Internship Activities


Office Assignment

Intern responsibilities vary widely. Activities in the office are generally critical support duties ranging from constituent correspondence to general office administration. The aim of this program is to provide first-hand, on-site observation of the day-to-day workings of Capitol Hill. Interns will come away with genuine insight into the processes that shape national policy. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

  • Legislative correspondence (answering constituent mail, data entry, stuffing envelopes, etc.)
  • Legislative and issue research projects as determined by the intern coordinator
  • General office support (answering phones, photocopying, sending faxes, data entry, etc.)
  • Attendance of Congressional hearings, House or Senate floor debate for research, or Capitol Hill Intern speaking engagements.
  • Constituent services including giving Capitol tour

Academic

Students may write an optional research paper which analyzes the legislative process. In order to better understand the importance of the Legislative Branch in our Democracy, students examine the aspects and affects of actual legislative processes, like House Rules and Procedures or the Seniority System. Students can also choose an issue that has been or is currently being addressed by the legislature and examine how the process determines the course of that legislation. Students may choose any issue but their research project must demonstrate a reasonable understanding of the legislative process.

TheWorkshops Wire Magazine is an excellent educational and bonding exercise that allows participants to relate well to their experience in DC. The magazine presents coverage of the current news (domestic politics, foreign policy issues, society, sports, arts and entertainment) and includes biographies of the interns.

Extra Curricular

The program staff schedules a number of extra curricular events each session for seminar students. These events may include a Baseball Game (Washington Nationals), a Soccer Game (DC United), a couple of plays at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a Marine Band Concert at The Iwo Jima Monument, and special evening dinners at such venues as The National Press Club and The Georgetown Waterfront.

A Typical Day:
7:45am Breakfast
8:30am Workshops shuttle to Capitol Hill
9:00am Intern work hours
5:15pm Workshops shuttle back to campus
6:00pm Dinner on campus or at select restaurants
6:45pm Evening Program

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Evening activities

Program activities in the evening and on weekends are designed to be a mix of academic, cultural, and fun experiences to provide students the broadest range and exposure to Washington, DC. Academic tutorials and speakers are designed to bring together the daily work experiences and current events to give depth to the internship and advanced concepts on American government. In like fashion, the cultural and fun experiences are designed to help build meaningful and lasting friendships between students in the intern class and allow much needed social time to relieve the pressure-filled days of working on the Hill. The aim is to balance work, study, and play for a most well-rounded experiene. The following is a list of typical evening experiences throughout a 3-week period:

  • Washington by Night: tour of the national monuments and memorials (including the new World War II Memorial)
  • Twilight Tattoo, military band extravaganza, including famed 3rd Infantry Division Army drill team
  • Dinner parties in Georgetown
  • Congressional and political tutorials from Capitol Hill staffers and college professors
  • Cultural events such as concerts on the Capitol lawn, the Lincoln and Navy Memorials, or Library of Congress
  • Academic journal with student written reports on and analysis of issues
  • IMAX theater movie viewing
  • Play ultimate frisbee, tennis, cards, chess, etc.

Other Program Activities

  • Visits to Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknowns
  • Day trips to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and renowned National Aquarium
  • Washington Nationals baseball game or DC United Soccer
  • Day trips to historic Annapolis and the United States Naval Academy
  • Visits to Mount Vernon and historic Old Town Alexandria