise to develop an innovative, impactful approach customized to the specific goals and
stakeholders involved. In all efforts, Keystone maintains an unwavering position of independence, not
advocating for any single position but rather providing all participants the opportunity to truly own
decisions by working with shared-goal partners to find mutually agreeable solutions.
Visit www.keystone.org for examples of our work in agriculture, environment, energy, education, and
health policy.
Summary of Internship
Keystone does not currently maintain a formal internship program, however it offers internship
opportunities when it makes sense for both the interested individual and for the organization. We’ve
recently hosted a number of interns in this way. Internships at Keystone offer meaningful experience
working with a talented team of mediators and facilitators and exposure to collaborative approaches
toward some of society’s most challenging policy problems. A Keystone internship provides exposure to
a wide variety of leaders, organizations, and issues in government, industry, and non-governmental
organizations, academia.
Keystone is a dynamic work environment and our often-changing portfolio of current projects in
agriculture, environment, energy, public health and education means that it can be difficult to predict,
for example, in the winter the specific projects that will be initiated in the summer. Regardless of the
specific project on hand, we provide interns with the opportunity to assist project teams in planning and
meetings while supplementing with opportunities for policy research, process design, and project
development. We can provide to those interested in internships examples of likely projects over the
timeframe of interest as well as examples of recent projects that emerged on short notice to provide
interns with meaningful experience.
Intern Scope of Work and Responsibilities
We anticipate the following projects and work categories for an internship:
• Assist 1 or more specific project teams in project planning, meeting facilitation and
documentation. This will include exposure to and/or involvement in stakeholder outreach and
interviews, agenda development, facilitation, coordination, and documentation of discussions,
outcomes and agreements.*
• Observe meetings of other projects and project teams.*
• Support overall Keystone research needs with specific research and writing activities including
but not limited to the following:
o Issue area research for project development (e.g., synthesize information on specific
current policy issues)
o Work with staff to identify and document in handbook form guiding information specific
to collaborative process design, e.g., processes; model process approaches and their
relevance for specific issues and stakeholders.
• Attend Keystone Center all staff meetings, which will provide exposure to the vast array of
current projects as well as to non-profit organizational governance and administration.
Location
The internship is based at one of our offices: our headquarters in Keystone, CO or in Denver or
Washington, DC.
*Some meetings may require in- or out-of-state travel, which will be supported by Keystone where it is
necessary to perform the responsibilities of the internship and within the project’s budget.
Oversight
While the intern may work with a variety of teams and project leads, s/he will report directly to a single
designated senior staff member responsible for overseeing the internship and for identifying
appropriate activities.
Compensation
The Keystone Center is currently offering unpaid internships; interns are responsible for identifying
resources to support housing, living expenses, etc. and are responsible for securing their own housing.
Internship Term
Internships typically last 2-3 months. Hourly requirements of internships can be negotiated however a
regular office schedule is preferable for both Keystone and the individual as it increases the ability to
provide meaningful work experiences and increases exposure to the variety of activities underway at the
Center.
How to Apply
Please contact Julie Shapiro, Senior Policy Director, [email protected], for more information;
please send a resume and brief cover letter or email outlining your interest in interning with Keystone.
There is no deadline to apply; Keystone currently reviews internship requests as they emerge. Applicants
will need to identify their own lodging, and should factor this into the timing of their internship.