The Effects of Unpaid Internships on New York City Council Interns

Pay Our Interns (POI) is a nonprofit organization that advocates for paid internships in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Following the organization’s successful advocacy campaign in 2018 for paid internships in the United States Congress, POI enlisted the Capstone team to research the effects of unpaid internships in the New York City Council. The team contacted all 51 council members, conducted stakeholder interviews, and administered a survey to current and former council interns to better understand the landscape and financial burden of unpaid internships. The team compiled a final report that presents evidence showing the detrimental effects of unpaid internships and makes policy recommendations for paying interns at the New York City Council, which POI plans to use as a model for advocacy efforts in NYC and other municipalities across the United States.