Internship Structure Requirements

The Washington Center’s goal is to provide an avenue for students to gain hands-on experience in professional work environments that relate to their academic and career interests. The program is structured to benefit both the student intern and the sponsoring organization. To ensure that the minimum standards are met to grant academic credit for an internship, The Washington Center has established the following evaluation criteria for internship site sponsors.

The organization agrees to comply with the following as conditions for hosting interns from The Washington Center:

• Comply with all local, state and federal labor laws.
• Have a Non-discrimination and Sexual Harassment policy in place.
• Provide the intern with a safe work environment.
• Provide the intern with a schedule composed of no less than 80% substantive, non-clerical work.
• Ensure that the intern reports to work for 32–36 hours per week, depending on program enrollment.
• Provide the intern with information regarding the internship site’s policies and procedures regarding dress code, professional, legal and ethical behavior, emergency preparedness, etc., and be available to respond to any questions the intern may have.
• Provide the intern with an orientation to the office and the intern’s position along with training the intern on the use of office equipment.
• Provide the intern with a desk and computer and other necessary tools to effectively complete internship responsibilities.
• Participate in a minimum of one site visit in coordination with The Washington Center to discuss the intern performance and conduct additional meetings if requested.

Intern Supervisor Guidelines

Supervisors can expect a serious student who is interested in the best possible experience while in the nation's capital. Therefore it is important for an internship site supervisor to carefully plan and pace the intern's learning and work experience to help students hone the critical communication, analytical, teamwork, technical and other skills employers want over the course of the entire semester.

The Washington Center expects an internship site supervisor to:

• Adhere to the internship structure requirements [2], including providing a schedule of 32-36 hours a week composed of at least 80% substantive non-clerical work.
• Provide the intern with an orientation to the office and the intern’s position along with training the intern on the use of office equipment.
• Provide the intern with ample instructions for completing projects and all appropriate feedback thereon.
• Review and sign the intern’s final Individual Development Plan (IDP) by the stated due date.
• Participate in a minimum of one site visit in coordination with The Washington Center to discuss the intern’s performance and conduct additional meetings if requested.
• Work with the intern to establish and implement a work plan according to the intern’s Individual Development Plan (IDP) and that is in alignment with the Internship Site’s mission and needs.
• Allow flexibility to avoid scheduling conflicts with mandatory TWC events.
• Notify the intern’s program advisor in a timely and reasonable manner if any problems arise, particularly those that might result in the dismissal/termination of the intern.
• Provide written feedback and assessment of the intern’s work including a final grade, by the stated due dates, through the use of the intern’s mid-term assessment final evaluation.

Financial Support

Students receive academic credit from their home institutions for a semester or summer spent interning through The Washington Center. Students pay a program fee to participate as well as a housing fee if they choose to stay in TWC-provided apartments. Some internship sites provide a small stipend to their interns for expenses; others may provide scholarship support to assist in tuition or housing costs. Financial support or payment is not required to hire TWC’s interns.

How Financial Aid Works

Financial support from The Washington Center is awarded separately and is not necessarily need-based. When a student is accepted, they will automatically be considered for any financial assistance for which they are eligible. Awards include support from internship sites, if any, plus state scholarships and private awards.

Some assistance (including program scholarships and any matches of state scholarships by TWC) must be applied toward TWC’s housing fees. Such awards are not cumulative. If a student is eligible for multiple awards, they will receive only the largest such award for which they are eligible.

Placement-provided assistance is first used to cover any housing assistance otherwise guaranteed by TWC, and then to cover any balance remaining on the student's bill. If the placement-provided assistance covers the full cost of a student's program and housing and provides a weekly stipend, the student will not be eligible for additional scholarships or state scholarships.