Fresh from the Fountain
Undergraduate Program Office
609-258-4861
spiaugrd@princeton.edu
Fresh From the Fountain is a continuously updated webpage where the most up-to-date events and opportunities for SPIA Undergraduate students are posted. We encourage all current and prospective SPIA students to keep this page saved and refer to it regularly to keep up with all that is going on within SPIA as well as related departments at Princeton and beyond. Please Note: Posts will be listed as they become available and will be sorted with the soonest deadline first.
New Jersey School of Conservation - Environmental Education Intern
Looking to gain hands-on experience in environmental education, field research, and program development? Join us at the New Jersey School of Conservation for a unique internship experience set in the heart of Stokes State Forest!
What you’ll do:
• Lead and support hands-on outdoor education programs
• Assist with real-world field research and biodiversity projects
• Create engaging educational materials and content
• Support daily operations and outreach efforts
• Complete a capstone project tailored to your interests
Deadline: April 3, 2026
ACLU-NJ - Digital Communications Intern
The digital communications intern will work across departments to create digital communications that engage and educate the public on ACLU-NJ's key priorities. The intern will contribute to the day-to-day functions of the department and will develop social copy, email blasts, editorial, multimedia, and web content. They will also gain experience in analyzing reporting data and making recommendations from key performance indicators of digital campaigns.
Deadline: April 24, 2026
Legislative District 14 Office of Assemblywoman McCoy Summer Internship
Assemblywoman Tennille R. McCoy, proudly representing the 14th Assembly District, is delighted to extend an invitation to college and high school students for our Summer Internship Program. This exceptional opportunity offers valuable hands-on experience within a state Assembly office, allowing students to develop a deep understanding of district office operations and the legislative process.
Deadline: May 1, 2026
Newcomer Youth Summer Academy Youth Mentor
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
Deadline: June 15, 2026
Zufall AmeriCorps Members
Public Health AmeriCorps promotes expansion of the public health workforce, health equity, and access to services for underserved populations. Based at Zufall’s Dover, Morristown, Plainsboro, Somerville, and/or West Orange locations, members gain hands-on experience providing outreach and health education in a full-time (40 hours/week), 11-month service term. Based on experience, language skills, and location, members will be assigned to one or two projects in the following topic areas: Diabetes Management, Prenatal Care, Asthma Care, HIV/AIDS Awareness, Prevention of Childhood Obesity through Nutrition and Exercise, Oral Health, Senior Wellness, Access to Health Insurance, or Health Resources for New Immigrant Families.
To apply, send your resume to Jenniffer Amaya, AmeriCorps Program Manager, at jamaya@zufallhealth.org.
Visit the link above for more information about the program.
Deadline: August 2, 2026
Princeton In Washington
Launched over 60 years ago, the goal of Princeton in Washington (PIW) is to help introduce students like you to careers and life in Washington, D.C., through networking events with alumni, site visits, and social events! You’ll meet high-profile alumni from all walks of career paths in public service, politics, nonprofits, journalism, environment, law, and more! Beyond professional growth opportunities, PIW also offers fun outings and a way for students to build a community while in D.C. for the summer. Want to join our community and get updates on events going down this summer? Sign up for our newsletter HERE!
NJ Senate Republicans — Research Intern
This partisan office seeks summer and term interns to support research, memo writing, data analysis, and more across areas of legislative importance. Topics include but are not limited to affordability, transportation, energy, and public safety. Interns will work in-person in the State House under the supervision of legislative staff. If interested, send resume, summer work availability, and policy areas of interest to Thelma Carrera at tcarrera@princeton.edu
NJ Assembly Majority Office — Research Intern
This partisan office seeks summer interns to support data analysis, fact-finding, policy memo writing, literature reviews, policy research, and legislative analysis. Interns will create a hybrid or in-person schedule with staff, and will work at the State House in Trenton and/or as needed for in-person meetings, legislative sessions, and other policy opportunities. If you are particularly interested in learning about and contributing to building the State’s FY27 budget, please review and consider the following timeline when deciding to apply:
- April: budget research and proposal submission
- May: budget hearings
- 6/30: state budget signed
If interested, send resume, summer work availability, and policy areas of interest to Thelma Carrera at tcarrera@princeton.edu
NJ Office of the Secretary of Higher Education - The New Jersey Career Accelerator Internship
This program is designed to expand access to high-quality, paid, experiential learning. It gives college students and recent graduates the opportunity to gain real-world, career-relevant skills that help prepare them for success in the workforce. Participating New Jersey employers receive support through the grant program to offer paid internships, which reduces financial barriers for students seeking hands-on experience.
