4 ways for students to get involved at The Harkin Institute

Are you a student who has wondered what exactly The Harkin Institute does? Here are five ways to get involved!

1. Attend an Event

The Harkin Institute invites a plethora of speakers from a variety of backgrounds to talk about current events and policy. For our popular Sussman Lecture, the Institute invites guests such as Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi and British Consul Stephen Bridges to discuss important current events like child labor and Brexit. Both students and community members are invited to attend the lectures put on by The Harkin Institute in order to further their knowledge on a variety of subjects.

The Harkin Institute also hosts student luncheons with industry leaders so Drake University students can have direct access to people like Raygun founder and CEO Mike Draper and the former president of NBC News, Michael Gartner. Students have the opportunity to eat and talk with experts in different fields to better understand a variety of industries and how to stand out in the professional world. Luncheons are capped at 10 students per event, so students are able to make a lasting and personal connection with professionals at the table. The Coffee Talk series offers similar opportunties by bringing students and young professionals together for an informal breakfast.

In addition, the Institute holds a range of other events such as Policy
On Tap where students can listen to healthcare professionals speak on pressing issues in the medical field and An Evening With Charlie Cook which discusses the current landscape of the political arena.

2. Take a Class

The Harkin Institute also has a variety of classes offered to Drake University students. This January Term, the Institute’s Executive Director, Joseph Jones, and Political Papers Archivist Hope Grebner-Bibens will be leading a travel J-Term to Washington, D.C. and Boston. The class will focus on the reality of being a staffer on Capitol Hill with hands-on experience in D.C. and a Senate immersion program in Boston. In addition, Hope Grebner-Bibens teaches a course on archival research where students gain hands-on experience with archives and research. There is also an MPA class for practical writing skills that can be easily applied to professional settings.

3. Apply for our D.C. Experience Scholarship

Many summer internships in Washington, D.C. are unpaid, which can be an issue for students who can’t afford to live in D.C. without income. To help, The Harkin Institute offers the D.C. Experience Scholarship, which covers the cost of travel to and from D.C. and living accommodations. Past scholarship winners have worked for Senators Al Franken (D-MN), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and interned at the Scripps Howard Foundation and the National Council on U.S. Arab Relations.

4. Join our Team

The Harkin Institute employs more than a dozen student workers in office. Students who work at the Institute work in a real-world environment, which gives them an advantage towards their future careers. The Institute requires a three-semester commitment so that the Institute can invest in students while also having students invest in the Institute. Employment opportunities at the Institute include communications positions, research positions, and management positions. There is also opportunity for advancement and promotion within the student staff program. Employees at the Institute help run communication, events, and public policy research that contribute to the Institute’s tangible products.

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