Since 1975, The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars has provided an integrated academic and work experience to prepare college students and professionals for lives of achievement and civic engagement. From an initial class of 51 interns in the fall of 1975, The Washington Center’s program has soared with more than 1,500 students participating in 2007. We have emerged as a leader in the field of experiential education by bringing students from across the country and around the world to Washington, D.C. for the chance to test-drive their careers and learn applied skills through The Washington Center’s academic internship program.

Each year our program places students in hundreds of organizations and agencies in Washington, D.C., throughout the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Students are placed according to their professional interests and supplement their training by taking an academic course and participating in programming and networking events designed to expose them to a variety of government and business leaders in Washington. Students receive academic credit from their home institutions for their semester with The Washington Center.

The strength of The Washington Center’s leadership in experiential education derives from the diverse network of alumni, affiliated colleges and universities, and private, public, and nonprofit institutions we have built in Washington, D.C. The Washington Center serves as the heart for this diverse body of institutions and individuals by enabling civic, educational, and business leaders to shape the next generation of leaders; colleges and universities to extend their reach beyond their core programs and geography; organizations to connect with a new generation of talent; students to transform their careers and lives through a unique experience; and its alumni to join together to change the world.

Today, we receive more than 1,500 participants each year from throughout the country and abroad, and we currently have more than 40,000 alumni. All domestic students and most of the international students receive academic credit for their participation in our programs through our cooperative work with more than 500 colleges and universities in the U.S. and around the world.
In all, we have 14 programs including a postgraduate professional development program and programs in the international cities of Monterrey, London, Oxford, Quebec, and Sidney, managed by 70 professional full time staff.