Overview
Emerson Collective (EC) is a company of investors, changemakers, creative thinkers, and problem solvers working to make a lasting mark on the world.
Emerson Collective’s summer internship programplaces rising college sophomores, juniors, and seniors - and, for select opportunities, undergraduate students graduating in 2026 - in paid internship opportunities across Emerson Collective and our longstanding nonprofit partners XQ Institute, E Pluribus Unum, and Chicago CRED.
We’re looking for college students who think big, embrace challenges, and thrive in collaboration.
The internship is onsite, 40 hours per week, from June 15 through August 7, 2026. A mandatory paid virtual onboarding and orientation will take place June 10–12. See below for more details.
Application Deadline: Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 2:00 PM PT / 5:00 PM ET. Applications submitted after this deadline will not be accepted.
The Opportunity
XQ Institute is the nation’s leading organization dedicated to rethinking the high school experience so every student graduates ready to succeed in college, career, and real life.
As the Educational Outcomes Audit & Analysis (EOAA) intern, you’ll support several key initiatives within the Schools and Systems (S&S) team—a core component of XQ’s mission. The S&S team’s work extends beyond individual schools to include data, research, evaluation, and policy efforts that strengthen systems and improve outcomes for all students. Driven by both data and storytelling, our work is grounded in deep research and strong partnerships with schools, districts, and states. Through this internship, you’ll gain firsthand experience in educational data analysis, stakeholder engagement, and program implementation while contributing to XQ’s mission to ensure that every student thrives.
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Role and Responsibilities- Analyze the high school experience and students’ pathways to postsecondary success.
- Conduct research on schools and districts in the EOAA engagement pipeline.
- Assist with administrative tasks to support district/XQ EOAA engagement.
- Provide logistical and/or facilitation support for student focus groups and stakeholder survey administration.
- Generate and/or review EOAA data reports before they are shared with school and district teams.
- Gather and report insights from user experience (UX) activities, identifying opportunities to strengthen EOAA implementation.
- Provide logistical and/or facilitation support for student journeys workshops calendared between Summer 2026.
- Provide logistical and/or facilitation support for EOAA training calendared for Summer 2026.
- Support the development of EOAA facilitation materials.
Qualifications, Skills, and Requirements- Rising undergraduate junior or senior with an interest in education systems, data analysis, or public policy.
- Strong interpersonal and project management skills.
- Proactive problem-solver who welcomes feedback and applies it constructively.
- Comfortable navigating ambiguity and adapting to changing priorities.
- Exemplifies the XQ Learner Outcomes.
- Can work independently and has agency.
- Able to navigate Google Suite.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, strategic thinker, attention to detail, and comfortable in a fast-paced environment.
- Thoughtful, detail-oriented, and able to translate complex data into meaningful insights.
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Internship Details
Compensation
- All interns are paid $25 per hour and can expect to work 40 hours per week from June 15 to August 7 (eight weeks).
- Interns will also be paid $25 per hour for onboarding and orientation sessions taking place June 10–12.
- All interns receive a lunch allowance and a commuter allowance, and may also receive travel and housing allowances as needed.
Key Dates
- November 18 – January 6: Internship applications accepted; interviews begin on a rolling basis
Applications must be submitted by 2:00 PM PT/5:00 PM ET on Tuesday, January 6.
(Please note that not all applicants will be selected for interviews.)
- January 12 – March 7: Interviews continue and offers extended
- June 10–12: Mandatory virtual onboarding and orientation
- June 15: Internship program begins
- August 7: Internship program concludes