Deadline: Rolling
Center for Strategic and International Studies - Project on Nuclear Issues Internship
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a non-profit, bipartisan public policy organization established in 1962 to provide strategic insights and practical policy solutions to decision makers concerned with global security and prosperity. Over the years, it has grown to be one of the largest organizations of its kind, with a staff of some 250 employees, including more than 120 analysts working to address the changing dynamics of international security across the globe.
Location: Washington, DC
Deadline: Rolling
Center for Strategic and International Studies - Global Development Internship
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a non-profit, bipartisan public policy organization established in 1962 to provide strategic insights and practical policy solutions to decision makers concerned with global security and prosperity. Over the years, it has grown to be one of the largest organizations of its kind, with a staff of some 250 employees, including more than 120 analysts working to address the changing dynamics of international security across the globe.
Location: Washington, DC
Deadline: Rolling
Asian American Voices Media (AAVM) - Princeton Fellowship
AAVM is seeking undergraduate and graduate student fellows to support its editorial review and translation-quality workflows during the academic semester. This fellowship offers hands-on experience at the intersection of journalism, public policy, and information integrity and is well-suited for students interested in media, governance, international affairs, or democratic institutions. The fellowship is remote, part-time, and structured to align with SPIA’s in-semester Field Requirement, subject to departmental approval. Please follow the above link for more information about the role and how to apply.
Deadline: Rolling
Defense Intelligence Agency - Internship
Join DIA to gain valuable professional experience while completing your degree! With a variety of programs and internships, DIA will provide you, as a high-achieving college student from an accredited U.S. institution, the ability to use your degree in a real world setting while continuing your education. Our Student Programs allow you the opportunity to gain practical work experience while working side-by-side with professionals in each Career Field in order to gain valuable on-the job experience while providing support to DIA and its mission.
Deadline: Rolling
Women’s Foreign Policy Group Internship
All internships are fully in-person in Washington, DC.
It is crucial to ensure that women's voices are heard and women leaders are fully engaged in key policy decisions. At WFPG, we advance women's leadership and highlight their contributions through programs and mentoring. We believe that by highlighting women leaders in foreign policy, we provide important role models for the next generation and create a vital network of women from different sectors, generations, and backgrounds.
Deadline: Rolling
US Court of Appeals - Judicial Assistant Position
The Judicial Assistant provides administrative and case-related support to Judge Garcia and the law clerks working in the judge’s chambers. Duties include but are not limited to: working with a wide range of staff throughout the courthouse to help fulfill chambers’ duties and needs; developing and maintaining electronic and paper filing systems for chambers; conducting research; monitoring, managing, and assisting with incoming and outgoing email and paper correspondence; receptionist duties; preparing disclosure reports and travel vouchers; helping with annual interviewing and orienting of law clerks; and assisting with case preparation formoot courts. The start date for this position will be in August 2026. The position will not be available sooner.
Deadline: Open Until Filled
NYC Economic Development Corporation - Summer Internships
Scroll down to the Internship section on the website.
At NYCEDC, we share a passion for NYC and a commitment to building a sustainable and inclusive economic future—through impactful projects and programs spanning the city's industries and five boroughs. We’re looking for people who have the talent, skills, and experience to make a difference, and who are looking to do so at an organization at the nexus of the public and private sectors.
Deadlines Vary
CNAS: Joseph S. Nye, Jr. National Security Internship & Mentoring Program (Multiple Roles)
The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) established its flagship internship and mentoring program in honor of Dr. Joseph S. Nye, Jr., who has devoted his career to the preparation and mentoring of generations of Americans and global strategists. The Joseph S. Nye, Jr. National Security Internship and Mentoring Program seeks to follow Dr. Nye's leadership in this area by offering a rigorous internship program involving policy research, writing, exposure to national policy debates and decision makers, and professional development.
