The Washington Center’s Competitive Government Program offers generously funded internship opportunities with selected federal agencies this summer. Students should apply by February 4th in order to be given primary consideration.

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars is an educational nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. We are seasonally contracted by government agencies to provide them with internship applicants meeting specific academic backgrounds to be considered for federal internships. These internships take place primarily in the summer months but also may be available on a limited basis in the fall and the spring semesters. The Washington Center provides accepted interns with academic programming as well as furnished housing if needed.

For more information on the Competitive Government Program please visit: www.twc.edu/internships/competitive-government-programs

Students selected for positions offered through the Competitive Government Program will intern for 10 weeks at offices within the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Coast Guard, Internal Revenue Service, or another agency. Many available positions call for candidates from the fields of business, computer science, mathematics, statistics, and engineering, so applications from students pursuing these majors are welcomed. Additionally, TWC encourages students from many diverse backgrounds to apply–including women, minorities and students with disabilities.

Accepted interns will receive significant financial assistance. The amount of financial assistance provided varies based on factors such as whether students are receiving academic credit, whether they live in Washington Center housing, and whether they are undergraduate or graduate level at the time of the internship.

Qualifications
Students must:
-have U.S. citizenship;
-be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program with a GPA of 2.5 or above;
-obtain approval from their campus liaison (if attending through an affiliated institution);
-be available for a ten-week period beginning May 25, 2011 (summer term);
-demonstrate experience and/or a strong interest in working for the federal government.

How to Apply
Any student who applies to TWC’s Washington, D.C. General Programs can be considered for open positions at government agencies (alongside nonprofits, businesses, and international organizations), but those who are interested in being considered only for federal internship opportunities that provide financial assistance should apply under the Competitive Government Program option. To do this, students must submit an online application at portal.e.twc.edu/ and then create a username and password. They should log in and start an Internship application. When prompted, students should select option 2 for the Competitive Government Program. Students are encouraged to select more than one agency from among the choices listed, as similar positions may be available in multiple agencies.

If applying under the Competitive Government Program option, students will be able to identify whether or not they intend to earn academic credit from their home institution for their participation. However, securing academic credit is not required to be considered for our Competitive Government Program during the summer.

There is no application fee for the Competitive Government Program. If a student is asked to submit a $60 application fee, he or she has selected the incorrect program option.

Deadline
Students are encouraged to submit their applications before our early deadline of February 4, 2011. Students who complete the application before February 4, 2011 will receive priority consideration during the placement process. The regular deadline is March 11, 2011; additional candidates will be considered after that date on a space-available basis.

Selection Process
Students will be notified of their placement status as decisions are made by each agency. For many programs, students may expect to wait several months before hearing about official offers or positions being filled. If they have already accepted another internship or job opportunity and would like to withdraw their application at any time, they are encouraged to notify The Washington Center.

If you have any questions, please contact Joe Rollin, Program Coordinator at joseph.rollin@twc.edu.

Submitted by Francisco Loredo