FAS Director of U.S. Programs Joseph Starrs stated that the drop in sign-ups is occurring as Congress and federal government organizations have almost entirely departed from their summer internship programs.
“Most students dream of coming to D.C. and being on Capitol Hill,” Starrs stated. “But the big shiny, shiny object internships aren’t really there for the most part.”
A poll this month from the National Association of Colleges and Employers revealed that 22% of U.S. employers have terminated summer internship opportunities. The internships that are there for the taking in Washington are mostly at media agencies, nonprofit organizations or additional private entities, Starrs said.
At least a couple of media agencies said they’re shuttering their internship programs. The Brookings Institution, a relatively prominent research organization, is running a teleinternship program but did not return The Hill’s inquiry regarding the number of folks they are taking as interns this year as distinguished from 2019.
