City of Chicago 2012 Mayor's Office Fellowship Brochure.pdf

Cit y o f Ch i c a g o
Mayor’s
Office
Fellowship
Program
2012
City of Chicago
Rahm Emanuel
Mayor

Dear Prospective Fellows:
Working in local government can be an
immense challenge, requiring the dedication
and hard work of the most talented
individuals and leaders. However, it can
also yield meaningful rewards.
Letter from the Mayor
This is a new era in the City of Chicago. It is
time to take on the challenges that threaten
the very future of our city; the quality of our
schools, the safety of our streets, the cost
and effectiveness of city government and the
urgent need to create and keep the jobs of
the future right here in Chicago. While we
are not the first government to face these
tough issues, it is my fervent hope that we
become the first to solve them. As a Mayoral
Fellow, you will be instrumental in helping
us find the solutions to these pressing issues,
working in one of the world’s greatest cities
with some of the brightest minds in local
government.
The City of Chicago is committed to
attracting the most gifted students and
leaders of today, and cultivating them for
promising careers in public service. Some of
the nation’s most exceptional students and
professionals have participated as Mayoral
Fellows, and we hope that you will consider
joining us this summer.
Sincerely,
Mayor

Program Background
The City of Chicago is strongly committed to
improving public services for its citizens.
Program Background
Attaining this goal requires the hard work and
dedication of qualified public service professionals.
Recruiting highly qualified graduate level
students, from universities across the country,
has proven to be one of the best ways to attain
this goal.
The Mayor’s Office Fellowship Program attracts
bright, highly motivated individuals, gives them
a broad overview of municipal government
and provides a unique, “hands-on” experience.
Fellows participate in budgetary, legislative,
and programmatic areas of city government
and work directly with Mayor’s Office staff.
Mayoral Fellows are afforded an unparalleled
opportunity to learn about public service and
policy-making by directly contributing to the
executive office of the City of Chicago.
2

“Quite simply a crash course
in city politics hosted in one
of the best cities in the world.
With direct exposure to the
City’s facilities, leaders and
decision-making process,
the Chicago Mayor’s Office
Fellowship challenges what
you think you know about
how a big city operates.
You can’t learn this one in
school.”
– 2011 Fellow,
MIT School of Urban Studies and Planning
3

Objectives
Objectives
Through the Mayor’s Office Fellowship
Program, you may accomplish the following:
• Develop new initiatives that keep
Chicago green and promote green
technology;
• Research ways to keep Chicago
affordable;
• Work on workforce development initiatives
targeting specific industries;
• Outline best practices in public safety
programs and youth engagement;
• Research and compare housing-related
policies in U.S. cities;
• Create innovative solutions to traffic and
infrastructure challenges;
• Recommend ways to better integrate
technology with City functions;
• Analyze information on regional issues
and Great Lakes policies;
• Create new programs that connect
City residents with the great cultural
resources of Chicago.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to learn
from the people who keep this city running.
Being assigned to a variety of projects
offered me unparalleled work experience,
enabled me to discover new interests, and
allowed me to really make a difference in
my city.”
– 2009 Fellow,
University of Illinois at Chicago,
Masters of Urban Planning and Policy
4

“The program offers the
opportunity to work on city
projects in real time, to have
access to staff and to
influence and add value to
what Chicago is doing.
The program exposed me to
issues that I’m still thinking
about and have focused on
in my second year of
graduate school.”
– 2008 Fellow,
MIT School of Architecture and Planning
5