Deadline: Rolling
AEI Collegiate Network
The AEI Collegiate Network is an intellectual home for current undergraduates to engage with AEI scholarship, connect with AEI scholars, and cultivate relationships with other public-spirited students from campuses around the nation and world. Membership in the network provides students with educational and professional opportunities with one of America’s preeminent think tanks. Through a series of educational and networking opportunities, the AEI Collegiate Network exposes the next generation of leaders in public policy, media, business, academia, law, and other fields to the research and people of AEI and prepares them to model a competition of ideas on their campuses and beyond.
Deadline: Rolling
International Rescue Committee Internships (multiple opportunities)
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster.
Deadline: Rolling
SPIA in NJ - Undergraduate Internship Opportunities
SPIA in New Jersey has several internship opportunities with local and state organizations. Please use the link above to explore all the different organizations and internships available.
Deadline: Rolling
Unified Site for All State Department Fellowships and Internships
If your students are seeking a substantive internship or fellowship supporting US foreign policy, the State Department has an aggregated website for opportunities. Opportunities are for a wide range of majors (from STEM to social sciences to the arts). They are in person and online.
Deadline: Varies
Africa World Initiative: Breaking the Bouble Debt Cycle
Date: April 8 @ 12 - 1 pm
Location: Corwin Hall, Room 243
When African countries borrow to fund development, the money often flows straight back out. Local firms are too small to win contracts, too opaque to access finance, and too undercapitalised to compete with international players. The country takes on debt and loses the economic multiplier. Professor Leonce Ndikumana documented this pattern of capital outflow decades ago. The structural dynamics haven’t changed much since.
CCD: Navigating Your Summer Internship Cohort
Date: April 8 @ 4:30 - 6pm AND April 22 @ 4:30 - 6pm
Location: On Campus (location will be sent to registrants)
Link to Register
This is a two-part program intended for undergraduates starting their first internship or professional experience this summer. It will cover:
- What to expect working in a professional setting
- Handling supervisor relationship and feedback
- Crafting your elevator pitch
- Networking tips and practice
Participants of the cohort are required to attend both meetings - Wednesday, April 8 from 4:30-6 p.m. and Wednesday, April 22 from 4:30-6 p.m.
Nowruz Celebration with the Afghanistan Policy Lab
April 15 @ 12:15pm
Fountain of Freedom (Scudder Plaza)
Join the Afghanistan Policy Lab in celebrating Nowruz. Lunch and music will be provided.
Please register by April 1
LBJ School of Public Affairs' 2026 Public Service Leadership Weekend:
Policy in Action: Innovative Skills for Emerging Issues in Texas & the American South
Location: Austin, Texas
Date: July 9 - 12
Deadline to apply: April 17
Application Link
The Public Service Leadership Weekend (PSLW) is a dynamic, three-day conference designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students interested in public policy and public affairs. Hosted by the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, this immersive program equips future public service leaders with the tools, networks, and skills to drive meaningful change in their communities. This program will allow 46 emerging college leaders from across Texas, the South, and the Southwest to convene to explore innovative solutions to today’s most pressing public policy challenges. Through interactive workshops, expert-led discussions, and hands-on policy training, participants will develop the knowledge, confidence, and network to translate ideas into action. If you have any questions as you complete your application, please email G. Christopher Cutkelvin, Director of Student Access & Civic Education at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. You can reach him at chris.cutkelvin@austin.utexas.edu.
NJAI Hub - Research Survey
As we work to build a robust AI ecosystem, we’d love to hear from Princeton students about their interests, skills, and the types of opportunities they’d find most valuable. To help us shape future programming, we’ve put together a brief student interest survey.
Stokes Library - Viz Hub Spring 2026 Workshop Schedule
The Stokes Visualization Hub is a space and service, that responds to the evolving digital research, data visualization, and qualitative analysis needs of the Princeton Students and Faculty, with a focus on SPIA and the related social sciences. Workshops will cover a variety of topics including Zotero, R, Excel, Data Visualization and more. Please visit the website for workshop details and dates. The Stokes Viz Hub data consultants provide data analysis support for students working on independent research projects, including junior papers and senior theses. One of our consultants specializes in qualitative analysis, and the other in quantitative analysis. Students are welcome to schedule appointments. We encourage students to book a session early to get the most out of their research process.
Civic Match - Powered by Work For America
Civic Match is a national hiring platform powered by Work for America that connects state and local governments with experienced professionals ready to serve communities where it matters most. Sign up with the link above and find your next public service opportunity.
