Now more than ever, students have a hard time honing in on where they want to work and what they want to do for the rest of their lives. And now more than ever, a new generation of Americans is having an extremely difficult time. This problem is prevalent among students whose interests fall within the social sciences, especially those who pursue a degree without a defined specialization.

The benefits of experiential opportunities

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars (TWC) celebrated its third annual alumni holiday party with more than 100 alumni and many current TWC students. The event took place on the second floor of TWC headquarters.

In addition to a live band and hors d’oeurves, invitees enjoyed a warm welcome from TWC President Mike Smith. He reflected on his time at TWC, celebrating the 1,600 students who completed internships or seminars over the last year as well as the milestone of more than 50,000 alumni since the organization’s founding.

Academic Seminars offered by The Washington Center benefit students by providing them with practical, firsthand educational opportunities that they may not otherwise be able to experience on their university campuses. But students are not the only beneficiaries. TWC faculty leader, Anthony Moretti offers his perspective after attending four different seminars.

TWC benefits faculty in at least three ways:

Benefit 1: Powerful Interactions

Heather Swicke, a student from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, attended the 2012 Inside Washington Seminar to get a taste of the nation’s capital during the presidential season. Not sure what was in store for her, she took a leap of faith and discovered that Washington, D.C. agreed with her. She provides her perspective on her experience during the two-week seminar.

A Unique, Unmatched Experience in the Nation’s Capital

Danny Bolam, TWC intern from Fitchburg State University, met with Rep. Peter Welch and a member of his legislative staff.  Danny spoke with Rep. Welch about various state and national issues such as Hurricane Irene, the Homestar Bill and withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

Andrew Stumbo, a TWC intern from the University of Iowa, was given the opportunity to meet U.S. Senator, Tom Harkin (D-IA) and his legislative staff. The meeting took place at Senator Harkin’s weekly constituents breakfast in the Russell Senate Office Building.

Andrew was given the opportunity to speak with Senator Harkin and members of his staff about various concerns and policy issues concerning the future of Obama’s Health Care Plan and the possible ruling of it’s constitutionality by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Spring interns attended a panel on Social Responsibility and Philanthropy at The Washington Center’s Residential Academic Facility. The event featured four speakers who are experts in both nonprofit and philanthropic landscapes. The panelists discussed their efforts at a variety of well-known corporations and nonprofits.

Participants

It’s 2012. The United States has elected its first African-American president, the planet has more than 7 billion people, and the world has become more technologically advanced in the last two decades than the last 2,000 years combined. Despite all these advances, a woman on average still makes only 77 cents on the male dollar.

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars (TWC) celebrated its new partnership with Panama’s National Secretariat for Science, Technology, and Innovation on March 5, 2012. Also known as the U.S.-Panama Innovation & Competitiveness Initiative, the partnership will enable Panamanian students to come to Washington, D.C. and participate in unique and transformational opportunities.

The agreement will support the participation of students in the following programs:

Jose Calzada, the Governor of the Mexican state Queretaro, visited The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars (TWC) on February 27, 2012 and met with students in the Governors Program. The students presented a video showcasing the types of projects, internships, and activities that students from the Governor’s state are completing to improve their communities. Four students were selected to present their projects: