Advocates and activists are dedicated to creating positive change in the world. An advocate is someone who works on behalf of an individual, group or an organization, and an activist works to spur broader social or political change. Beyond careers in advocacy and activism, Princeton alumni use their voice to champion for social causes outside of their workplace through volunteerism.
Advocacy and activist roles can be found in multiple fields, and span issues such as health equity, criminal justice reform and human rights. Roles in these fields frequently involve program planning, outreach, organizing, fundraising, public education, influencing policy and conducting research.
Engaging in service can be a great way to guide career decisions and help you discover where your interests lie. Get involved with student organizations to discover causes you are passionate about and to gather experience that can help you pursue a career in these areas.
Through volunteering and work with student organizations, focus on developing skills like fundraising, event planning and program coordination. Identify courses and research opportunities aligned with causes that interest you. Many people working in these fields eventually earn a master's degree in education, public administration or public policy.
Because this field spans multiple types of organizations and roles, there is not a single hiring process or timeline. Many organizations typically hire close to the start date for the position. Identifying organizations of interest and then checking their websites regularly or speaking to alumni who work there will offer insights into their specific recruiting cycles.
Centers and campus offices:
- Advocacy and Activism opportunities from the Pace Center
- Carl A. Fields Center for Equality + Cultural Understanding
- Finding support at Princeton
- Pace Center for Civic Engagement
- Gender + Sexuality Resource Center
- Office of Sustainability
Undergraduate student groups:
- Muslim Advocates for Social Justice (MASJID)
- Our Health Matters
- Pace Center student organizations
- PICASSO (Princeton Inter-Communal Arts Students Service Organization)
- Princeton Against Gun Violence
- Princeton Disability Collective
- Princeton Open Campus Coalition
- Princeton Perspective Project
- Princeton Students for Gender Equality
- Princeton Students for Reproductive Justice
- SpeakOut
- Sustainability student groups
- Vote100
Journalism and voicing platforms:
Internship, fellowship, funding and related opportunities:
- Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment internship and funding opportunities
- Faith-Based Internship
- High Meadows Environmental Institute Internship Program
- High Meadows Fellowship Program
- Internships in Global Health, Center for Health and Wellbeing
- International Internship Program
- John C. Bogle ‘51 Fellows in Civic Service internships
- Princeton in Africa (PiAf) fellowship
- Princeton in Asia (PiA) summer internship and fellowship
- Princeton Internships in Civic Service (PICS)
- Princeton in Latin America (PiLA) fellowship
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs Internship Grant
- Program for Community-Engaged Scholarships (ProCES) Derian Internship
- Project 55 Fellowship Program (Princeton AlumniCorps)
- Projects for Peace
- Scholars in the Nation’s Service Initiative (SINSI) Internship
- Scholars in the Nation’s Service Initiative (SINSI) Graduate Program
- Service Focus
Professional organizations and associations are membership-based groups comprised of people working in a similar field. They can be helpful resources for students to learn more about a field, develop connections and discover related opportunities. You can search for related organizations and associations using a database provided by the Princeton University Library.
Princeton Alumni
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Job TitleAdvocacy Director, Latin America and the Caribbean
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Job TitleArts Program Coordinator
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Job TitleDirector, Arts Ed Newark
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Job TitleRecruiter and Candidate Success Specialist
