The University of Kansas hosted a reception in Washington, D.C., this April to celebrate 35 years of the Washington, D.C., Internship Program. Since its inception in 1984, the D.C. Internship Program has helped more than 600 students secure internships in the nation’s capital. The majority of participants are KU students, however the program expanded in the last 20 years to include students from Kansas State University, Fort Hays State University and most notably Wichita State University, which sends 5 to 6 students each year.
Several alumni of the program attended, alongside members of the Kansas delegation and KU leadership, including Professor Burdett “Bird” Loomis, founder and director of the program; Gary Meltz, the current D.C. director; Chancellor Doug Girod; Interim Provost Carl Lejuez; and Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Reggie Robinson. Senator Jerry Moran and Representative Sharice Davids also took part.
D.C. Internship Program alumni have held internships in a broad variety of offices and organizations, including Congress, federal offices, the White House, museums, the State Department, CNN, D.C. Public Schools and many national organizations and public policy groups. Students are tasked with researching, identifying and contacting the offices and organizations with which they would like to intern. The program hosts weekly seminars featuring notable guest speakers throughout the semester-long internship, as well. Many students have been able to use their internship experience as a springboard to careers in Washington, D.C., as well as in Topeka, and within the private sector.
Learn more about the D.C. Internship Program.
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