Barbara Lee Fellowship

The Barbara Lee Fellowship gives juniors and seniors exposure to and education in the nuts and bolts of Massachusetts political leadership through practical experience in the arena of public policy and practice. Selected students, who register for an eight credit internship through the Department of Political Science and International Relations, receive a stipend and an internship placement with a female state legislator.

Graduates from the Barbara Lee Fellowship Program have gone on to do a wide variety of things. A few examples include:

• Law school and graduate school
• Americorps
• Working at the Massachusetts State House in various capacities, including Chief of Staff
• Campaign Field Work Director
• Legislative Aide with a member of Congress
• Teaching and working in academia
• Non-profit and NGO work
• Download 2024 Application

The Barbara Lee Family Foundation Intern Fellowship Program, developed in the spring semester 2004, was based on the interest of three groups: a political science department that wanted to increase the scope and success of its already-established internship program, a donor whose philanthropic foundation commits itself to putting more women in positions of political power, and state legislators who wanted to mentor young women in the political process.

Barbara Lee is an alumna of Simmons University and heads the Barbara Lee Family Foundation. The Foundation has provided funding to Simmons for increasing awareness of politics as a vocation for women.

Criteria for Application

• Seniors preferred, juniors considered.
• Minimum 3.0 GPA
• Resume
• Simmons Transcript
• Letter of Recommendation from a faculty member
• Writing sample (2-3 pages)

Please note: Students who are participating in the Fellows program should take POLS 212: Politics Unplugged: How Things Work in Massachusetts, offered in the fall semester. The goal of the course is to prepare students for direct involvement in the political process, whether it be with legislators (state representatives, federal representatives, governor's office) or non-government organizations involved in policy formation (non-profits, interest groups, lobbying groups).

The course gives an overview of the Massachusetts political system and organizes speakers and site visits throughout the semester. Students are required to give mock oral presentations to legislators and heads of NGOs and to use the internet as a research tool for tracking bills and laws. The class will focus on developing writing skills, including memo writing, advocacy writing, public policy briefing memos, and one major policy analysis paper, depending on the type of internship in which the student wishes to participate.

How to Apply

Applications for Spring 2024 will be accepted until midnight on October 6, 2023. Complete applications should be emailed to [email protected].