Transition Term was created in the fall of 2018 as an experiential learning program to provide Harvard Kennedy School students with a paid fellowship during January break to support newly elected governors, mayors, and county executives as they assumed office. 

Launched and run by the Taubman Center for State and Local Government, the program was actually first proposed by students eager for an opportunity to work in government. Statistics from the program are impressive: It has seen 152 student fellows participate in 51 state and local government administrations, and in 2023, the year with the largest number of participants to date, the program placed 54 students with six governors, one county executive, and 10 mayors throughout the country. 

Starting in 2022, the Taubman Center connected with the National Governors Association to help place students with incoming gubernatorial administrations. But the story of T-Term isn’t just about successful outcomes. It is also about student ingenuity, institutional support, and community investment.