Washington, D.C.: A Mélange of Educational Opportunities
Washington, D.C. is an exceptional city for education, from elementary school students to undergraduates looking for internships for the fall. Being surrounded by local prestigious colleges like American University and Howard University, plus the fact that D.C. “boasts one of the most educated populations in the country with nearly 50 percent of its residents obtaining a bachelor’s degree or higher,”[1] sets up people seeking knowledge in D.C. for success. Read below to learn how these options in D.C. may be perfect for you.
Education
Being surrounded by prestigious universities influences D.C.’s education of younger generations. The main example is the opening of a Whittle Schools & Studios campus in 2019. This private school is global, with its other campus in Shenzhen, China. Their mission statement is to “improve [their] students’ lives” and “contribute to the cause of education on every continent.” They offer a curriculum focused on the basics (STEM and the humanities) while adapting to other global education standards, mainly the “United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals”; “the Chinese national curriculum”; “the National Research Council’s Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS); Singapore Math; Australian Mathematics Standards (ACARA)”; “competencies developed in partnership with the Center for Curriculum Redesign, Harvard;” and College Board’s AP Program. They also focus on connections to the city around them, planning one day a week for teachers to educate students ages 3-18 outside of the D.C. classrooms. Whittle is an example of how higher educational standards in D.C., like how “58.5% persons age 25 years+ from 2015-2019 earned a Bachelor’s degree or higher”[2], can trickle down into primary and secondary education.
Internships
Along with the colleges surrounding the D.C. area, internships provide undergraduate and grad students opportunities to further their skills and get real-world business experience outside of the classroom. Seeing as the federal government is the center of D.C., it’s only fitting that most internships include public policy and law. Explore below to see some examples of such internships.
Brennan Center for Justice
Organization Description:
“The Brennan Center for Justice brings impact litigation, advises lawmakers on the constitutionality of bills, drafts legislation and regulations, and produces public education materials on a number of topics.”
Positions Available for Fall 2021:
Democracy Program- “focuses on issues of voting rights and elections, money in politics, redistricting and representation, government dysfunction, and fair courts. The program conducts research, publishes influential studies, convenes conferences, develops policy proposals, supports strategy development, and participates in litigation to defend campaign finance laws, ensure a fair judiciary, uphold fair representation, and oppose laws that restrict the rights of voters.”
Justice Program- “works on habeas corpus, abuse of executive power, access to counsel, and the rights of prisoners and ex-prisoners, among other topics.”
Liberty & National Security Program- “seeks to build institutions and define policies that result in a fair, accountable, and transparent national security system.”
Application Deadline: For the Fall 2021 internship, the deadline is “July 15th or 31st 2021 depending on which internship.”
Application Link: https://www.brennancenter.org/about/employment/internships
National Center on Sexual Exploitation
Organization Description:
“NCOSE is passionate about building a diverse team (and movement) committed to a world free from sexual abuse and exploitation. We love people and fight for the human dignity of all. We have a global and multicultural impact. Our work is premised on Abolitionist principles.”
Positions Available for Fall 2021:
Research Internship- “The intern works on research projects as assigned by the V.P. & Director of the Research Institute, or the CEO.”
Public Policy Internship- “Performs work on special projects as assigned by the Public Policy Department or the CEO. Such work may include: Research corporate boards, corporate policies, and assist with corporate policy reform efforts; Help conduct social media campaigns to advance advocacy efforts; Write blogs on sexual exploitation issues and NCOSE projects; etc.”
Legal Internship- “Legal interns will work directly with the Law Center team. Interns will be expected to engage in the following activities: Assisting in high level and nation impacting litigation, including drafting of pleadings, briefs, demand letters, and appeals; Researching legal questions and drafting memoranda for existing and potential cases; Researching and drafting policy advocacy documents; etc.”
Law Enforcement Internship- “Performs work on special projects as assigned by the Director of Law Enforcement Training and Survivor Services or the Law Centers Senior Vice President and General Counsel.”
Graphic Design Internship- Special projects as an intern “participates in media strategy discussions and planning, develops social media memes, designs educational materials and resources, proofreads to produce accurate and high-quality work, thinks creatively to produce new ideas and design concepts, develops design briefs for specific marketing/educational campaigns, illustrates concepts by designing rough layout of art and copy regarding arrangement, size, type size and style, and related aesthetic concepts”
Communications & Digital Strategies Internship- “Performs work on special projects as assigned by the V.P. & Director of Communications, Receives exposure to aspects of running a nonprofit organization, (If at the D.C. office) represents NCOSE (as an observer) and reports on events at coalition meetings, as well as congressional hearings as directed, Keeps abreast of current developments (including pop culture) and conducts research (as directed) using various media and academic resources, etc.”
Application Deadline: August 13th, 2021, at 12 pm EST
Application Link: https://ncose.bamboohr.com/jobs/
Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associates
Organization Description:
Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associates “develop and execute lobbying and government relations strategies” for “corporations, advocacy groups, nonprofits, and municipalities.”
Positions Available for Fall 2021:
“CRD is seeking outstanding recent graduates or current students to join our team as full-time Fellows for a period beginning on September 15 and ending on December 15. Ideal candidates will have expressed an interest in advocacy or public policy. This is a paid position. Responsibilities include: attending hearings and markups, writing articles on hearings or other legislative developments, arranging and organizing meetings in Congressional offices, preparing materials for meeting with clients and Congressional offices, providing administrative support; and other duties as assigned.”
Application Deadline: Wednesday, July 21st, 2021
Application Link: CRD Associates, LLC – Policy Associate Fellowship Fall 2021 – Washington, DC | Chegg Internships
[1] Higher Education and Healthcare | dmped (dc.gov)
[2] U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: District of Columbia
