Cooperative Living

Living together in Washington, DC

MPSN doesn't place people in jobs. We support those who already have (or are on their way to securing) a summer job in the Washington, DC area. Our communal living experience is designed to give you inspiration and support while you are working during the day in a summer DC job.

For two months every summer, between ten and twenty Fellows live cooperatively as one group — sharing rooms, cooking duties, video games, household chores, pizza runs, and everything else housemates do together. And with DC as the backdrop, there are endless places outside the MPSN house to explore together — from monuments and museums to lectures and coffee shops.

Deliberate diversity

This diversity is deliberate. It encourages uncomfortable conversations to happen in a comfortable safe space — the MPSN house. Late nights at the MPSN house often include lively disagreements about the top issues of the day.

Each MPSN class is diverse — representing different races and ethnicities, genders, Muslim sects, political parties, economic classes, college and university rankings, regions of the country and world, and styles of religiosity and Islamic practice.

Muslim history shows us that unity does not require uniformity. By working from — not against — our natural human diversity, MPSN Fellows end up respecting and appreciating even those with opposing beliefs and different life practices. That's why so many of our alumni describe their classmates as extended family.

MPSN is unique in that it provides the space for community, friendship, and connection that goes beyond a summer internship. — Sahar Momand, MPSN Board of Directors

More than just our positions

MPSN Fellows learn in real time that there is nothing quite like living together to see the whole person. These relationships last a lifetime.

Community & friendship

As Fellows connect, they quickly realize that each one brings something unique to the group. The connections formed at MPSN go far beyond a typical summer internship or networking event.

Real conversations

The MPSN house becomes a comfortable safe space for difficult conversations — about Islam, politics, identity, and what it means to be an American Muslim working in public service.

Lifelong bonds

So many alumni describe their MPSN classmates as extended family. These relationships — across different class years — are one of MPSN's most enduring gifts.