Drop In: Free Copies of Translated Princeton University Press Books!
Stop by Princeton University Press to pick up free translated copies of their most popular books! Translations include Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, and Vietnamese, among others. These books are across all subject areas: history, natural history, biology, sociology, literature, economics, and more! Please enter through Princeton University Press' main lobby doors located off of Williams Street. Upon arrival, please call ext 8168 (Louise Jennewine) or 8228 (Amanda Gillette).
The Rotary Club of Washington Global
The best way to get a job in this environment is Networking! Are you exploring careers in public service or international development? The Rotary Club of Washington Global’s Mentors for Young Professionals in International Development program connects students, recent graduates, and early-career professionals with experienced mentors from the public service and global development field — including leaders from USAID, Peace Corps, World Bank, Global Communities, and many more agencies and organizations.
- Free 30–60 minute mentoring sessions
- Learn about career pathways, grad school, and networking
- Open to all young professionals interested in public and global service
- Learn more and browse mentor bios
FedSupport Hub
The FedSupport Hub is a resource for former and current federal employees—a centralized and reliable place where they can find answers to their questions, share critical information and build community. This may be a helpful resource for the alumni you serve working in the federal government.
GoinGlobal
This resource supports international students who are interested in working in the U.S., their home country or elsewhere, as well as U.S. students who want to work abroad. It includes job and internship listings, global resume and cover letter guidance, global key employer directory, country and city guides, global job market trends, work permit regulations and cultural advice. Its Country/City Guides and cultural information might be helpful for those of you who are sending students abroad this summer or post-graduation. GoinGlobal requires students, faculty, and staff to be logged into CAS to access.
Partnership for Public Service
The Partnership for Public Service and Amazon Web Services have collaborated to create this Agency Dashboard, which provides an overview of the workforce, employee experience, budgetary resources and information-technology maturity of 33 major federal agencies, each with more than 1,000 employees. The dashboards offer a snapshot of critical data points that illustrate the organizational health of specific agencies and the executive branch as a whole, helping agency leaders, congressional offices, the media and other stakeholders identify areas for further focus.
Virtual Volunteer Opportunities with the United Nations
For students and alumni who still want to gain experience while they cannot leave home, the UN Online Volunteer Corps may be helpful. Online volunteering allows organizations and volunteers to team up to address sustainable development challenges – anywhere in the world, from any device.
More information and how to apply, linked here.
Virtual Student Federal Service
The Virtual Student Federal Service connects the talents of U.S. citizen college students with the needs of federal agencies. Since 2009, more than 10,000 remote interns have advanced the work of the federal government. The time commitment is about 10 hours per week during the school year. There are opportunities for all, from data visualization to political analysis. Internships are paid but may be eligible for course credit.
More information and how to apply are linked here.
Princeton Experimental Laboratory (PExL) for Social Sciences
PExL is open for registration at pexl.lab.run. Why register? Because your participation will earn you cash (about $25 an hour), because you’ll take part in frontier science, and because you might have fun—most experiments will allow you to strategize in computer-based interactions. If you have any questions, please contact us at pexl@princeton.edu.
USAJOBS Resume Best Practices
Per the Merit Hiring Plan, all federal resumes are not to exceed two pages as of September 27. USAJOBS has created a technical solution that will limit resumes to two pages when submitting applications or using the USAJOBS resume builder. Below are some best practices from the Call to Serve Team when navigating these changes and rewriting the federal resume.
Content:
- Prioritize recent work experience that is most relevant to the duties and qualifications listed on the job announcement. “Recent experience” and “relevant experience” are not the same thing. De-prioritize or remove non-relevant and outdated work experience.
- Align any work experience on the resume to qualifications listed on the job announcement.
- Use plain language that is understood by HR specialists and hiring managers. When you apply for a job, an HR Specialist will most likely review your resume first to determine whether you are qualified for the job.
- Use language that is results focused and includes numbers and metrics to quantify your work.
- You can include volunteer work, internships, and other non-paid work; these will still count towards your total years of experience.
- Ask yourself: Can the HR professional reading this, who may not have direct experience in my fiend, understand my experience in 10-15 seconds?
Formatting:
- USAJOBS recommends using at a minimum of .5 margins, 10-pt size font for main content and 14-pt size for headings.
- Use a font that is easy to read, such as Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans.
