Undergrads skilled up for graduate studies and careers in public service at HKS this summer

The JSI curriculum focuses on writing, critical thinking, public speaking, and quantitative reasoning. Students also take coursework in economics and statistics, analyze the role of race and racism in public policies and practices, and receive training to craft a policy briefing by the end of the program—skills essential to be effective and compassionate leaders in public service.

“Through courses like Race and Racism and the Public Policy Incubator, I learned ways to challenge systemic inequities through policy work, such as advocating for expanding federal benefits for undocumented immigrants by writing a policy memo,” says Gaby Salazar JSI@HKS 2024 who returned to the University of California, Santa Barbara for her senior year. “At HKS, my passion for public service and advocacy flourished, especially as I focused on uplifting my undocumented community.”

Outside of the classroom, JSI@HKS Summer Scholars take part in co-curricular workshops where they build public speaking skills, hear from professionals working in international development, delve into case studies about topics such as immigration and transportation policy, and learn how to apply to graduate school.

But there was plenty of opportunity for some New England summer fun, too. In addition to going kayaking in the Charles River, the JSI@HKS Summer Scholars took a break from the books to root for the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, go candlepin bowling at Sacco’s Bowl Haven in Somerville, and bask on the Cape Cod beaches.

“I developed a deeper understanding of community,” says Jamya Davis JSI@HKS 2024, who returned to Xavier University of Louisiana for her senior year. “Being able to foster connections with individuals who are just as passionate about changing the world as you are not only is empowering but also makes me feel like I’m not alone when this sort of passion can feel isolating.” Davis has her fair share of highlights from the summer but her favorite was “talking about colonialism, imperialism, racism, society and culture, literally anywhere but most often in J.P. Licks,” a popular café and ice cream shop in Harvard Square.  

JSI@HKS Summer Scholars are selected from a competitive PPIA applicant pool and rank their preferred host institutions during the application process. In addition to HKS—the newest institution added to the PPIA Program—students have the option to attend Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs, University of California, Berkeley’s Goldman School, and the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

“I am grateful for the doors it opened for me,” said Abdoulaye Ba JSI 2018 (Princeton University) who is now associate director of PPIA Program Development and Management at HKS and oversees the JSI@HKS Program. “Seeing students get trained in quantitative analysis and feeling more confident in those courses showed me what is possible when the right information is shared. With these new skillsets, I can see each of the 15 students playing a key role in further serving their communities.”

Applications to JSI@HKS Summer 2025 are due November 1, 2024. Undergraduates currently in their junior year who are from underrepresented backgrounds and interested in public policy and public service are strongly encouraged to apply.