Goldman Sachs - First Focus
Internship Program

Program Overview

Due to the generous support of the Goldman Sachs foundation, gifted scholars  have the opportunity to work and study with the First Focus team and key partners in the child advocacy field.  Our interns receive hands on work experience as advocates for children and families. The emphasis of the program is on identifying and engaging high talent, low-income, minority youth and providing them with the opportunity to work directly with some of the most knowledgeable public policy professionals in the country. These interns will provide critical support to the First Focus advocacy agenda, issue area development, outreach strategies and organizational positioning. 

The internship program facilitates the development of well-educated young leaders fully aware of the challenges youth face, experienced in strategies to enhance the resources and opportunities for this group and inspired to continue this work in their careers.  In the future, First Focus plans to convene annual meetings of current interns and alumni to continue to build their professional networks and enhance their engagement with the policy and advocacy fields. 

Intern Responsibilities

• Develop professional research and writing skills
• Contribute to current policy debate;
  Interact directly with key congressional and federal agency staff
• Prepare correspondence and briefing materials
• Participate in meetings with representatives from cross-sector alliance partners
• Attend briefings on Capital Hill;
   Analyze, review and critique research studies

Program Description

First Focus has the opportunity to provide a dynamic experience for the interns.  Depending on the background and interests of the interns, interns have the opportunity to work directly with either the communications or policy team.   

Interns focused on communications will learn to strategize messaging intended for elected officials, media at the national, regional, state and local levels, and other interested external constituents.  They will help to coordinate Capitol Hill briefings, frame messages, conduct outreach to media outlets and synthesize research for external audiences. 

Interns focused on policy development will work within the First Focus priority areas - health, education and family economics.  Interns will be selected to delve into specific content based on First Focus priorities and the individual’s educational and research background.  Interns with general policy interests and expertise will work across issue areas with the policy team to experience firsthand how children’s federal policy is crafted, initiated, and debated in our nation’s capital. 

Meet the interns