Internship Program Details
Year-round Opportunities
MPAC interns are considered an integral component in fulfilling the goals of the organization. As a public policy institution, MPAC focuses on promoting positive and accurate public discourse and Islam and Muslims.
Since 1988, MPAC has worked diligently to promote a vibrant American Muslim community and enrich American society through exemplifying the Islamic values of Mercy, Justice, Peace, Human Dignity, Freedom, and Equality for all. Over the years, MPAC has built a reputation as a consistent and reliable resource for government and media, and is trusted by American Muslims as an authentic, experienced voice. This is accomplished by developing leaders rooted in an American Muslim identity, and who are committed to making Islam and Muslims a vital and contributing component in American society. Over the course of eight weeks, MPAC interns will be given the opportunity to contribute research, develop leadership skills, and conduct outreach to government, media and community.
How to Apply for an Internship
Part-time internships are available. If you are a student, we will work with your school to receive academic credit or work study pay. We have flexible hours, including occasional weekend and evening availability. Please call for more information.
Download the 2008 Summer internship application.
Applications are due April 15, 2008.
For more information, email Communications Coordinator Zabie Mansoory at zabie@mpac.org or call (213) 383-3443.
Program Details
- Research
Interns will research specific topics that MPAC will identify as beneficial to the policy focus of the organization. They will be geared toward media more than legislation. The research will result in papers, projects or events, which will be finished by the end of the internship term. Each intern will have a different topic. - Educational Opportunities
Interns will attend seminars and lectures, as well as media events as they become available. They will be asked to write and present small reports on what they listened to, or at least turn in coherent notes and summarize what they experienced in a presentation for the other interns. Each intern can be expected to attend one of these events per week. In addition, interns will participate in weekly educational sessions with Dr. Maher Hathout to understand how our work fits into Islam and to explore key Islamic concepts necessary for activists. - Events/Meetings
Aside from the educational opportunities, interns will have a chance to attend MPAC press conferences and meetings as representatives of MPAC. They will primarily act as observers, and only one will be present at any given meeting. Reports will also be expected. - Trips/Tours
MPAC will organize and conduct a tour of L.A. media sources (i.e. film and television studios, news media studios), local government offices (i.e. L.A. City Hall), and other significant venues (i.e. mosques, Muslim organizations). A tour will be scheduled for each month. - Event Coordination
The interns will be responsible for putting together one major event. This event will be decided upon between the interns and the MPAC staff. It can be a community event, such as a townhall meeting or a fundraising dinner, or a conference-style event. An event presenting the papers that were researched and written will be organized and will have the interns critiquing and the community observing. This event is required, while the community or conference event is dependent on timing and resources. - Reports/Letters of Recommendation
Each intern will report about their projects weekly during the Staff Meetings to demonstrate their progress and scope of activities. At the end of the summer, the performance of each intern will be measured based on the reports as well as staff experience, and a letter of recommendation will be provided accordingly. - School Credit
If students would like to have their internship count for school credit, they will need to provide the appropriate papers for MPAC to sign.
