By: Helen Sabrowsky and Jacqueline Zhang, Todd Otis Public Policy Interns
HelloÌýfrom the !ÌýIt’sÌýhardÌýtoÌýbelieveÌýthat the 2021 legislative session is almost over, and with that,ÌýourÌýtime at ÃÛÍÃÖ±²¥. Over the pastÌý4ÌýmonthsÌýweÌýhave learnedÌýsoÌýmuchÌýaboutÌýpublic policy, advocacy, and early childhood care and education thatÌýitÌýcould rival even the most intense college course. And whileÌýourÌýknowledge and understanding of early care and education in Minnesota has increased exponentially, interning with ÃÛÍÃÖ±²¥ never once felt overwhelming –ÌýthanksÌýtoÌýour incredible leader MarieÌýand the emphasis placed onÌýhands-on learning.Ìý
Every legislative session looks different, some more so than others.ÌýWhileÌýlawmakers, advocates, andÌýthe publicÌýalike faced unique challenges, like working from a distance, this year’s session also saw unique highlights, includingÌýaÌýrenewed focus on the issues facing early care and education, unprecedented federal investments, and even increased accessibility due to the digital format of hearings.ÌýAsÌýinterns, weÌýknow that ourÌýexperiencesÌýwereÌýdrastically different thanÌýthey wouldÌýhave been in aÌýpre-pandemicÌýera.ÌýBut even thoughÌýweÌýwereÌýnot ableÌýtravel to the MinnesotaÌýCapitol forÌýhearings or go intoÌýthe ÃÛÍÃÖ±²¥Ìýoffice toÌýmeet andÌýworkÌýwith the rest of theÌýteam face to face,Ìýthe knowledgeÌýwe gainedÌýand theÌýconnections we madeÌýremain just asÌývaluableÌýandÌýspecial.ÌýÌý
ÃÛÍÃÖ±²¥ and the Todd Otis Public Policy internship adapted as needed and served as a robust, exceptionalÌýlearningÌýexperience for us. Below are some highlights from each of our perspectives.Ìý
HelenÌý
When I interviewed for the position, I asked what a typical day looked like for the Todd Otis Public Policy intern, and I was told that no day looked the same. ThisÌýcould notÌýhave been truer – but in the best way imaginable. Throughout the internship I had the opportunity to attend legislative hearings, help draft newsletters and social media posts, attend webinars and meetings with other advocates, meet with congressional staff members, along with completing other tasks to support the work of the public policy team. The breadth of experiences has positioned me to continue to advocate for children and a more equitable and quality early care and education landscape.ÌýÌý
Sitting in onÌýconversationsÌýwith advocates and lawmakers in the early childhoodÌýspaceÌýwas eye-opening. It is incredible to see how much support there is for making positive changes to our current early care and education system. Not only does this robust network of advocates hold lawmakers accountable,ÌýtheyÌýalso represent a wide range of perspectives, all while working to create space for provider, family, and even child input. There is so much room for involvement–as little or as much as youÌýcanÌýcommit–Ìýand I plan on staying active in this area after this internship.ÌýÌý
Hearing from lawmakers and their staff was also an incredibly interesting learning experience. These conversations were really that – conversations, and it was clear that the knowledge and expertise of advocates was taken into consideration when drafting consequential legislation, like federal COVID-19 relief. Above all, what these conversations demonstrated was the importance of ongoing dialogueÌýbetween the public and lawmakers. Elected officials represent us, and most really do listen to what we have to say.ÌýÌýÌý
This internshipÌýhelped me learnÌýwhat it means to be an advocate and why it’s important to support a better early care and education system for Minnesota. One of the goals of the internship is to create more early learning advocates, and I can’t imagine not continuing this work after learning all that I have at ÃÛÍÃÖ±²¥.ÌýÌýÌýÌý
JacquelineÌýÌý
Coming into this internship, I had broad goals of honing my passion for policy and connecting with the community. As my time with ÃÛÍÃÖ±²¥ comes to an end, I can say with confidence that these goals have been metÌýandÌýexceeded. I’ve gotten so much out of this experience, from the knowledgeÌýonÌýand insights into the child care sector and legislative processes to all the connections I have made and all the people at ÃÛÍÃÖ±²¥ I have had the joy of working with and meeting. Although I’ve had so many great and unique opportunities during this internship, there are a few that I am excited to highlight here.ÌýÌýÌý
Early in the internship, much ofÌýmy timeÌýwas spent attending legislative hearings online at the Minnesota legislature. As we moved further into the legislative session, the attention shifted towards following committee action and trying to understand as best as possible all the logistics and politics that go into creating and passing a bill. I can’t overstate how much knowledge I have gained about legislation and policy through these experiences.ÌýÌýÌý
I was able to follow the process from the very beginning, where committee members learn about the issues at hand, to the advocacy portion, in which organizations like ÃÛÍÃÖ±²¥ make various efforts toÌýmobilize parents and providers, communicate with legislators, and push for valuable early childhood policies, until finally reaching the end, where legislators, parties, and the governor all try to agree on cohesive policy. Although, I know it doesn’t really end there- legislative advocacy is an ongoing and continuous process that I now have a more complete understanding of through this internship. I am excited to use this knowledge in the future in my own advocacy efforts going forward.ÌýÌý
In addition to working under Marie’s direction on the legislative and advocacy side of things, I also spent time throughout the internship with DianneÌýHaulcyÌýand her work with I loved the opportunity to continue to learn about early childhood with a specific emphasis on marginalized identities. I have trulyÌýgainedÌýa more fundamental understanding of how child care and early care often look different based on race and ethnicity and the types of distinct issues that underserved communities tend to face. Through this portion of the internship, I have been able to do research intoÌýa number ofÌýinteresting topics, including cultural awareness training for providers, effects of police violence on children, and interagency agreements on the state level.ÌýÌýÌý
As far as virtual internships go, I know that I got lucky with this experience, and I am so grateful to have been able to spend the last few months with ÃÛÍÃÖ±²¥.ÌýÌý
Final ThoughtsÌý
It’sÌýeasy to feel cynical about our legislative process, especially working at a distance and during such an unprecedented time, butÌýwe knowÌýthat underneathÌýallÌýthe chaos and politics, there are so many people who genuinely care and workÌýevery dayÌýto create a better, more equitable early care and education environment for all children.ÌýÌý
Although we are sad thisÌýinternship isÌýcomingÌýto a close,ÌýthisÌýexperience has without a doubtÌýcreatedÌýtwo lifelong earlyÌýchildhoodÌýadvocates.ÌýÌý
