In Service: Notes from the Field
Tactical insights and thoughtful dispatches from inside the work.
Explore by topic
We write regularly about the ideas, tools, and practices shaping better public systems. View all blog posts or browse posts by theme to dig into the topics that matter most to you.
Fall 2026 interns
Meet our Fall 2026 interns! Three emerging creatives bring distinct backgrounds in illustration, design, and research to Public Servants this season. Get to know Kanushi, York, and Zoe, what inspires them, and what they hope to explore as they learn, create, and contribute to public-interest work.
Scholar in residence
Public Servants founder and CEO Ashleigh Axios joins the University of Arkansas School of Art as its inaugural Design Scholar in Residence, connecting design, public policy, civic engagement, and professional practice across the fall semester.
Fall internship applications now open
Public Servants’ Fall 2026 creative and civic practice internship is a paid, part-time, remote contract role offering space for early-career creatives to contribute to real projects in design, storytelling, and public-interest work. Applications are open.
Summer 2026 interns
Meet Public Servants’ Summer 2026 intern cohort—a talented set of emerging illustrators, digital strategists, and researchers exploring the intersection of public service and creative practice. Get to know them in their own words.
What is accessibility?
Accessibility is the practice of ensuring people can meaningfully access, understand, navigate, and participate in environments, services, programs, products, and communications. In public-interest work, accessibility extends beyond websites and compliance—it shapes whether people can fully participate in public life.
Public interest
Public interest refers to the well-being of the broader community—prioritizing outcomes that benefit society as a whole. But in practice, defining and delivering on the public interest requires more than intention. It demands clear judgment, inclusive design, and systems that translate values into real-world impact.
Summer creative and civic practice internship
Public Servants’ Summer 2026 creative and civic practice internship is a paid, part-time, remote contract role offering space for early-career creatives to contribute to real projects in design, storytelling, and public-interest work. Applications are open.
Mail matters: Engaging youth
Children’s magazines have spent decades learning how to capture—and sustain—young readers’ attention. In this guest essay, we explore what children’s publishing can teach nonprofits, governments, and others working to connect meaningfully with the next generation.
Explore the Civic Glossary
Making public service easier to understand—one concept at a time.
Government and public service rely on ideas, systems, and terminology that aren't always easy to navigate. The Civic Glossary explains the concepts that shape public life through clear, accessible articles grounded in history, practice, and real-world examples.
Collaborate
Explore what’s possible with the right expertise.