Seven Harvard College students set to work in city halls across the country this summer

Cambridge, Massachusetts (May 22, 2026)—The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, in partnership with the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School, named the 2026 cohort of Bloomberg Harvard Summer Interns today.

The Initiative—a program of the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University—equips mayors and senior city officials to tackle complex challenges in their cities and improve the quality of life of their residents. By engaging Harvard students in research and field work, the Initiative supports current city leaders while helping cultivate the next generation of public servants. Expanding pathways for students to gain hands-on experience in local government is a key priority for the Center and part of its broader effort to strengthen the pipeline of talent entering city halls.

After receiving multiple competitive applications, the Initiative selected seven Harvard College undergraduate students to serve in cities across the country this summer. They will work alongside current Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellows, Harvard graduates who are spending two years working in U.S. city halls helping to build local government capacity and making significant contributions to address cities’ most pressing challenges.

Interns will gain public sector experience and contribute to key projects including analyzing data to make progress on homelessness, expanding opportunities to reduce carbon emissions, addressing inequities in service delivery, and developing processes to scale up innovation across city hall. These experiences give students direct exposure to the challenges and opportunities of local governance and help prepare them for future careers in public service.

2026 Interns and Cities

“Bringing talent into city government is important to the future of cities,” said David Margalit, Executive Director of the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University. “Through hands-on experiences like these internships, the Center is helping students build practical skills and gain a firsthand look at careers in public service while supporting local leaders working on urgent challenges.”

“This summer’s intern cohort will continue to learn from our City Hall Fellows, and for the first time all participants will serve their 10 weeks in person,” said Pascha McTyson, Director of Student Engagement at the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. “Being on site will allow them to better understand the day-to-day operations of local government and feel more connected to the communities they are supporting. I look forward to seeing how these students will make the most of these opportunities in public service.”

Ashmit Singh, part of the Harvard College class of 2027 and a 2025 Summer Intern, developed recommendations for green additions for a public works building to align it with LEED certification standards in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Singh said working with Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellow Nikki Zheng (MDes 2024) and other city leaders was an intensive and highly educational experience.

“The internship exposed me to various functions of the city government, along with the first-hand experience of identifying and responding to city-wide issues,” Singh said. “The program connected me with multiple government stakeholders and taught me the process of creating and implementing city governance policies.”

Zheng said the internship provided an opportunity for Singh to grow professionally while addressing municipal challenges and working alongside a City Hall Fellow.

“By learning to adapt academic problem-solving to the nuanced everyday realities of our municipality, Ashmit was able to develop a deeper practical understanding of our city’s unique local context,” she said.

Several members of the 2026 intern cohort will serve in cities close to their hometowns, enabling them to draw on personal connections and local insight to deepen their approach and amplify their impact.

The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, in collaboration with the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School, has placed 34 interns in 21 cities since 2022.

The students in the 2026 cohort hold Harvard College concentrations in government, social studies, and economics.