Southwestern College is offering a new program, The Washington Experience, for students to intern in Washington, D.C.
           
Similar to the Chicago Center for Urban Life, the Washington Internship Institute (WII), an educational nonprofit organization, prepares college students for their future. During a semester or summer in Washington, D.C., students learn about themselves and their fields through internships, academic enrichment seminars, site visits, and shared housing. 
           
To be admitted into the program, a student must have at least 60 credits earned and a 2.5 grade-point average at the time of applying.  It is open to any major.
           
Jean Gabriel Jolivet, assistant professor of political science at Southwestern, is heading the program.
           
“This gives students the ability to go to D.C. for a semester or a summer and have great exposure to a lot of different opportunities,” Jolivet says.  “Things we can’t do in Winfield, we can do in D.C.”
           
There are three programs to choose from: Capital Experience, Embassy Scholars, and Go Green.

• Capital Experience, available spring, summer, and fall.  Interns in this program will shape policy, attend congressional hearings, write press releases, develop marketing plans, participate in meetings, plan events, or perform scientific experiments. Past intern experiences include: a research intern at the Center for Women Policy Studies, a development intern at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a marketing intern for the Washington Capitals hockey team, a human resources intern for the Corporate Executive Board, and a public relations intern at Edelman.

• Embassy Scholars, available spring, summer, and fall.  Recent placements in this program include: an international development internship at the Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs, a policy internship at the State Department N.A.T.O. office, and internships at the Embassy of Mexico and Embassy of France. Although many internships are with international organizations, all students intern in Washington, D.C.

• Go Green, available spring, summer, and fall.  In a city with dozens of national and international organizations focused on environmental issues, students will choose the internship that best fits their interests. Potential internships include tracking national legislation for the Environmental Protection Agency, writing press releases for World Wildlife Fund, or researching energy issues for the Climate Institute.

Students are not limited to these opportunities.  During the internship placement process, the program coordinator at WII works with students to find internships that fit their interests and qualifications.  
           
For more information about The Washington Experience, contact Jolivet at (620) 229-6213 or email jean-gabriel.jolivet@sckans.edu.  You can also read more about the program at http://www.sckans.edu/thewashingtonexperience.