About Rooted & Rising
Rooted & Rising is a paid internship program, in partnership with the Inland Empire Community Collaborative (IECC) and Thrive Inland SoCal, where graduate public policy students apply their skills to high-impact projects with Inland Empire nonprofits. Interns design policy proposals, civic engagement plans, and data-driven solutions that expand services, influence systems, and strengthen the region’s future leadership.
As a Rooted & Rising intern, you’ll use tools like GIS mapping, Power BI, and AI to inform advocacy and decision-making. You’ll work alongside nonprofits tackling issues such as immigration, youth empowerment, family advocacy, affordable housing, and environmental justice, while receiving mentorship, building networks, and presenting your work at an end-of-program showcase.
This internship is an excellent opportunity to apply your academic training, grow professionally, and build a strong foundation for a future career as a policy professional.
We gratefully acknowledge the Inland Empire Community Collaborative for their vision and leadership in establishing this program and Thrive Inland SoCal for their generous financial support.
Program Highlights
An internship through Rooted & Rising will help you build your public service leadership through mentorship, real-world projects, and networking.
Dates: Winter 2026 – Spring 2026
Stipend: $3,300
Time Commitment: ~150 hours, with flexible scheduling to support academic success
Eligibility: Currently enrolled MPP or BA/MPP students
How to Apply
Applications will be reviewed starting October 24, 2025, and later submissions will be considered on a rolling basis.
To ensure the best chance of placement, we strongly encourage you to apply by October 24. Applications submitted afterward will only be considered if there are still organizations in need of an intern.
If you are an undergraduate public policy major interested in this or other internship opportunities, please contact SPP Career Counselor & Internship Coordinator, Laura Sosa.
Participating Organizations
Interns will be matched with Inland Empire organizations based on their ranked preferences. Below is a list of participating nonprofits and their associated policy areas at the time of posting. Please refer to the call for applications for the most up-to-date list of participating organizations.
All organizations offer valuable, policy-focused experiences, so to maximize your chances of placement we encourage you to rank every organization you would be open to working with.
- Youth Leadership Institute – Youth Mental Health Policy
- Reaching At Promise Students Association (RAPSA) – Alternative Education Research
- Children’s Fund – Child Welfare, Foster Care, Youth Homelessness
- The Mom and Dad Project – Family & Youth Advocacy
- Sahaba Initiative – Basic Needs, Workforce Development, Mental Health Services
- Garcia Center for the Arts – Arts & Cultural Policy, Creative Workforce Development
- Healthy Valley Foundation (Hemet-San Jacinto CHF) – Systems Change, Community Health
- Inland Equity Community Land Trust – Affordable Housing Justice
- Alianza Coachella Valley – Environmental Justice
- Inland Empire Community Collaborative (IECC) – Systems Change, Basic Needs, Childcare, Youth Education, Health & Wellness