2012 Political Scholarships and Awards

 

Diana Chudacoff Levin Award, Kam Kuwata Award for Political Involvement, and

André Pineda Political Leadership Award


Application Deadline: Friday, March 23, 2012 at 5pm


The Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics invites you to apply for our 2012 political internship scholarships and awards including the Diana Chudacoff Levin Award, Kam Kuwata Award for Political Involvement, and André Pineda Political Leadership Award. All internship awards and scholarships will be applied to internships during the 2012 summer semester and the award amounts will vary by each award recipient.

 

Internships provide exciting opportunities for students to gain direct hands-on experience in the worlds of politics, government and public service. Interns develop insight into the nature of political institutions and learn about important policy debates while building invaluable relationships with potential future employers. Internships are available with elected officials, political consultants, non-governmental organizations, state and local government agencies, environmental organizations, political parties and campaigns, interest groups, political media and more.

 

Diana Chudacoff Levin Award

The Diana Chudacoff Levin Award provides support to outstanding students who would like to explore the real world of politics through an internship experience. Students who demonstrate an interest in the political process and whose aspirations include future civic engagement are most likely to be successful in the highly competitive selection process. Interns may take positions in political and governmental offices in the Los Angeles area, Sacramento, Washington D.C., and other locations in the United States. All internships must be unpaid. Those selected will enroll in POSC 395: Directed Governmental and Political Leadership Internship, and must fulfill the course requirements. Award winners will receive a generous stipend and/or 2 units of tuition credit to be applied to POSC 395.

Kam Kuwata Award for Political Involvement

The Kam Kuwata Award for Political Involvement will be offered to a student or students whose academic work, political involvement, and civic engagement has prepared him/her for the valuable experience of working on a political campaign. The Award will be given to a student or students who have demonstrated a strong interest in campaign politics and provide them with financial support to work on behalf of a candidate or ballot initiative that inspires them. 

 

André Pineda Political Leadership Award

The André Pineda Political Leadership Award will provide financial support to a student or students whose academic work, political involvement, and civic engagement has prepared him/her for the valuable experience of working on behalf of a candidate or cause that inspires them. The André Pineda Award rewards a student or students who have demonstrated a strong interest in public service and/or political advocacy.

 

Eligibility

All awards are open to undergraduate students of all majors currently pursuing degrees at USC with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applicants must not graduate before the end of the 2012 Summer Semester. Internships must be unpaid or low-paid and students must work a minimum of 25 hours per week. 


While it is not required to have an internship confirmed when submitting an application, students must have applied to a number of possible internships and have a strong area of interest or specific internship placement in mind. As these are competitive awards, in addition to exemplary academic work, candidates should demonstrate an interest in politics, government or public service, as shown through means such as:

  • attending and/or organizing political events (especially on-campus events)
  • prior political volunteerism
  • political internships
  • politically-related student activities
  • attendance and/or participation in Unruh Institute events

 

Application Instructions

Please complete the attached application, and include an unofficial transcript (downloadable by printing your “Completed Course Summary” at www.usc.edu/oasis), a complete resume, a writing sample, and a 250-500 word essay explaining why you would like to participate in this program. Please submit two letters of recommendation, written by a faculty member at USC or elsewhere.

 

Finalists for the Diana Chudacoff Levin Award, Kam Kuwata Award for Political Involvement and André Pineda Political Leadership Award will be invited to have an interview with the selection committee. 


The application deadline is Friday, March 23, 2012 at 5PM.

You may return all application materials via email to thuy.huynh@usc.edu or submit hard copies to:


            The Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics
            RE: Political Scholarships and Awards
            University of Southern California, VKC 263
            Los Angeles, CA  90089-0045
            Phone: (213) 740-8964
            dornsife.usc.edu/unruh

Please direct any questions regarding the Diana Chudacoff Levin Award, Kam Kuwata Award for Political Involvement and André Pineda Political Leadership Award or the selection process to Thuy Huynh, Internship Associate at the Unruh Institute, at thuy.huynh@usc.edu or (213) 740-8964.

 


Download the application: 2012_Political_Internship_Scholarships_and_Awards.pdf