Congressional Interns Complete Summer of Service in Washington, DC

(Washington, DC) Thirty-eight students from across the United States who converged on Washington, DC in June for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Summer Congressional Internship Program, have just wrapped up an intense session in education and public service. The program, established in 1986, provides undergraduate students with an in-depth orientation to Capitol Hill and the legislative process through actual work experience in the offices of Members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Most of the young people expressed a feeling that the Congressional Internship was an experience of a lifetime. Interns were able to directly impact constituents through their work in Congressional Offices, an environment through which they gained a real feel for what it’s like to serve the people. They commented on the value the experience, and uniformly felt it prepared them for the many challenges ahead of them.

CBCF's Congressional Internship Program requires participation in a series of program components designed to strengthen communication, research, leadership, and team development skills. One such component was the Intern Team Project that allowed interns to investigate instances of voter disfranchisement and voting irregularities in eight states during the 2000 Presidential election. These case studies led the interns to formulate their own election reform recommendations that they then formally presented to a panel representative of civil rights organizations, think tanks, and congressional offices.

The Interns’ Washington experience was also enriched by lectures from CBC Members and other distinguished speakers. This summer, interns were granted up-close and personal chats with Rep. John Conyers (MI), Rep. Elijah Cummings (MD), Rep, Jesse Jackson (IL), Rep. William Jefferson (LA), Rep.Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (MI), and Rep. Maxine Waters (CA), and Mary Frances Berry, Chairwoman of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission.

“These were some of the brilliant young leaders of the future,” said Kelly D. Owens, Director of CBCF’s Leadership Institute, “We seek out the best and the brightest to fill these Intern positions. We want students who are committed to rolling up their sleeves and doing the tough work of public service. In turn, we anticipate that our interns will one day become effective leaders in public policy, business, and community organizations and educational institutions.”

Other program highlights included the 4th Annual Building Bridges Cookout, sponsored in conjunction with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, and a trip to New York City sponsored by the New York Life Foundation. Sponsors of the CBCF Congressional Internship are The Coca Cola Foundation, Philip Morris Companies, New York Life Foundation, and the UPS Foundation. For more information, visit CBCFinc.org.

 

The CBCF serves as a nonpartisan, policy-oriented catalyst to educate future leaders and promote collaboration among community and business leaders, minority-focused organizational leaders, and organized labor to effect positive and substantive change in the African American community.