2026 Economic Development - Local Government Summer Intern

Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission•Columbus, OH

31d•$15 - $20

About The Position

The MORPC Local Government Summer Internship Program provides the opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to obtain practical work experience with a local government within MORPC’s 15-county region to prepare them for possible careers in public service. MORPC coordinates the recruitment and placement of students to match each host’s request; hosts make the final hiring decision and provide an hourly wage. Interns work for a host for a minimum of 16 hours to a maximum of 40 hours per week for a 10- to 14-week period, which means there are both part-time and full-time positions available. The summer 2026 internship program will begin on May 12th and will end on August 14th. Interns gain applicable knowledge to enhance classroom learning by working with current government professionals throughout Central Ohio and acquire insights into the services provided by a regional planning commission. Interns also can attend monthly commission meetings as well as special MORPC-sponsored events and are paired with a MORPC staff member to serve as their mentor during the summer internship program. Previous Economic Development interns have gained experience using Canva, Lightcast, Microsoft Excel, ArcGIS, OpenGov, and other software programs on the job. Specific past assignments include: Creating a downtown revitalization strategies plan Updating community profiles with current local demographic and transportation statistics Conducting impact analysis using Lightcast software Researching impact fees, zoning fees, and zoning codes to help planners rewrite community zoning code(s) Conducting follow-up inspections to ensure the completion of pending small development projects Co-authoring housing strategy study and presenting to community board for approval Activities designed to foster business retention, attraction, and expansion Creating new resident packets, distributing resident surveys, and other duties as assigned

Requirements

30 hours of completed college coursework
Interest in public service careers
Legally eligible to work in the United States
Reliable transportation to and from work
Attend a Central Ohio college OR attend other college and have access to local housing

Nice To Haves

GPA 3.0 or higher (preferred)

Responsibilities

Creating a downtown revitalization strategies plan
Updating community profiles with current local demographic and transportation statistics
Conducting impact analysis using Lightcast software
Researching impact fees, zoning fees, and zoning codes to help planners rewrite community zoning code(s)
Conducting follow-up inspections to ensure the completion of pending small development projects
Co-authoring housing strategy study and presenting to community board for approval
Activities designed to foster business retention, attraction, and expansion
Creating new resident packets, distributing resident surveys, and other duties as assigned