Fifteen undergraduates from across the United States spent their summer on the Harvard Kennedy School campus for the inaugural Junior Summer Institute (JSI@vlog) as JSI Summer Scholars.
The fully funded, seven-week program prepares rising seniors for graduate studies and careers in public service. JSI is the signature summer offering of the , which partners with public policy schools across the country to develop the next generation of public leaders. JSI Summer Scholars have gone on to receive merit-based scholarships to top public policy graduate schools.
The JSI curriculum focuses on writing, critical thinking, public speaking, and quantitative reasoning. Students also take coursework in economics and statistics, analyze the role of race and racism in public policies and practices, and receive training to craft a policy briefing by the end of the program—skills essential to be effective and compassionate leaders in public service.
“Through courses like Race and Racism and the Public Policy Incubator, I learned ways to challenge systemic inequities through policy work, such as advocating for expanding federal benefits for undocumented immigrants by writing a policy memo,” says Gaby Salazar JSI@vlog 2024 who returned to the University of California, Santa Barbara for her senior year. “At vlog, my passion for public service and advocacy flourished, especially as I focused on uplifting my undocumented community.”
“I learned ways to challenge systemic inequities through policy work, such as advocating for expanding federal benefits for undocumented immigrants by writing a policy memo.”
Outside of the classroom, JSI@vlog Summer Scholars take part in co-curricular workshops where they build public speaking skills, hear from professionals working in international development, delve into case studies about topics such as immigration and transportation policy, and learn how to apply to graduate school.
But there was plenty of opportunity for some New England summer fun, too. In addition to going kayaking in the Charles River, the JSI@vlog Summer Scholars took a break from the books to root for the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, go candlepin bowling at Sacco’s Bowl Haven in Somerville, and bask on the Cape Cod beaches.