Internship Opportunities

The Bob Graham Center for Public Service Internship Guide

Students are free to find any internship that suits their personal or career goals,  provided it is approved for academic credit by the Graham Center.  Students are not required to pick from those options listed here.  This guide is simply a tool to help students in their search for a fulfilling internship experience.  All of the internships listed below, however, are with reputable institutions that are likely to provide students with substantive experience.  Many of the directors of the intern programs listed here are familiar with the Bob Graham Center and the University of Florida, so be sure to mention that in your cover letter.

Environment

Student Conservation Association

The Student Conservation Association (SCA) is a nonprofit organization that offers conservation internships and summer trail crew opportunities to more than 3,000 people each year.

The Environmental Careers Organization

The Environmental Careers Organization (ECO) is a non-profit organization that develops professional opportunities for students through paid internships that provide a range of on-the-job learning experiences for students at a variety of levels of experience.

Health Care

The Pharmacy Health Care Administration Department

The Pharmacy Health Care Administration Department has three summer internships available for 2007 for current students in the Health Sciences. Each internship is a 10 week full time program with a competitive stipend. Internships are available in the areas of Pharmacoeconomics, Pharmacoepidemiology and Patient Safety.

The UF Health Care Education Program

The UF Health Care Education program maintains links to a variety of health care internships.

Legal

Alachua County Criminal Justice Center
U.S. Department of Justice
Environment and Natural Resources Division: Law and Policy Section

The Law and Policy Section (LPS) advises and assists the Assistant
Attorney General on legal and policy issues.  Working with the Office of
Legislative Affairs, LPS coordinates the Environment and Natural
Resources Division's legislative program.  LPS also represents the
Department of Justice on interagency groups of a variety of issues that
relate to the mission of the Division.  LPS also litigates amicus cases
and undertakes other specially assigned litigation projects at the trial
and appellate levels. Other duties include monitoring citizen suits;
responding to citizen mail, congressional, and FOIA requests; and
serving as the Division's ethics officers.  LPS attorneys also
coordinate the Division's activities on international environmental
matters and environmental justice matters.

Duties of the unpaid undergraduate intern position include: attending
congressional hearings and reporting on environmental legislation;
researching legal and policy issues; and providing support for the
section's amicus litigation.  Applicants must be U.S. citizens, pass a
mandatory drug test, and be willing to commit for a period of at least
ten weeks.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis but must be received
no later than the following application deadlines:

To apply, please fax a cover letter specifying the term for which you
are applying, resume, unofficial transcript, and 3-5 page writing sample
(may be an excerpt from a longer paper on any topic) to Andrea Armstrong
at (202) 514-4231, or mail the above to:

Andrea Armstrong
Environment and Natural Resources Division
Law & Policy Section
P.O. Box 4390
Ben Franklin Station
Washington, DC 20044-4390

General Internship Programs

The Everrett Internship Program

The Everrett Internship Program offers a range of internship opportunities in Washington, DC and New York City.  Students apply to each internship separately and the Everrett program pays a stipend to the student for the summer.

The Washington Center

The Washington Center arranges internships for students in Washington DC in a variety of policy areas.  Students pay a fee to the Washington Center that covers room and board as well as the administration costs of the program. 

International

Florida International Volunteer Corps

Florida International Volunteer Corps has volunteer projects around the Caribbean basin in environment, women’s issues, agriculture and education.

State and Local Government

Governor’s Office

For a period of thirteen weeks, interns will gain practical knowledge and experience in one of several departments within the Executive Office of the Governor.

Internships are available during the three academic semesters – fall, spring, and summer. Interns will be required to work between 15-30 hours per week on a schedule designed around your academic classes or outside employment. While these internships are unpaid, you may receive academic credit if the internship is approved by your college or university. However, it is the responsibility of the student to submit the appropriate materials to their academic advisor in a timely fashion.

In order to be considered qualified; applicants must 1) either be enrolled as a full time student or have recently graduated from an accredited college or university, 2) have a G.P.A. of at least 3.0, and 3) complete the official application and submit all required materials before the deadline. Once selected, interns will be assigned to specific offices based on their preferences, availability, academic and employment experience, and the number of open positions.

Interested students should download an Official Internship Program Application and submit all required materials before the deadlines listed below:

Applicants should also read the Executive Summary of Functions document, which outlines the roles and responsibilities of each department within the Executive Office of the Governor. This document will assist you in selecting which office or offices are of interest to you. Please be sure to note your preferences on the application.
Download an Application:     Official Application

Florida State Legislature
City Government
New York City Urban Fellows Program

The nine-month program, which offers a paid stipend of $25,000, combines full time employment with a comprehensive seminar series exploring the mechanics of local government and electoral politics as well as important issues facing the City. Fellows come to appreciate the wide range of challenges in New York City government from the budget process to agency operations, affordable housing, to affordable health care, and education to economic development.

Trade

The Australian Trade Mission

The Australian Trade Mission in Washington DC accepts interns who are US citizens and have an interest in trade.  The mission assists Australian companies by providing advice on marketing, investment and joint venture opportunities.  Interns are hired for a period of three months throughout the year and are paid a $1000 stipend.  A cover letter indicating the semester you are applying for and a resume can be sent to:
HR.Wash@austrade.gov.au

Think Tanks and Research Institutes in Washington, DC

Business Executives for National Security (BENS)

Business Executives for National Security (BENS) is a non-profit organization that brings business expertise to assist the government on national security issues.  BENS has been involved in base closures, privatization of Department of Defense services, and establishing cooperation between business and government on tracking terrorist finances.

The Institute for National Strategic Studies

The Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) is a policy research and strategic gaming organization within the National Defense University serving the U.S. Department of Defense, its components, and interagency partners. The Institute provides timely, objective analysis and gaming events to senior decision makers and supports NDU educational programs in the fields of international security and defense policy. Through an active outreach program, including conferences, international exchanges, and publications, the Institute seeks to promote wider understanding of emerging international security challenges and defense policy options.

Interns attend congressional hearings, seminars and symposia, participate in strategic gaming exercises, and work on diverse research projects. For more information on applying, contact INSS_Intern_Program@ ndu.edu.

The Brookings Institution

The Brookings Institution is one of the most established research institutes in the country and has an active research agenda on a range of domestic and foreign policy issues.

The Progressive Policy Institute

The Progressive Policy Institute is the research institute attached the Democratic Leadership Council.  Interns may work on domestic or foreign policy issues, although with a partisan political perspective.

The American Enterprise Institute

The American Enterprise Institute accepts interns to work on a range of domestic and foreign policy issues.  AEI is oriented around the principles of limited government and the promotion of private enterprise.

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) seeks to advance global security and prosperity in an era of economic and political transformation by providing strategic insights and practical policy solutions to decisionmakers. CSIS serves as a strategic planning partner for the government by conducting research and analysis and developing policy initiatives that look into the future and anticipate change.

The Urban Institute

The Urban Institute aims to promote sound social policy by gathering and analyzing data on trends in crime, economy, education, health and housing.

United States Congress 

Working in the Congress can be a rewarding and interesting experience.  Students have an opportunity to learn how the Congress works by attending hearings, working with staff members on constituency service issues, and other tasks.  There are 23 Members of Congress from the state of Florida.  Each office has a different internship program and application process that can be found through the links below.

House of Representatives
Senate

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Bob Graham Center for Public Service

Pugh Hall
P.O Box 112030
Gainesville FL 32611-2030
Phone: 352.846.1575
Fax: 352.846.1576