Capitol Hill and Westminster Internships are educational offerings of United States-European Union Government Initiatives, a Washington, DC-established multi-lingual international business operations and transatlantic civic education undertakings entity.
United States-European Union Government Initiatives lobbies Members of Congress of the United States and Members of Parliament of the United Kingdom to assist exceptionally gifted Polish student leaders - selected each year through the rigorous English language and legislative environment competency exam - in winning intern appointments on Capitol Hill and at Westminster.
The internship syllabus enables Polish interns to attend public hearings of policy-specific congressional/parliamentary committees or subcommittees, to conduct legislative research to assist the hosting US/UK lawmaker and his or her staff on the most pressing floor issues, to draft correspondence to constituents, and to facilitate a wide variety of office-related communication functions.
Capitol Hill
We proudly recognize the association of distinguished supporters of transatlantic civic education initiatives and respected inside-the-beltway law firms as well as policy-making institutions that within the framework of briefings/workshop/speaking engagement events organize off-Hill academic skills-enhancing events for Congressional interns from Poland.
Westminster
The internship at the House of Commons also features a series of extracurricular activities. We are delighted that the Right Honorable Geoffrey Hoon, Minister for Europe in the Tony Blair Cabinet, has offered to hold a spotlight educational event at the Foreign Office in the summer of 2008 for Polish student interns at the House of Commons.
The Capitol Hill and Westminster Internships are at minimum for a term of seven weeks (from the latter part of June through the first week in August) and, at maximum, 10 weeks (from mid-May through the end of July), respectively.
Every qualified Polish applicant for the Capitol Hill summer internship term or the Westminster spring internship term will be required to complete a "Summer 2008 Capitol Hill Internship Application Form" or "Spring 2008 Westminster Internship Application Form", and - upon acceptance into the Capitol Hill/Westminster Internships program - pay an intern placement fee. Upon receipt of the application, a letter of internship appointment signed by the hosting US/UK lawmaker and including the internship schedule and curriculum will be sent to the nominated candidates.
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. Of the British MPs who have agreed to take part in the Westminster Internship program, a number have indicated that they would provide a small stipend to Polish parliamentary interns at the House of Commons.
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 Capitol Hill offices for six-week internship appointments the first congressional 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...". The influential voice and the insightful guidance of the Honorable Senator Bob Dole and Distinguished Professor Lee Edwards of the Heritage Foundation, long-time friends of Poland, have contributed to the success of the internship program.