Government Internships
Government Internships – An Overview
Government internships allow students to experience practical political and policy experiences and to get a taste of the government world. The US has plenty of places to do government internships:
- Political interns in local chapters of Democrats, Republicans or other organizations: Allows interns to assist in event planning, voter registration and outreach responsibilities.
- Mayor’s Office or Local City Hall: Interns directly work with a politician.
- White House: Internship at the White House will be a full-time position, usually in the summer. It gives interns opportunities to be get exposure in the field and other meaningful and essential experiences.
These internships will surely become your tickets to gaining more valuable skills that is useful for your future career.
Government Internships at the Organization of American State (OAS)
The Organization of American State (OAS) is the world’s oldest regional organization founded for the purpose of solidarity and cooperation among the 35 independent states of America. It constitutes the main political, juridical and social government forums. OAS aims to avoid conflicts amongst the region, bring political stability, social inclusions and prosperity, through dialogue and collective actions.
Students who are specifically interested in economics, engineering, environmental, geographical, meteorological or political aspects of natural hazard in undergraduate or master’s level are qualified to apply and participate in the OAS work-study internship programs.
OAS offers student interns with opportunities to experience different areas of expertise in the organizations and enhance their networking opportunities.
Benefits of OAS Government Internships
Government internships in OAS are offered within the school year that lasts for a semester and in the summer which can last for less than 3 months. It’s an unpaid internship that starts in January, June and September of each year. Interns who are accepted are required to fulfill a Performance Evaluation System after their 1st week of the government internship.
Other things OAS interns need to know:
- Weekly orientation program administered by the OAS Dept. of Human Resource should be at least 80% attended by the interns to get a certificate of completion.
- Full-time and part-time interns are required to submit valid proof insurance.
- These government internships will not be extended
- Interns who already participated in OAS internship program can no longer be accepted or apply again.
- General Secretariat work should never be accepted by interns during internship period.
- Proper attire at the beginning and at the end of the internship period is a must.
OAS Government Internship Opportunities
OAS promotes government internships for students with high potentials. One of its objectives is to disseminate the work of OAS through its interns by exposing them into their four-pronged approach:
- Political Dialogue: Member states of the Organization negotiate in OAS for the Inter-American Democratic Charter which is a blueprint of what democracy should look like. OAS is where multilateral dialogues take place.
- Cooperation: OAS supports its member states in establishing institutional and human capacity to cope with new challenges.
- Follow-up Mechanisms: OAS member states holds each accountable on each state’s issues thus they have made use of a mechanism that evaluates their progress in preventing society’s illegal activities.
- Juridical Heritage: This approach involves OAS adaptation of treaties to solidify the region and shaping of domestic laws.
The OAS government internship program has managed to improve the students’ experience that will surely benefit the interns in the long run. So if you want to apply the theories you’ve learned in college and contribute to making a difference in this world you are what the Organization of American State is looking for.
Other Government Internships
To the right side of this article, you will find a list of other government internships. Please be sure to check those out to learn more about what each one entails. This will help you make an informed decision. Some of the more popular government internships include:
You can also find government internships listed on the Government Jobs website.
By Diane Barlow