Polish Interns on the Go
Capitol Hill and Westminster
Where Tomorrow's Leaders Meet Today's
Lawmakers to Get the Job Done
I. About us
The Capitol Hill and Westminster Internships are signature civic education undertakings of United States-European Union Government Initiatives, a Washington, DC-based leader in the delivery of summer-term internship opportunities for Poland's best and brightest students.
US-EU Government Initiatives lobbies Members of Congress of the United States and Members of Parliament of the United Kingdom to appoint outstanding student leaders as congressional and parliamentary interns.
Established in 2004 and in 2007, respectively, with the insightful guidance of the Honorable Senator Bob Dole and the influential voice of the Distinguished Resident Fellow in Conservative Thought, Professor Lee Edwards of the Heritage Foundation, Capitol Hill and Westminster Internships - designed to enhance career-building capabilities - offer a unique, first-hand public service experience in the office of a UK and/or US lawmaker to young Polish scholars from top-tier national and international institutions of higher learning.
To date, US-EU Government Initiatives has assisted 17 Polish student leaders in winning summer internship appointments in the offices of Members of the United States House of Representatives and Senate and the offices of Members of Parliament of the United Kingdom House of Commons.
II. Curriculum
The internship syllabus enables Polish interns to attend public hearings of policy-specific congressional/parliamentary committees or subcommittees, to conduct legislative research and produce detailed reports to assist the hosting US and/or UK lawmaker and his or her staff with the most pressing floor issues, to draft time-sensitive correspondence to constituents, and to facilitate a wide variety of office-related communication functions.
III. Capitol Hill and Westminster extracurricular activities
Polish student interns participate within the framework of briefings/workshops/speaking engagement events in a wide range of academically challenging extracurricular activities which high ranking officials of UK and US Government agencies along with respected public and private institutions on both sides of the Atlantic Divide host each year for Congressional or parliamentary interns from Poland.
IV. Schedule
The Capitol Hill and Westminster Internships are at minimum for a term of eight weeks (from the latter part of June through the second week in August) and, at maximum, 10 weeks (from mid-May through the end of July), respectively.
V. Selection process
A Board of examiners, native English-speaking American professionals based in Warsaw, each year selects Polish candidates for internship placements through a rigorous two-tier English language and legislative environment competency exam.
VI. Application procedures
Every qualified Polish applicant for the Capitol Hill summer internship term or the Westminster spring internship term will be required to complete a "Summer 2009 Capitol Hill Internship Application Form http://www.iko.com.pl/internships/app-online_US_2009.php" or "Spring 2009 Westminster Internship Application Form http://www.iko.com.pl/internships/app-online_UK_2009.php".
VII. Internship Appointment Letter
Upon acceptance into the Program, US-EU Government Initiatives will send electronically to the candidates Capitol Hill and/or Westminster placement offers, which are nomination letters signed by the hosting US and/or UK lawmaker and include the internship schedule and curriculum.
VIII. Program participation fee
All Capitol Hill and Westminster interns must pay to US-EU Government Initiatives an internship placement fee to offset the costs associated with:
1. The administering of the two-tier competency test;
2. The presentation of an executive-style internship candidate dossier to Capitol Hill and Westminster liaison officers and/or lawmakers;
3. The organizing of extracurricular educational events either in London or Washington, DC.
The Chair of the Internship Examination Commission will announce to exam takers the financial terms for Summer 2009 Capitol Hill and Spring 2009 Westminster internships.
IX. Financial Support
1. While the Capitol Hill or Westminster internship appointees assume sole responsibility for their own financial support, US-EU Government Initiatives will make every effort to help Polish interns offset their transportation and accommodation costs, by reaching out to both domestic and international firms and institutions.
2. British Members of Parliament who have agreed to take part in the Westminster Internship program may offer to Polish parliamentary interns a small stipend or subsidize their commuting costs.
X. Intern Performance Evaluation
1. From the desk of a U.S. Congressman
"A Polish intern who served in my Washington, DC office was a tremendous asset because of the solid knowledge of economics, finance and politics.
Despite not being a native speaker, the intern's English was virtually flawless and the intern interacted with constituents and managed their requests with skill and grace.
The intern's performance in our office was excellent and, I have no doubt, the intern would be a stellar addition to any employer or academic program."
2. From the desk of a U.S. Senator
"Polish Congressional interns are tremendous assets and add a great deal during their summer internship terms to different areas of my Washington, DC office.The Polish interns are mature individuals who quickly grasped important concepts and applied them to their duties.
The interns were extraordinarily well informed about current events and eager to test the depth of my thinking. I was impressed by their positive attitude and active desire to seek out new challenges in our office.
The interns' impressive résumés exhibit academic excellence, leadership skills, and a passion to improve their community. The interns offer great promise for their future personal success and service to others."
3. From the desk of a British Member of Parliament
"I found the Polish intern who worked in my Westminster office to be a very reliable, committed and likeable member of the team.
As my parliamentary researcher, the intern showed a great deal of enthusiasm and professionalism, often working independently with a minimal amount of guidance, taking on extra tasks and responsibilities, beyond required hours. The intern was always able to make a sensible judgment about how to proceed with a task."
XI. Alumni
On November 21, 2008, the Presidential Forum of Future Leaders convened for its inaugural sitting at the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, which was presided over by President Lech Kaczynski's top foreign policy adviser, Doctor Mariusz Handzlik.
The Forum's mission is to provide for its participants, former Capitol Hill & Westminster interns, a competency-building mechanism in the field of international affairs, by placing them in direct contact with this country's policy players, facilitating interaction with respected public and private institutions on both sides of the Atlantic Divide, creating potential synergies in market-specific areas with field experts at umbrella organizations, such as American and/or British Chambers of Commerce, as well as exploring the interest of US/UK Embassy officials in organizing joint events, namely topical workshops and/or policy panels.
The Forum's future sessions will be organized on a quarterly basis. The Presidential Chancellery may offer to select Forum members short-term internship opportunities in the Office of International Affairs.
XII. History
In the summer of 2004, Congressman Bill Lipinski and Congressman Jack Quinn, Co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Central and Eastern Europe received in their personal offices in Washington, DC, for six-week internship appointments the first Capitol Hill interns from Poland. The internship hosts have enthusiastically endorsed the US-Poland Parliamentary Internship Program, calling it "an excellent transatlantic civic education initiative..., which we would highly recommend to our fellow Members of Congress."
