Category: POLS 420 Praxis Fieldwork Seminar: Politics, Policy, and Power

Isabel Oalican, BMC ’23

HIAS: Legal Intake Internship

Semester: Spring 2023

Praxis Course: POLS 420 Praxis Fieldwork Seminar: Politics, Policy, and Power

Faculty Advisor: Marissa Golden

Field Site: Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society of Pennsylvania

Field Supervisor: Rona Gershon

Praxis Poster:

Final_IsabelO_POLS_Poster

 

Further Context:

This semester I interned as a legal intake intern for the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society of Pennsylvania (HIASPA). HIASPA was created with the intention of assisting Jewish refugees, and since the 1970s has expanded to assist refugees of all faiths and backgrounds.

As a legal intake intern, I was responsible for conducting intake interviews during hotline hours for incoming clients and inputting this information into a law-based database called Law Logix. This work was done remotely during hotline hours on Wednesdays from 12-1 and Thursdays from 2-430PM. During intake, I would ask clients for basic information as well as a series of questions that would determine whether they qualified for our immigration services. Our services include representation for refugees, asylees, domestic violence survivors, immigrant youth, survivors of torture, immigrant victims of crime, and elderly and disabled immigrants. Performing intake allowed me to gain familiarity with immigration law as well as the eligibility requirements for immigration benefits.

Following intake, I would maintain cases via case notes. Case notes was where me and their attorneys would communicate next steps, referrals, client information, and eventually close each case. As I became more comfortable intaking clients, I had the opportunity to assist them with small tasks in the case notes such as filling out client forms. The ability to intake and manage client cases gave me relevant experience in legal management that will be transferable to the paralegal work I will be doing following graduation.

During my internship I also had the opportunity to shadow an Immigrant Youth Advocacy Staff Attorney. Shadowing allowed me to observe representation to unaccompanied children seeking asylum and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status before USCIS and the Immigrant Court. This experience exposed me to the preparation process for asylees prior to their asylum interview. I became familiar with how strategic legal questioning can help build a case for presentation in front of immigration court. I also observed multiple Know Your Rights presentations to elementary and middle schools, becoming familiar with immigrant rights and immigrant communities in Philadelphia. Shadowing an immigration attorney was an invaluable experience as it gave me a look into public interest law as a career.

Overall, my experience at HIASPA was extremely rewarding and engaging. My boss was very attentive to my questions and supportive of my desire to shadow an attorney in person. I would highly recommend interning at HIASPA to those interesting in pursuing public interest law.

Tatiana Ahmad, BMC ’23

Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania

Semester: Spring 2023

Praxis Course: POLS 420 Praxis Fieldwork Seminar: Politics, Policy, and Power

Faculty Advisor: Marissa Golden

Field Site: Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania

Field Supervisor: Katie Blume

Praxis Poster:

Final_Tatiana_Ahmad_POLS_Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania

 

Further Context:

This semester I worked with Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania (CVPA), a political organization that works to elect environmentally responsible candidates to state and local office, hold those elected officials responsible for their environmental pledges, advocate for strong environmental policies state-wide, and strengthen laws that safeguard the health of our communities, the beauty of our state, and our economic future. My work primarily focused on writing comments for various comment periods. For example, I wrote an “action-alert intake form” for the Reconsideration of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter. Particulate matter is miniscule particles which are suspended in and saturate the atmosphere. It can cause severe and long term health problems if inhaled.

My job was to outline the proposed regulation to educate the public on the matter, and urge the responsible parties (the EPA/Administrator Regan in the case of particulate matter) to respond according to public and environmental interests. Once the comment is completed, it is submitted to Regulations.gov where anyone can view the submitted public comments. What makes CVPA such an important organization is its commitment to environmental justice. As any environmentalist or environmental scientist will tell you, climate change will always disproportionately impact poor communities of color. However, many environmental organizations will either ignore or plainly acknowledge environmental justice concerns. CVPA holds environmental justice as a pillar of their political strategy. For example, every comment submitted by CVPA will have a designated section of the submission dedicated to the diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) implications.

