*Institute of Politics Director’s Internship*
co-sponsored with the Center on the Developing Child
and the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies
São Paulo City Hall – Early Childhood Development Policy São Paulo, Brazil
*Summer 2015*
São Paulo City Hall is offering a special opportunity for a qualified
Harvard undergraduate to intern with São Paulo Carinhosa (“Caring São
Paulo”), the city government’s policy initiative for early childhood
development. Established in August 2013, São Paulo Carinhosa works across a
wide range of city secretariats, including education, health, social
development, social assistance and human rights, to promote physical,
motor, cognitive, psychological and social development of children between
zero and six years old.
São Paulo is the largest city in South America, with nearly 12 million
inhabitants living within its legal boundaries and nearly 20 million people
in the greater metropolitan area. It is home to more than 860,000 children
between zero and six years old, many of whom live in low-income
neighborhoods on the periphery of the city. Supporting vulnerable children
and their families has been identified as a key strategy by São Paulo’s
administration to promote fairness and opportunity among its citizens.
In recent years, as part of a six-institution collaborative partnership
(
http://www.ncpi.org.br/), Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child and
David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies have been deeply
engaged with early childhood development in Brazil, aiming to generate,
integrate and act on scientific knowledge for large-scale impact. Through
faculty research and the Executive Leadership Program on Early Childhood
Development, Harvard has provided important inputs to São Paulo Carinhosa’s
creation and design.
The IOP Director’s Internship will immerse a Harvard undergraduate in the
complexity and challenges of transforming legislation into real
programmatic and policy action in a 21st-century megacity. The selected
candidate will work with São Paulo Carinhosa’s leadership to identify and
support specific projects that suit his or her abilities and interests. The
position is an excellent opportunity for students interested in policy,
management and/or social and economic development. It will be of special
interest to students passionate about reducing poverty and inequality
through public services such as education, health and social assistance.
The intern will gain first-hand experience with city government and child
development in São Paulo and have the option to participate in the
Executive Leadership Program on Early Childhood Development at Harvard in
mid-August as a capstone to the internship experience.
The ideal candidate for this Director’s Internship will have:
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills in English and
Portuguese;
• Strong academic record with a demonstrated interest in public
policy issues;
• Exceptional personal and organizational skills with high
sensitivity to the political and social context in which they will be
working;
• An ability to adapt within complex, dynamic and challenging
environments; and
• A high degree of maturity, reliability, self-motivation and
professionalism.