Public Policy New Voices
Diverse Perspectives Make Better Public Policy
2025 Cohort Application NOW OPEN! Apply now!
The Public Policy New Voices Fellowship Program provides pathways to employment opportunities and an increased network to support Fellows’ overall professional success.
PPNV recognizes and works to challenge the structural barriers that prevent full representation and participation in policy-focused careers by inducting an annual cohort of 40 BIPOC public policy-focused graduate students for an 18-session career-building program that delivers:
Building Block Skills:
Provides Fellows with essential skills needed to maximize job readiness and stand out during the job application process.
Network & Industry Exposure:
Cultivates a broad network to provide industry exposure for fellows, maximizing opportunities during and after the program.
Cohort Connections:
Creates a tight-knit intra-cohort community to strengthen Fellows’ personal resilience and foster long-term relationships.
Internship Matching:
Facilitates paid internship matching within PPNV partner organizations. Fellows receive application support when applying for internships; placement is not guaranteed.
Building Block Skills
The skills gained during Building Block sessions collectively empower Fellows to overcome challenges and access better opportunities, enabling them to reach their full potential in the professional world.
6 Essential Skills:
Public Speaking & Communication
Resume Best Practices
Elevator Pitch - Personal Brand
Authentic Networking
Interviewing
Salary Negotiation
Network and Industry Sessions
Fellows who have had a positive experience during the program consistently mention exposure as the primary benefit. PPNV lowers the stakes of network building through facilitated public policy content sessions, led by various industry leaders and experts. Each year’s topics are determined by fellowship members’ interests.
Previous cohort interests have included:
Public and Higher Education Policy
Economic Development and Human Rights in the developing world
Civic Engagement (Specifically with regard to accessibility and voting rights)
Socioeconomic Mobility
AI Governance
the intersection of Public Policy and Religion
Meet the Fellows
Each PPNV Fellow possesses remarkable capabilities and qualities that have often been overlooked due to the absence of privileged built-in networks, such as generational connections or common attendance at Ivy League universities.
The 6 “Cohort Connect” sessions directly target the community-building element of PPNV. They enable fellows to get to know each other personally and build loyalty. PPNV is a time-bound experience but the cohort relationships create a critical support system as the fellows continue in their careers.
Program Eligibility
The Public Policy New Voices Fellowship is for graduate students pursuing a career in public policy who:
Are actively enrolled in a U.S.-based graduate-level public policy program during the time of the fellowship.
Self-identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color (BIPOC). This includes Black students from the African diaspora, students with tribal citizenship or membership (e.g., citizens of state-recognized or federally-recognized indigenous tribes, or members of unrecognized Native American or Alaska Native tribes), Latino/a students, and students of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) descent.
Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. resident, or DACA recipient.
2024 Cohort Calendar
March 2024
May 2024
5/08: Building Block Session (2)
June 2024
6/05: Network & Industry Exposure Session (2)
6/19: Cohort Connect (3)
July 2024
7/03: Building Block Session (3)
August 2024
8/07: Network & Industry Exposure Session (3)
8/21: Cohort Connect (4)
September 2024
9/04: Building Block Session (4)
October 2024
10/02: Network & Industry Exposure Session (4)
10/16: Cohort Connect (5)
December 2024
12/04: Network & Industry Exposure Session (5)
12/18: Cohort Connect (6)
November 2024
11/06: Building Block Session (5)
January 2025
1/08: Building Block Session (6)
February 2025
2/05: Network & Industry Exposure Session (6)
2/13: 2024 Cohort Closing Session
2/23: 2025 Cohort Launch Event
**Typical Session Times
CC: 6-7:00 PM ET BB & NIE: 6-7:30 or 7-8:30 PM ET
From our Fellows and Partners
“We know that the inclusion of voices from all communities produces better policy outcomes.”
— Dorothy Attwood, The Walt Disney Company
“My internship with Disney was an incredible opportunity that I was so excited about every single day. I can't believe MY ideas were sent all across the company to assist in their diversity efforts...I loved my experience so much that I want to pursue a full-time role with the company after graduation!”
— Valeria Ceballos, University of California Los Angeles
“Underrepresented students lack access to opportunities. But these students demonstrate a level of grit and determination that make them the driven future policy leaders we need to focus on helping.”
— Alexian Wines, BowerGroupAsia
“The PPNV fellowship serves as a reminder of how to position myself for inclusive leadership and ways to be a change agent wherever I go, whether in the classroom or in the office.”
— Joey Gonzales, Georgetown University
