Washington Institute Internship

Examines how U.S. environmental and sustainability policies are made, who and what influences their creation and the scope and breadth of the field. ESPS introduces students to the players and institutions that shape environmental decision making on the major issues of our time including climate change, energy sustainability, manufacturing, architecture, urban planning, endangered species, the oceans and many others. ESPS also critically analyzes the convergence of U.S. environmental policy with the challenges and realities of geopolitics. This is an exciting and challenging time for students to see firsthand the intersection between environmental decision making and the rapidly changing world of scientific discovery and domestic and international politics. Sample internships include: American Forests, American Rivers, Climate Institute, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Sierra Club, U.S. Building Council and World Wildlife Fund. Graded by WII faculty.

This program welcomes all majors and is a multidisciplinary internship program examining the way in which diverse fields ranging from communication and literature to business, government, the arts and education, converge in the nation’s capital to create and influence today’s politics and policy. Inside Washington combines an intensive academic seminar exploring the shape of recent U.S. history, current events and the politics influencing the national agenda with a substantive, hands-on internship within a field of interest. Students will spend the semester reflecting on the many ways their academic fields and professional goals can make them more active citizens and prepare them for a leadership role on the local, state or global level. Sample internships include Capitol Hill, U.S. Department of Justice, Meet the Press, Smithsonian Institute, Internal Revenue Service, Council on Economic Advisors, CNN (Cable News Network) and Newseum. Graded by WII faculty.

This is an intensive academic seminar drawing on the talent from several sectors, including the State Department and other government agencies, foreign policy think tanks, international non-governmental organizations and embassies. Through academic and professional work, students will explore the contours of international relations in the 21st century. Study includes such vital diplomatic and national security questions as America’s role in the tumultuous post Arab Spring Middle East, the future of Afghanistan, the continued challenge posed by transnational actors such as Al Qaeda and the foreign policy implications of the declining world economy. Sample internships include U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Defense, Woodrow Wilson Center, Embassy of Kuwait, Atlantic Council, U.S. Coast Guard and Amnesty International. Graded by WII faculty.

This program offers the opportunity to study key issues facing women around the world and in the U.S. as we move into the 21st century. Whether considering critical issues such as women’s health, including childbearing and HIV/AIDS, gender and family, universal legal and human rights, women in war and in post-conflict circumstances, human trafficking, economic entrepreneurship and micro-lending, students will have a chance to critically assess case studies in an intensive academic seminar. Through a professional and academic experience, students will also consider these questions: how do we develop more opportunities for women in Congress and parliaments, state houses, executive corporate leadership, international organizations, nonprofit leadership? Sample internships include: Vital Voices, Women’s Policy, Inc., Women for Women, EMILY’s List, National Democratic Institute, NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), International Women’s Forum and International Republican Institute. Graded by WII faculty.