Research & Policy Intern in Southington, Connecticut at School and State Finance Project

Overview

The School and State Finance Project (schoolstatefinance.org) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit policy organization that works collaboratively with policymakers, communities, and other key stakeholders to develop data-driven solutions that ensure all public school students receive equitable education funding that supports their learning needs.

Our Mission: To eliminate racial and economic disparities in Connecticut education funding.

Our Vision: All Connecticut students have equitable funding, access, and opportunities — no matter their race, socio-economic status, learning needs, or zip code.

Since our founding in 2015, we have secured an additional $770 million in need-based funding for Connecticut students, directly engaged nearly 15,000 community members, and led the effort to implement a comprehensive, student-centered funding formula.

We are an independent and trustworthy source of high-quality research and accessible analysis, and serve as a bridge between those who demand equity for all students and the elected leaders who are charged with making policy.

Although not a member-based organization, the School and State Finance Project actively works with a diverse group of stakeholders and communities across Connecticut. The School and State Finance Project aims to serve as a trusted resource for state and local policymakers, school district officials, community leaders, and all people looking for transparent, accessible, and approachable information about education funding and state finance.

The School and State Finance Project is a fiscally sponsored project of TSNE (tsne.org).

Responsibilities

Reporting to the Director of Research & Policy, the Research & Policy Intern will utilize research skills to support policy development projects that advance the Project’s goal of eliminating racial and economic disparities in Connecticut education funding. The ideal Intern will have strong analytical and research skills, including proficiency or interest in supporting tools such as Excel, and enjoy the interpretation of information and policy issues. The Research & Policy Intern should be interested in improving how schools in Connecticut are funded as well as generally increasing equity in the education finance space. This position is intended for the entirety of the 2026-27 school year.

Essential Functions

• Conducting literature reviews and performing quantitative and qualitative analyses to support research and policy goals.
• Collaborating with team members on research projects from end to end, including developing research questions and designs; collecting and cleaning data, analyzing data; analyzing policies; surfacing best practices; and presenting findings through written reports and presentations.
• Executing and communicating well-defined analyses in an independent manner.
• Providing support during legislative session by tracking legislation, conducting bill analyses, drafting testimony, and/or researching statutes.
• Documenting tasks, methods, data, and findings to a high level of precision and transferring knowledge to internal team members as needed to ensure accuracy and efficiency in all work.
• Completing an independent research project, aligned to the interests of both the organization and the Intern, that is additive to the Project’s mission of eliminating racial and economic disparities in education funding in Connecticut.

Qualifications

We will consider exceptional candidates who demonstrate a strong combination of the specific qualifications and skills described below.

Don't meet all the qualifications? That’s ok! Studies have shown individuals — in particular those who are women, people of color, LGBTQIA+, or have a disability — are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single condition. Our organization is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive culture of belonging, so if you're excited about this role but your experiences don't match every qualification exactly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or another role in our organization!

• Candidates must be pursuing a degree from an accredited college or university, preference will be given to candidates pursuing a master’s degree in public policy, government, economics, business, law, public administration, or a related field.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills, including the ability to communicate complex, technical information to non-expert audiences.
• Commitment to credible and independent policy research and analysis, and attention to detail and accuracy.
• Experience using Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Interest in education policy and/or public finance.

Learning Opportunities

• Manage and execute an independent research project aligned to the organization’s mission and selected by the Intern in collaboration with the School and State Finance Project team.
• Build knowledge of public policy process, education policy, and school finance.
• Gain experience working as part of a collaborative team to accomplish ambitious goals.
• Develop advanced Excel and research skills.
• Learn how to use research and data to help guide decision-making and develop data driven policy solutions at a state level.

Physical Demands/Work Environment

The physical demands described for this position are that of a typical office environment. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. Ability to sit and/or for extended periods of time in front of a computer screen is an essential aspect of the position. There may be a need to lift and/or move materials or equipment. The job is not subject to significant occupational or environmental hazards and the likelihood of personal injury would be relatively slight. Additionally, environmental and work hazards are not present to a measurable degree.

Compensation and Benefits

Location:Hybrid: remote or organization office at 316 North Main Street, Suite 3, Southington, CT 06489.

Compensation: The starting salary for this position is $20.00/hr to $25.00/hr and is commensurate with experience.

Benefits: This position is is not eligible for benefits.

The School and State Finance Project was founded with the mission to mitigate inequity in education funding and provide opportunities to Connecticut’s public school students no matter their race, ethnicity, community, or background.

We recognize that within this work, systemic racism plays a powerful and harmful role in the creation of inequitably funded school systems and the outcomes of students. We also recognize this same systemic discrimination is deeply intertwined in our state’s economic policies.

We are committed to explicitly addressing how systemic racism and racial injustice intersect with our work. We will consciously use the independence and self-acknowledged privilege of our organization to call for equity and fairness in all facets related to our mission, and will actively listen to — and collaborate with — the historically underserved and disenfranchised communities we are working to strengthen.

We continually work to ensure this commitment is reflected in the diversity of our staff, the data we analyze, the policies we develop, and the conversations we have with policymakers, stakeholders, and community members across Connecticut.

We know as an organization, and as individuals, we will always have learning to do, room to grow, and ways we can be better allies. We hope you join us in this commitment to build a more equitable state for Connecticut’s students, families, and communities.

TSNE/SSFP strives to achieve excellence through a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment that embraces all of our individual and collective differences. Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Middle Eastern and North African, Bilingual and/or Bicultural candidates, and LGBTQ2SIA+ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We value and honor the unique talents, learning styles, and lived experiences of each individual that enrich and strengthen our workplace culture, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

All employment conditions are based on an individual’s performance and job qualifications. TSNE/SSFP prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, creed, color, religion, native language, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, race-based hairstyles, or any other protected characteristic stated by federal and state law. Regardless of any class’ protection under the law or lack thereof, TSNE/SSFP celebrates diversity and values the strengths that come with having a diverse team of employees. It is represented in our workplace culture, and it is who we are.

TSNE/SSFP's EEO statement extends to volunteers, interns, contractors, vendors, and clients.