Public Policy and International Affairs Program

The Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA) is a not-for-profit that has been supporting efforts to increase diversity in public service for over 40 years.

Our Vision: A thriving and equitable world uplifted by visionary, inclusive, and compassionate leaders.

Our Mission: Cultivate the next generations of diverse public service and international affairs professionals by investing in their education, essential skills, and networks to effect domestic and global change.

PPIA’s core programming includes:

• Junior Summer Institute (JSI): A rigorous academic, fully-funded fellowship program held every summer that provides students with the knowledge, skills, and financial support they need to succeed in graduate school and ultimately, in influential roles serving the public good. JSIs are offered at six sites across the country including the University of Minnesota, University of Michigan, University of California - Berkeley, Princeton University, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Washington.
• Public Service Weekends (PSW): Free three-day conferences held across the country to introduce even more students to the broad range of opportunities available in public service.
• Public Service Expo: Free annual graduate school and career fair providing students and professionals the opportunity to connect with employers, fellowship programs, and the top public policy and international affairs graduate programs from across the country.
• Graduate School Consortium: A consortium of more than 60 top public and international affairs graduate programs in the nation. These institutions share PPIA’s commitment to increasing diversity and fostering inclusion in public service and support our fellows in their pursuit of graduate education.
• An alumni association of over 4,000 PPIA JSI Fellows from across the nation.

PPIA believes that our society is best served by public managers, policy makers, and community leaders who represent diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Your support strengthens pathways for diverse public service leaders as they pursue graduate school and enter the workforce!