Mikva Summer Fellows

Mikva Summer Fellows (MSF) is a paid summer internship run by Mikva Challenge that places young people who have just finished their senior year of high school in the offices of elected and public officials in the Chicago area. Fellows work in city, county, state, and federal offices. Each cohort includes roughly 50 young people. The fellowship lasts six weeks, sometime between June and August, at 30 hours per week. In 2026, Cook County fellows earned $17 per hour through a partnership with the Illinois Department of Human Services Youth Investment Program. A separate track places Lake County residents in public offices across that county. Beyond their office work, fellows attend weekly workshops on community building, goal setting, leadership, and workplace readiness.

For the 2026 program, applicants had to be between 16 and 22 years old by July 1, 2026, and live in Cook County or Lake County, Illinois. Because the program is funded through the state youth investment program, applicants must also meet at least one eligibility criterion set by the Illinois Department of Human Services. Students apply through Mikva Challenge's general summer program application form.