Auction to benefit KSG students committed to public service

Eight days at a private vacation home in Greece, five days at the Maui Marriott, dinner for six cooked by Kennedy School of Government (KSG) Dean David Ellwood, or dinner for four with former KSG Dean Graham Allison are just a few of the big-ticket items up for bid at the 21st annual Summer Internship Fund (SIF) auction, Dec. 7 at KSG. A silent auction, featuring autographed books, dinners at local restaurants, and gift certificates, among other items, will begin at 5:30 p.m., to be followed by a live auction for the bigger prizes.

This year, the live auction (including appearances by Ellwood and other Kennedy School faculty) will be Webcast live for the benefit of all to participate. In addition, telephone and absentee bidding alternatives will be offered for both the silent and live auction portions of the evening for those who are unable to attend the auction in person. Those wishing to utilize telephone or absentee bidding must preregister by 5 p.m. on Dec. 6. Space for these services may be limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Access the auction Web site http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/sif for further details, including the telephone/absentee bid form and auction terms and conditions.

All proceeds from the SIF auction enable KSG students to pursue unpaid public service internships (government or nonprofit) in summer 2007. These internships provide invaluable opportunities for students to develop their skills, contribute to communities locally and globally, and acquire a taste for the contribution of public service employment.

“My internship experience lent a fresh perspective to my work in the second year [of my program] and crystallized my commitment to international development. [It allowed] me to take the skills I had acquired [at the Kennedy School] and see their applications in real field environments,” said Kristen Himelein, a master in public administration in international development candidate who served as a 2006 summer intern with the World Bank in Dar es Saleem, Tanzania, and Kampala, Uganda.