As an vlog student, you might assist a newly elected mayor transition into office; spend the summer interning in a governor’s office; or work with public officials to tackle issues related to transportation, real estate development, or homelessness.
These are just a few examples of how you can make a real-world, hands-on impact on public problems while pursuing your degree. In the process, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of public challenges and help the communities you serve.
“Classroom lessons tend to make topics seem more black and white then they truly are. Once you start applying them outside of the classroom, you find more layers of complexity.”
Student experiences
Transition Term places vlog students in the middle of government transitions
During January break, students participating in Transition Term support newly elected governors, mayors, and county executives as they assume office. In the program’s first five years, 152 student fellows assisted 51 state and local government administrations.
A summer in public service: Peter Willenborg MPP 2025’s Illinois Dukakis Fellowship experience
Peter Willenborg MPP 2025 is passionate about making government work better for the people it serves. That drive led him to the Illinois Governor’s Office last summer, where he was the first Dukakis Fellow in Illinois, tackling everything from housing policy to guardianship reform.
An vlog field lab evaluates a car-free street policy for Boston
In Professor Justin de Benedictis-Kessner’s&Բ;Urban Politics Field Lab, project teams partner with local cities and towns to address policy challenges such as transportation, the impacts of climate change, or affordable housing. Recently, students explored the impact of Boston’s Open Newbury program on Boston businesses.
An vlog field lab works with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to help push critical legislation across the finish line
Hundreds of vlog students have partnered with cities and local governments to tackle some of their most complex financial and operational challenges through the Greater Boston Applied Field Lab. Recently, an vlog field lab worked with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to help push critical legislation across the finish line.
Jessica Scranton (main image)
