Program Description

The Climate Policy Summer Internship Program is run by the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability in collaboration with climate-focused legislative offices at the Massachusetts State House. In 2025, the program will facilitate the placement of up to eight Harvard undergraduate or graduate students. Successful applicants will work in participating legislative offices whose policy work addresses climate, environmental, or sustainability issues in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The program provides professional development opportunities for Harvard Students to explore career pathways at the intersection of climate, policy, and public service. 

Read More: 2023 Climate Policy Internship Experience.

Information Sessions will be held from 2:00 – 2:30 PM on February 4, February 11, and February 18

Program Features:

Funding: Students selected for an internship through this program will receive a $4,500 stipend.

Housing Assistance: The Salata Institute does not offer housing to students through this program. Qualifying students may be eligible for additional funding up to $1,000 to cover housing expenses. Students are responsible for securing their own housing for the duration of the internship program.

Programming: Students selected for the program must participate in bi-weekly programming engaging climate policy practitioners, Harvard faculty, and other educational opportunities. Programming is mostly Zoom-based and occasionally in-person.

Program Hours and Duration

15-20 Hours/week for 10 weeks starting May 26, 2025 – August 8, 2025

All internships will be primarily in-person.

*Depending on the legislative office, some flexibility around start/end dates may be available.

Program Qualifications

• Undergraduate or graduate student at Harvard University
• Must be returning as an enrolled student during the Fall term following the internship period
• Students must be able to secure housing in the Greater Boston area for the duration of their internship
• Must be able to commute into the Massachusetts State House (24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133)
• Must have access to a laptop or personal computer
• Undergraduate applicants must comply with Harvard College’s Summer Funding Policy

Application Instructions:

Applications are currently CLOSED 

• 2025 Applications Open: January 31, 2025
• Application Deadline: February 18, 2025 (11:59 PM)
• Application Limit: Students should not apply to more than 2 legislative offices

Timeline: Each Legislative Office will review applications and conduct interviews with potential candidates in late February. Internship offers will be extended in March 2025. The Salata Institute does not guarantee an internship placement for all students who apply through the program.

About the Massachusetts State Legislature:

Legislative sessions in Massachusetts are 2 years long. A new legislative session starts on the first Wednesday in January of the odd-numbered years (2025, 2027, etc.) All formal business of the first year of the session concludes in November of that year. The legislature then sits in an informal session until the first Wednesday of January of the second year (2026, 2028, etc.) when the second year of the session begins.

Students working at the Massachusetts State House should anticipate different kinds of work depending on when their internship takes place relative to the legislative session cycle.

Year 1: Written testimony, attend hearings for bills, develop infographics, support work related to budget debate, etc.

Year 2: Research on current bills, research for new bills for the next session, tracking legislation, tracking amendments, attend briefings, etc.

Learn about the legislative process in Massachusetts.

2025 Participating Legislative Offices: COMING SOON

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2024 Participating Legislative Offices: 

Representative Jeffrey Roy, 10th Norfolk

Priority Areas: Electric Vehicle and Heat Pump Expansion, Clean Energy

Chair Roy’s priorities include reforming permitting processes for the buildout of the distribution  infrastructure needed to expand adoption of EVs and heat pumps. These reforms must be centered in equity and set the standard for host community engagement. Chair Roy also expects to advance policies to improve the EV infrastructure network; support ratepayers through advanced metering infrastructure; connect clean energy to the grid in a timely manner; and ensure a speedy rollout of municipal aggregations.

Representative Michelle Ciccolo, 15th Middlesex

Priority Areas: Waste Reduction and Diversion, Green Mobility, Food and Agriculture, Transportation Finance

Representative Ciccolo is a member of the Committees of Environment and Natural Resources, State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, Elder Affairs, and Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. The Representative is also a member of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Caucus and serves as the House co-chair of the Zero Waste Caucus and the Trails Caucus. Representative Ciccolo’s climate-related priority areas include waste reduction and diversion, food waste, and sustainable transportation, including the expansion of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and the development of transportation finance solutions.

Representative David LeBoeuf, 17th Worcester

Priority Areas: Economic Justice, Health Equity

Representative LeBoeuf’s climate change policies are centered on economic justice and health equity. He has spearheaded efforts to make public transportation fare-free in Central Massachusetts and is the lead sponsor of legislation to electrify public buses and school transportation. His office is currently working with international partners to launch an electric vehicle apprenticeship program focused on making sure low-income communities are not left behind as we transition away from fossil fuels. 

Representative Mindy Domb, 3rd Hampshire

Priority Areas: Climate Education, Youth Leadership, Green Transportation, Green Buildings, Climate and Health

Interns in Representative Domb’s office will research and write on her priority areas which include: assessing state investments for climate risk, supporting educators to teach about climate science, supporting agriculture, supporting e-bike availability and use in MA, building green schools, assessing, health impacts of climate change, engaging youth in the district around climate advocacy.

Representative Joan Meschino, 3rd Plymouth

Priority Areas: Nature Based Solutions, Transportation and Public Utilities, Clean Energy, Building Decarbonization

Interns working in Rep. Meschino’s office provide daily legislative and communication support and will be asked to apply their academic research and writing skills in a specific policy area in support of the Representative’s work, focusing on opportunities for future climate legislation. Representative Meschino’s climate-related priority areas include energy and environment, transportation and public utilities, housing and building decarbonization, and nature-based solutions. 

Representative Steven Owens, 29th Middlesex

Priority Areas: Transportation Electrification, Clean Energy

Representative Owens serves as the House Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on Emergency Preparedness and Management as well as the House Chair of the Clean Energy Legislative Caucus. He is a member of the Committees on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy; Financial Services; Global Warming and Climate Change; and Steering, Policy and Scheduling. Representative Owens is prioritizing bills that will transition the Commonwealth to a clean energy economy through transportation electrification and the phasing out of natural gas as a heat source. Learn more about Rep. Owens’ legislation here. 

Representative David Rogers, 24th Middlesex

Priority Areas: Waste Reduction & Recycling, Energy Efficiency, Transportation, Resource Conservation

Representative Rogers is the Chair of the Joint Committee on Higher Education and sponsors 14 different bills addressing climate, sustainability, or environmental challenges. The Representative’s other climate-related policy areas include energy efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, and resource conservation and preservation. An intern with Rep. Rogers’ office would conduct extensive research and writing on his new bill, An Act to establish fashion sustainability and social accountability in the Commonwealth which address issues related to climate, pollution, waste, and fair labor practices. 

Questions? Contact: oona_gaffney@harvard.edu