Innovating Internships; How to Keep From Stifling Progress

In my previous blog posts I’ve been very critical of the government’s role in supporting social innovation.  This week’s set of readings did their job in setting the record straight.  Though my experience in the United States Congress showed me that there is still work to be done in engaging our political leaders with Social Innovators, the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation (SICP) is the beacon of hope for our federal government.  While I’ve read about the office before, reading about its investment portfolio this week gave me a sense of pride in our executive branch.  

I felt so proud that I pondered what it would be like to work for the office and advance the mission “to find new ways to solve old problems and drive collaboration to make greater and more lasting progress in meeting the challenges our nation faces.” Then I begin to think on one of the major challenges that I feel is faced by the White House; unpaid internships.  While this may seem off topic in regard to the week’s readings, I believe it is an important issue that may be inadvertently contributing to SICP (and other offices) lack of visibility in low-income and minority communities.

By their very nature, unpaid internships rule off specific sectors of the intern pool that cannot afford to relocate and work without pay. Though there are a number of scholarship programs for this purpose, it is known that many students choose not to apply when there is no guarantee of income. There have been a number of articles written to uncover the racial and socio-economic disparities in the workforce that come as a result of unpaid internships – most recently after Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s viral GOP intern selfie.

The photo was ridiculed for lacking diversity, however this is distinctly symbolic of the nature of many federal government internships.  When it comes to the White House - specifically the SICP - the question becomes, how can this department service a population that is not even represented in the office where decisions are made.  The SICP notes that it works to assist the social safety net and to solve problems of those in most need, however we know those individuals to be mostly low-income and people of color.  How can the SICP fulfill its mission and meet those needs, if low-income and innovators of color do not have access to the office.

To some this issue may seem trivial, however I believe that providing opportunities for the innovators and entrepreneurs of tomorrow means making a path for their exposure and success early on.  The SICP works closely with some of the most prominent impact investors in America, but how can we leverage these relationships to ensure that all federal government interns are paid?  How can we build partnerships with those who believe in the white house internship program and expand access to disadvantaged groups?  Innovation is not just about solving problems, it should be about preventing them and altering the future.  Where are the impact investors that are willing to invest in the success of White House interns?