Consent required to enroll. In Harris Policy Labs, students work under faculty supervision to apply their Harris training to help government agencies and non-profit organizations address public policy challenges. Students effectively serve as policy consultants, working in interdisciplinary teams to conduct research, analyze complex data, and engage with clients and other experts to produce a set of solution-oriented final deliverables. In addition to gaining first-hand experience on a specific policy issue, students hone other skills that prepare them for policy careers such as working with imperfect data, navigating team dynamics, and communicating complex analyses and policy recommendations to a client’s leadership.

Each Lab will focus on a particular policy area or set of policy tools and engage two or three different client organizations. Clients will range from local to international organizations and are expected to include Metropolitan Planning Council, Chicago Park District, Oxfam America, Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, Advance Illinois, Illinois Department of Human Services, World Bank, NATO, Forefront, City of Gary, and others. Some projects may be of particular interest to students who are planning to complete Harris certificate programs.