Nature of Program
Nature of Program
The City of Chicago Mayor’s Office Fellowship
Program offers fellowships to students interested
in learning about City government and public
policy. The program provides an in-depth view
of how City government operates. Fellows will
have the opportunity to:
• Work directly with the Mayor’s senior
staff;
• Research policies and evaluate their
potential benefit to Chicago;
• Draft memoranda on upcoming issues and
new initiatives;
• Interact with and attend meetings with
Commissioners, Aldermen, senior-level
staff from various City departments, and
experts in a variety of policy fields;
• Learn about the work and mission of the
City’s departments through weekly
presentations by department commissioners
and senior level staff, and through
guided tours of City facilities;
• Attend press conferences, City Council
hearings, senior staff meetings, and
strategic planning sessions;
• Develop “New Ideas” for policies
and initiatives.
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“No where else in America will you find a city government so ready to
take on its challenges in new and innovative ways. As a Fellow, you
have the ability to contribute in a very meaningful way to solving
those problems. You won’t be an intern shuffling papers, but a real
member of the administration, able to work with senior officials on
challenging topics and have your ideas heard.”
– 2011 Fellow, University of Michigan Law School
Eligibility Criteria
The Mayor’s Office encourages graduate
students from all disciplines to
apply. While there are no preferences to
specific graduate fields or majors, the
program seeks candidates who are enthusiastic
to learn about city government
and have demonstrated a substantial
commitment to excellence as evidenced
by academic honors, leadership ability,
extracurricular activities, and involvement
in community or public service.
You must be a currently enrolled student
at the time of employment in order
to be eligible.
International students must have an
F-1 Student Visa and must be a fulltime
student. International students
are required to have a social security
number/card which states “VALID
FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS
(Department of Homeland Security)
AUTHORIZATION.” The college or
university can assist international students
with obtaining authorization.
7

Eligibility, Selection & Deadline
Selection Process
Prospective Fellows must complete a two-step
application process for participation in the 2012
Summer Fellowship session (Monday, June 11, 2012
through Friday, August 24, 2012).
STEP 1: Prospective Fellows must complete an initial
application screening through the City of Chicago’s
Department of Human Resources CAREERS website.
Applicants will be asked to provide general information
as well as an OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT and LETTER
OF ENROLLMENT from the school that they are
currently attending. Step 1 of the application process
will close on Sunday, January 8, 2012.
Applications will be screened for eligibility and
qualifications. Applicants will be selected for interviews.
Applicants who are selected for interviews will move
on to STEP 2 of the application process.
STEP 2: Applicants selected for the interview process
will be required to submit supplemental documents
directly to the Mayor’s Office POSTMARKED NO
LATER THAN MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2012.
Please see www.cityofchicago.org/mayorfellowship
for details on submitting supplemental documents.
Based upon the results of the interview process, a final
selection of Fellows will be made.
Candidates are selected on a nationwide basis from
public and private colleges and universities. Candidates
must be current graduate level students with a minimum
cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or a minimum
cumulative GPA of 4.0 on a 5.0 scale. Fellows are not
classified as full-time employees. Residency in the City
of Chicago is required prior to starting the fellowship
program. Relocation is at the applicant’s expense.
Fellows are paid at a rate of $20 per hour.
For further information, contact Kathryn O’Connell,
Office of the Mayor, 121 N. LaSalle Street, Room 406,
Chicago, IL 60602, 312-744-9500.
To begin the application process, please visit
www.cityofchicago.org/mayorfellowship
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“As a law student, I was thrilled to find a summer
opportunity that used the skills I’ve been developing in
school and gave me a fascinating insight into how large
cities are run at the same time. I was able to apply my
summer work directly to the classroom when I returned
to school.”
– 2008 Fellow, Harvard Law School
9

Alumni
Past participants in the Mayor’s Office
Fellowship Program have been selected
from a variety of academic and professional
backgrounds. Many pursued degrees in public
policy, city planning and administration,
business, law, social service, landscape architecture,
design, and doctorate programs.
Among our alumni, we count the recipients of
prestigious awards such as the Rhodes and Harry
S. Truman Scholarships. Mayoral Fellows have
continued on to successful careers at all levels
of government, many returning to Chicago to
pursue challenging positions with a number of
City departments and sister agencies.
“The Fellowship Program strikes the perfect
balance between formal structure and
individual responsibility. Weekly scheduled
meetings with department heads shows that
Alumni
the entire City is committed to the program,
while assigned projects provide you with an
opportunity to make a real impact on public
policy in Chicago.”
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– 2010 Fellow, University of Chicago,
Harris School of Public Policy

For Further
Information
Contact:
Mayor’s Office
Fellowship Program
Kathryn O’ Connell
Office of the Mayor
121 N. LaSalle Street
Room 406
Chicago, Illinois 60602
(312) 744-9500
FAX (312) 744-2727
www.cityofchicago.org/mayorfellowship