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Above: Estakio Hassan Beltran interned in the office of U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell in 2004. He now works full time as a staffer to Congressman Dennis Cardoza (CA 18).
Middle: Halima Handule interned at NeighborWorks America in 2007.
Bottom: Kesean Walker interned at the National Criminal Justice Association in 2007.
InternAmerica
Summer internships give students their first in-depth exposure to the workplace, as well as seeds of a professional network to germinate their careers in today's competitive job market.
In most cases, it's not easy to land such opportunities. Many coveted internships are not only unpaid but involve hefty expenses for travel, housing and meals -- costs that are usually covered by parents. The best internships often go to children of family friends and associates. Foster youth, who need to work full-time in the summer to cover their living expenses during the school year, do not have family contacts to get their foot in the door.
OFA’s InternAmerica Program levels the playing field and brings the experience of a lifetime to foster teens. Since 1994, we have brought students to Washington DC each summer to get hands-on experience in a host of great professional environments: Congressional offices on Capitol Hill, major corporate and national NGO settings.
Over the years, OFA students have interned in the White House Office of Domestic Policy, and in the Congressional offices of, among others:
Sen Maria Cantwell (D-WA) | Sen Patty Murray (D-WA) |
OFA Interns have been placed at non-profit organizations including:
- Freddie Mac Foundation
- National Red Cross
- The Nature Conservancy
- Smithsonian Institution
- United Nations High Commission on Refugees
- Children’s Defense Fund.
They have also served at government agencies including
- Small Business Administration
- Metropolitan Council of Governments
. . .as well as at national corporations including
- Siemens
- Burson-Marsteller Public Relations
Rounding out their six weeks in Washington, InternAmerica students are treated to a host of workshops for professional development: resume writing, networking, time management skills, etc. Hosted by national corporations, these workshops provide students with tools and skills to launch their careers after graduation.
OFA interns have also addressed the House and Senate, leaders of business and philanthropy, and the media on what it means to be forced out of foster care at the age of 18. They have raised awareness of issues such as funding and support for post-secondary education and the critical need young people have for mentors.
Applications for the Summer 2010 Washington D.C. Internships are no longer being accepted. Accepted interns will be notified by March 1, 2010.
Pathways to Success
"I really appreciate all that you are doing. Your organization is well put together and handles this particular program with expertise that is rarely found in similar organizations. I was always informed of what was needed and was never worried that Zach, our intern, would not be well taken care of. I wish that all intern organizations would follow your lead in your timeliness and efficiency. Please remember our office for the future."
~Brook Balentine
Office of Senator Claire McCaskill
"I’m very happy with the Orphan Foundation and the talent pool that I see coming from that organization. The two interns who came to us this year are bright and they show a lot of initiative. We’re thinking about ways to expand that relationship in the future."
~Priscilla Vasquez
Director, Human Resources
NeighborWorks America
"Our Foster Youth Intern was very helpful with research of public opinion and options to improve and simplify the recently enacted Medicare prescription program. Her efforts were invaluable in the preparation of a legislative initiative and background materials."
~ Robert Foust
Senior Policy Advisor
US Senator Kent Conrad
"Mary was a spectacular intern! The results of her work were amazing, not to mention of significant use in the future for this company. She is a truly gifted young woman, and we are all very sad to be losing her at the end of the internship..."
~ Gray Harden
Director of Operations
The Winston Group
"I remember standing in the Capitol Press Room with Bruce Willis, Senator Landrieu and Hillary Clinton when Senator Clinton put her hand on my shoulder and said, 'It’s good to have you here, and I am so proud of you.' It felt amazing to finally feel that proud, that successful. I thought to myself, I made it."
~ Lisa F, 2003 Intern
"This summer you gave my foster daughter the chance to see that there is more in the world than Nashville, and she can be a part of it! She has not stopped talking about what she learned, how she was able to function in the 'big city,' and how she loved the Red Cross job!"
~ LaDonna P., foster mother