- Uploading a PDF resume is the best practice to maintain formatting and the number of pages, but many file types are accepted.
Make your resume searchable:
- Recruiters may contact people in their database to apply for jobs not posted on USAJOBS or only available at career fairs.
- Resumes can only be searchable for 18 months, and only 1 resume at a time can be searchable.
- Only 1–2-page resumes will be searchable; all resumes that were previously searchable expired on September 27th, so USAJOBS users will need to go back and update the searchable resume.
USAJOBS will not delete or remove any resumes or profiles after September 27th. However, existing uploaded resumes will be seen as ineligible if they are longer than 2 pages. The Partnership expects there will be more updates and opportunities to learn more about the changes to federal resumes and other hiring considerations in the federal government. To stay up to date, we encourage Call to Serve Network members to follow USAJOBS and OPM on LinkedIn.
USAJOBS Career Explorer
The USAJOBS Career Explorer helps job seekers find occupations in the federal government that align with their career interests. Job seekers answer a series of questions that result in a matched list of federal occupational series. The list offers explanations of jobs in plain language and links to relevant open job announcements. The Career Explorer covers over 300 occupations in the General Schedule and Wage Grade pay scale.
Early Career Page
The Early Career Page is a central hub of information and resources for students, recent graduates and non-college degree seeking individuals who are early in their career. Information on the page includes the benefits of working for the federal government, tips to navigate the federal application process and best practices for federal resumes. The page also links to the Federal Internship Portal and the Recent Graduate Portal to easily connect page visitors to these early career jobs.
Federal Internship Finder
This resource—part of GoGovernment.org—houses nearly 1,000 federal opportunities and had nearly 90,000 visits in its first year. We recently added two new search filters to the finder to make this tool even more effective for you and your students.
Practice Foreign Service Officer Test
The State Department offers a practice Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT). The purpose of the practice FSOT is to provide a realistic preview of the computer-based FSOT and an estimate of the likelihood of passing.
Google Interview WarmUp
DYK Google has a tool that lets students practice interview responses, get AI-generated insights into their answers, and get more comfortable interviewing for select fields.
Advice on Quality Letters of Recommendation
Letters of Recommendation provide valuable insights into a candidate. If students are struggling to figure out how to secure the "right" letters, here is a piece I wrote with 5 Tips for a Quality Letter of Recommendation. Printable copy linked here
Unified Site for All State Department Fellowships and Internships
If your students are seeking a substantive internship or fellowship supporting US foreign policy,the State Department has an aggregated website or opportunities. Opportunities are for a wide range of majors (from STEM to social sciences to the arts). They are in person and online.
High Meadows Fellowship Second Round Application
The High Meadows Fellowship Program is a generously funded fellowship opportunity that places graduating Princeton seniors in two-year positions with the nation’s leading environmental organizations. There is still one High Meadows Fellowship position available: the Economic Analysis Hub Fellow position with Environmental Defense Fund. The Pace Center recently opened a second round application for this position and the deadline for applications to this role is 11:59 PM EST on April 2, 2026. Questions? Contact High Meadows program advisor Jenny Wagner at jenny.wagner@princeton.edu.
P*Law Undergraduate Scholars (PLUS)
The P*LAW Undergraduate Scholars (PLUS) program offers Princeton undergraduates opportunities to engage with P*LAW faculty and staff via special programming for law-interested undergraduates. You will also be eligible to receive funding to support participation in legal research. Students who join the PLUS cohort commit to the following :
- Attending two of P*LAW’s events each academic year
- Participating in a set of pre-law advising panels and lunches
- Enrolling in a PLUS Program Canvas page
To join PLUS, please fill out this form(Link is external). For further information, contact the faculty advisor, Prof. Lynda Dodd (lyndadodd@princeton.edu). To view our PLUS Scholars for 2024-2025, please click here. P*LAW Resources. PLUS October Updates.
More information soon!
Princeton University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. To maximize excellence, we seek talent from all segments of American society and the world, and we take steps to ensure everyone at Princeton can thrive while they are here. That is the sole rationale and purpose of our diversity and inclusion programs, all of which are voluntary and open to all, and which comply with federal and state non-discrimination laws. Princeton does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, disability, or any other protected characteristic, and Princeton does not provide special benefits or preferential treatment on the basis of a protected characteristic.