Congressional Internship Program

CHCI hosts interns two times a year:

• Summer 2024: May 22 – August 2, 2024 (10 weeks)
• Fall 2024: August 24 – November 15, 2024 (12 weeks)

Summer is a time when D.C. is full of interns, creating many networking opportunities; in the Fall, interns have the opportunity to participate in CHCI’s Hispanic Heritage Month events.

No matter which semester sounds best to you, we encourage all applicants to apply to every session (Summer, Fall) if they are eligible, as our application pools are very competitive year after year.

2024 Congressional Internship applications are due at 11:59 pm Eastern Time on the following dates:

• Summer 2024 Internship Deadline: December 1, 2023
• Fall 2024 Internship Deadline: March 1, 2024

We encourage all applicants to apply as early as possible to facilitate the review process and avoid any technical complications. 

Yes, based on the written applications submitted, a number of candidates will be selected for a pre-recorded video interview. 

A candidate is selected based on their demonstrated leadership experience, commitment to advancing the Latino community, quality of writing, letter of recommendation, and resume. Sponsor preferences are also taken into consideration.

Candidates are reviewed after the closing of each respective application by program alumni, CHCI programs staff and, in some cases, sponsoring partners. While we strive to provide a timely decision to all candidates within about six weeks of the application deadlines, this time period can vary between applications.

Your essays are the best opportunity to tell us about you. Take advantage of this space to indicate how you have exercised leadership in your family or community and how that has contributed to your interests in public policy. Please also ask a friend, professor, or mentor to review your essays in advance or to help you brainstorm what to talk about.

Yes. Applicants are not required to disclose their citizenship status during the application process. Once admitted, CHCI will require work authorization for onboarding purposes. Any DACA applicant accepted must have a work authorization valid through the last day of their program.

No. CHCI strongly discourages participants from enrolling in any courses outside of those that relate to receiving credit for their internship. CHCI interns cannot enroll in more than 8 online credits while participating in the program. The internship experience is intense and time consuming; interns who have tried to maintain a full time course load while completing the program have not had positive experiences.

After a week-long orientation, Congressional interns are assigned to a Congressional Office where they gain first-hand knowledge of how the U.S. legislative process works. Intern duties may include, but are not limited to, responding to constituent inquiries, drafting correspondence and memos, attending congressional hearings, conducting legislative research, data entry and analysis, supporting departmental meetings and telephone conferences, and assisting with general office operations.

As part of the internship experience, CHCI also provides weekly programming sessions based on developing and strengthening legislative knowledge, cultural competency, professional and leadership skills.

Congressional interns are placed in offices that primarily align with their regional background. The program’s priority is to provide participants the opportunity to explore a new professional space and learn ways in which to approach public policy issues. Whenever possible, CHCI will take into consideration political party affiliations and work styles; however, we cannot guarantee placement in any specific office. If you are only interested in interning in a specific member’s office, we recommend you complete their office internship program.

Applicants interested in making an investment in the Latino community and/or working on policies that affect the Latino population are welcome to apply to any and all CHCI programs.