The Ford School Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute (JSI) normally takes place on campus in Ann Arbor for an intensive six-week program. In its 39th year, the University again welcomes 24 undergraduate students for the 2020 edition – but virtually this time.
The PPIA JSI prepares diverse undergraduate students from all over the U.S. for graduate programs in public policy and international affairs. The 2020 class has interests ranging from international trade to the intersection between politics and art to socioeconomic inequality. The fellows will take courses from Ford School faculty on microeconomics, statistics, and policy writing, along with modules on smart cities, health policy and counterterrorism, as well as receive professional guidance and a GRE prep course.
Aligned with the Ford School’s emphasis on an applied approach to policy education, students will have an opportunity to use what they’ve learned in the classroom through hands-on, practical policy experiences. The students will participate in a policy simulation led by public policy professor Elisabeth Gerber in conjunction with three of the four other PPIA-participating schools around the country, including Carnegie Mellon University, Princeton University, and the University of Minnesota (The University of California, Berkeley is the fifth participating school).
And what is normally an in-person public service expo in Washington, DC, will also be held virtually. Despite being physically apart, the PPIA JSI fellows will have some opportunities to learn, socialize, network, and have fun together.
You can see the student profiles here.