<p>Hey, I'm a high schooler, and I'm interested in learning about government. That's why I thought I could email some of our local city council members and ask if I could intern under them. But the thing is, what would I do? Would I learn anything? For those of you who have had government internships, did you gain anything useful from them? I would be willing to do little jobs for my mentor, but I still want to learn something practical and be able to experience this world. Also, any tips on what to write in the email? Thanks!!</p>
<p>Hey!
I actually interned for a local state senator about a year ago.
I was a sophomore in hs then so I didn’t exactly expect to learn much, but I found that they treated me much like they treated the staff members and college interns. Most of the people I met were extremely welcoming and friendly.
I do believe that there is potential to learn a lot from polisci-related internships if you find the right one. For my case, I was able to discuss legislation with constituents, answer calls from Sacramento, do some casework, and network with prominent people in the community so it was a great experience and I learned a lot about both the nature of the work and myself. It definitely improves your public speaking skills and ability to interact with others.
As for the email, I kept mine short and sweet. The first email I sent as a question asking if they needed any more interns/ if they were interested in having me. They asked me to send my resume and cover letter and I got a reply for an interview a few days after. Try to keep it professional and simple. Gov. offices get several emails a day!
Hope that answered your question! Please let me know if you need anything else answered—I’d be more than happy to help.</p>
<p>Thank you so much Twainaddict!! (Getting off topic: I’m not a huge fan of him, I’m reading Huck Finn write now, but it’s cool that you like him 
I just don’t get satire 
) Anyways, do you think there would be a difference in local government? Like, with the state, you are working with important policies, but within our small suburban town, it’s more like construction I believe. Still, I really want to do this, just because I’m really interested, and my parents won’t drive me anywhere far :P.</p>
<p>Go for it! You will never know until you try. My internship was actually very community-oriented. I often went out to the districts and attended local events on the senator’s behalf and did a lot of volunteering as well. Best of luck!</p>