Student Affiliate Program

About

Launched spring 2026, SPIA in NJ’s Student Affiliates form an interdisciplinary community for undergraduate and graduate students committed to state-level policy, public service, and civic engagement in the Garden State. The group offers opportunities to connect classroom learning with real-world impact through internships, site visits, and hands-on projects in conjunction with community and government partners. Members may access professional development in conjunction with faculty and policy practitioners.

By fostering collaboration and experiential learning, the group supports students to become informed, active participants in the policymaking process and to pursue careers in public service and policy.

Programming

2026

April 21: Practitioner Lunch - ACLU-NJ: undergrad and graduate students participated in a lunch-and-learn with the ACLU of New Jersey's Executive Director and SPIA in NJ Policy Fellow, Amol Sinha. ACLU-NJ's mission is to preserve, advance, and extend the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every New Jerseyan by the state and federal constitutions in courts, in the legislature, and in our communities.

March 24: Practitioner Lunch - NJ Policy Perspective: undergraduate and graduate students participated in a lunch-and-learn with New Jersey Policy Perspective(external link). NJPP is a nonpartisan think tank that drives policy change to advance economic, social, and racial justice through evidence-based, independent research, analysis, and strategic communications.

March 21: Kensington Excursion: undergraduate and graduate students visited the Kensington Corridor Trust for a lunch-and-learn that included a walking tour of Kensington, Philadelphia. KCT is the nation’s first neighborhood trust model, directly investing in Kensington’s commercial corridor, Kensington’s residents, and a sustained, community-led project.

March 17: Practitioner Lunch - NJ Institute for Social Justice: undergraduate and graduate students participated in a lunch-and-learn with the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. The Institute’s cutting-edge racial and social justice advocacy seeks to empower people of color by building reparative systems that create wealth, transform justice and harness democratic power—from the ground up—in New Jersey.

February 9: Where Policy Gets Real: A Case-Based Workshop on State & Local Government: this interactive workshop provided students with an overview of New Jersey's legislative process and political landscape, and used pieces of legislation as case studies for application. Led by Dhruv Kapadia, Hopewell Valley Regional School District Board of Education Member and former Legislative Director for Senator Andrew Zwicker.

January 11: Inaugural Planning Retreat: student affiliates and SPIA in NJ staff hosted the first planning retreat. The group voted on policy focus areas and brainstormed programming.

2025

December 6: Appointments to State Boards and Commissions Conference: students attended the day-long conference, hosted by Rutgers University's Center for American Women and Politics.