I was very fortunate to have an internship experience with an extremely supportive and communicative staff. I met with multiple staff members individually to collaborate on work and attended one full staff meeting. CVPA helped me form a deeper understanding of the local political network and the methods by which any person can participate in politics and influence decisions that are important to them and their values.

Alex Rebhun, HC ‘23

Solar Schools Toolkit: The Philadelphia Solar Energy Association

Semester: Spring 2023

Praxis Course: POLS 420 Praxis Fieldwork Seminar: Politics, Policy, and Power

Faculty Advisor: Marissa Golden

Field Site: The Philadelphia Solar Energy Association (PSEA)

Field Supervisor: Liz Robinson

Praxis Poster:

Final_Rebhun_Praxis_Poster_resized

 

Further Context:

The Philadelphia Solar Energy Association (PSEA) is a non-profit whose mission is to further solar energy education and implementation in the Philadelphia area. In the past, their work has included curriculum writing, solar-car races, educational events, and more. The PSEA is still a small, volunteer-based organization, however it has recently begun several new initiatives such as a contest for school kids and a toolkit to help schools implement photovoltaic systems.

My work at the PSEA mainly involved assisting with this new toolkit, known as the Solar Schools Toolkit. This digital document includes all the references and resources a school would need to implement solar power, including steps to follow, people to contact, sample RFPs, and more. My job was to assist with the creation of this document where possible. This included editing for accessibility and clarity, retrieving graphics and photos, and assisting with formatting. At times it was difficult to keep up, as my understanding of photovoltaic systems was not on par with the PSEA’s industry-veteran volunteers. However I found that I learned as I went, and PSEA staff was extremely friendly in making corrections.
I also assisted with the PSEA’s new “Imagine a Clean Energy Future” contest, where middle/high school students submitted written, visual, and video concepts of their interpretation of a clean energy future. My work began in the coordination stage, where I helped manage emails and contest submissions. I then assisted with the related exhibit opening, writing letters of congratulations and helping set up student works in the exhibit space. Finally I attended the opening itself, where I was proud to see the contest-winners receive their prizes.

I learned a great deal during my time with the PSEA. Aside from various writing and technicals skills (including editing, press release writing, and mail-merging) I learned to work remotely, on my on schedule. I also learned about solar grants and how funding is managed at state agencies such as the PADEP. Finally, I developed an understanding of the workings of volunteer-based nonprofits, particularly in the post-covid era.

I’d like to thank Liz Robinson and the PSEA staff for their warm welcome during my Praxis experience. I’m truly grateful for all the time they spent with me and the work we accomplished together. I’d also like to thank Marissa Golden and Tiffany Stahl for making this experience possible.

Kitty Shi, BMC ’25

Empowering Communities

Semester: Spring 2023

Praxis Course: POLS 420 Praxis Fieldwork Seminar: Politics, Policy, and Power

Faculty Advisor: Marissa Golden

Field Site: Global Philadelphia Association (GPA)

Field Supervisor: Sylta Cubranich

Praxis Poster:

Final_Kitty Shi_POLSPoster

 

Further Context:

The Global Philadelphia Association (GPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Philadelphia as a global city by connecting its residents, businesses, and institutions to the world. The organization works towards increasing Philadelphia’s global engagement through various programs, such as international networking events, educational
initiatives, and cultural exchanges.

During my internship at GPA, I managed the organization’s official Instagram account, posted events on the website, attended and assisted in setting up GPA events, and contributed to the 2023 Annual Impact Report. I also wrote several articles on topics such as sustainable development goals (SDGs), world heritage preservation, and event news.

This internship allowed me to develop vital skills, such as communication and collaboration with team members in a hybrid work environment. Additionally, I gained a deeper understanding of how non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operate and how to organize NGO-led events. I also learned how to filter essential information in my writing and enhance
my networking skills by attending social events.