Focus on Bridging Research to Policy Locally
The Civic SciTech Traineeship is designed to help current Penn State graduate students develop and hone the necessary skills required for careers in policy while also building foundational knowledge of how governments and non-profits work. Civic SciTech Trainees conduct research, analyze data, and provide recommendations for their host organizations working alongside faculty and host mentors.
Experiential Learning
Trainees engage in practical, hands-on experiential learning supported through ongoing mentoring and skill development. Teams of up to four trainees are partnered with host offices from city, municipal, county or other local government or non-profits to focus on a project of the host office’s choosing over a period of six months.
Mentorship
In addition to completing a project, participants are partnered with science and technology policy practitioners who have worked in local, state, or federal government to help participants learn more about and navigate alternative career pathways.
Apply Now for the Summer 2026 Cohort
Our next cohort of Trainees will work with the City of Allentown to analyze air quality data from a civic science project with Community Bike Works and Allentown youth. This project well allow Trainees to engage in civic science and provide Allentown community members with granular air quality and temperature data for local policy solutions. Project mentors include Veronika Vostinak, Allentown Sustainability Coordinator, Dr. Christine Kirchhoff, LPE Director, and Dr. Stefan Peterson, COPA-STEP Director.
Featured in the News
“Students are looking for ways to bolster soft skills and competencies to get more experience in science policy, and, currently, there are not a ton of ways for them to do that within their degree programs,” Kirchhoff said. “The Civic SciTech Traineeship can fill a void for students across all colleges seeking more experience in government and policymaking.”
View the article
City of Allentown Study
Participants in the inaugural cohort of the Civic SciTech Traineeship shared findings from their project with the City of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in a report titled “Building Climate Resilience Through Urban Greening and Public Engagement in Allentown.”
View the reportInterest Form
Are you interested in participating in the Civic Sci Tech Traineeship program as a student, faculty mentor or host organization? If so, please complete the form: