People: Internships

The Fall 2013 program runs from September 3rd to December 13th, 2013 and the Spring 2014 program runs from January 14th to May 2nd, 2014. The deadline for applications for the Fall program is August 21st, 2013 and for the Spring program is October 25th, 2013. If you have any questions regarding the program, please contact Kristele Pyles at intern_aps@dnc.org or 202-863-8000.

Internship Timeline

	Fall 2013	Spring 2014
Application Posted	January 28, 2013	May 13, 2013
Application Deadline	August 21, 2013	September 15, 2013
Start Date	September 3, 2013	January 14, 2014
End Date	December 13, 2013	May 2, 2014

FAQ

What is the DNC’s role in Democratic politics?

The DNC performs many roles within Democratic politics, the most important of which is working to elect Democrats at all levels of government, especially the presidency. The DNC also works to help enact the President’s agenda.

As a DNC intern what will I be doing on a daily basis?

Intern responsibilities and tasks vary depending on department, but all interns play an important role in their departments. While all interns will perform some administrative tasks, making copies — filing, etc. — the work you do is vital to the day to day functions and department projects DNC staff are working on. For example:

Communications allows interns to work closely with the media, collecting daily news clips, formatting press releases, and monitoring television appearances by Democratic surrogates.

What is the dress code at the DNC?

The dress code is business casual.

Do I need to be a Democrat to intern at the DNC?

The DNC expects all interns to be Democrats and registered voters.

How many hours per week should I expect to work?

During the summer months we expect interns to work full time (40 hours). During the fall and spring when students are in school, we ask that interns commit to at least 20 hours per week. However, if you have scheduling issues, please let us know.

Are DNC internships paid?

All DNC internships are on an unpaid, volunteer basis. However, the DNC is proud to offer the Sarah Rosen Fund.

How should I respond to the essay questions?

Each of the essay questions should be answered separately. Each response should be no more than 500 words in length. Do not exceed the word limit.

My school is on the quarter system. Can I still participate?

Yes. You are welcome to apply, as long as you can commit to the full term of the internship program.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

The Democratic National Committee (DNC), is committed to diversity among its staff, and recognizes that its continued success requires the highest commitment to obtaining and retaining a diverse staff that provides the best quality services to supporters and constituents. The DNC is an equal opportunity employer and it is our policy to recruit, hire, train, promote and administer any and all personnel actions without regard to sex, race, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity or expression, ethnic identity or physical disability, or any other legally protected basis. The DNC will not tolerate any unlawful discrimination and any such conduct is strictly prohibited.

The Sarah Rosen Fund

The DNC is proud to provide funds for our interns through the Sarah Rosen Fund. The fund provides a travel stipend to defray the costs of local travel on public transportation to and from the DNC headquarters. The DNC will also provide a one time $1,000 stipend for 3–5 interns chosen from all applicants by members of the Rosen family and DNC staff.

About the Sarah Rosen Fund: Sarah Rosen referred to herself as a "professional Democrat." She passionately believed in the Democratic Party. Sarah knew that our nation is at its strongest when Democrats communicate our values and ideals to the American people and live those values by helping those in need. She served as communications director for several members of Congress, and for the state of Arizona during John Kerry's presidential campaign in 2004. Before that, she was an intern.

Sarah understood the need to help those campaign volunteers who slept on supporters’ couches and worked for nothing. She wanted the Democratic Party to be strong, compassionate, and understanding of people’s needs.

On September 30, 2005, Sarah was tragically killed in an auto accident. To honor her memory and to carry out her goals, Sarah’s family raised money to establish the Sarah Rosen Fund to help create the next generation of Democratic leaders. The purpose of the fund is to help defray some of the costs that Interns experience when they come to Washington, D.C. for a DNC internship.

Recent Updates

Sunday, October 14, 2012
Justin Long: “I’m voting for education”
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Actor Justin Long grew up in a middle-class Connecticut home, the son of two teachers who instilled in him a belief and a faith in education. But when he went off to college, student loan debt became overwhelming, and he had to drop out of school after two years. ''So I'm voting for the future. I'm voting for education. I'm voting on behalf of 100 percent of Americans.''

Actor Justin Long grew up in a middle-class Connecticut home, the son of two teachers who instilled in him a belief and a faith in education. But when he went off to college, student loan debt became overwhelming, and he had to drop out of school after two years. "I ended up lucky," he says, "because I became an actor. But that's a one in a billion shot that I took. We need strong education—we need someone who's concerned about the middle class."

"I'm proud of what President Obama has done on education," Long says. "I'm proud of him for doubling Pell Grants. I'm proud of student loan reform. I believe in that man. I don't believe in a man who, in order to make a $5 trillion tax cut, is going to gut education. So I'm voting for the future. I'm voting for education. I'm voting on behalf of 100 percent of Americans."

Gotta Vote
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Voter registration tailgate at Hampton University
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Ngozi is a freshman at Hampton University in Virginia. While most of her classmates will cast their first ballots in this year's election, Ngozi can't: She's just 17 years old. But her age isn't stopping her from making sure President Obama gets a second term.

Ngozi is a freshman at Hampton University in Virginia. While most of her classmates will cast their first ballots in this year's election, Ngozi can't: She's just 17 years old. But her age isn't stopping her from making sure President Obama gets a second term—she's been dorm-storming all semester, registering students to vote ahead of Monday's registration deadline. "It's so important to me that I want to help anyway," she says. "I canvassed in 2008, and this year, even though I can't vote, I want to help by doing all that I can—and that means registering people to vote." Today, she and fellow student Ambur are registering voters outside the football stadium as the Hampton Pirates take on Norfolk State.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
“He is the exact same guy”
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Before Hill Harper was an award-winning actor on CSI: New York, he was Barack Obama's classmate and basketball buddy at Harvard Law. Harper joined the Gotta Vote bus tour in Madison, Wisconsin, today, to fire up University of Wisconsin students and tell them about the man he knew 20 years ago.

Before Hill Harper was an award-winning actor on CSI: New York, he was Barack Obama's classmate and basketball buddy at Harvard Law. Harper joined the Gotta Vote bus tour in Madison, Wisconsin, today, to fire up University of Wisconsin students and tell them about the man he knew 20 years ago.
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Monday, October 8, 2012
Tracee Ellis Ross: No regrets on November 7
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Tracee Ellis Ross has been in movies and on TV for years—but hitting the campaign trail reminds her of how she felt when she first started auditioning for acting roles: nervous. Even though talking to voters about the election gives her jitters, Ross believes that it's so important to do whatever she can to help President Obama get re-elected. So today, she flew out to Ohio to energize college students and African American voters as ''one of millions of volunteers.''

Tracee Ellis Ross has been in movies and on TV for years—but hitting the campaign trail reminds her of how she felt when she first started auditioning for acting roles: nervous. Even though campaigning gives her jitters, Ross believes that it's so important to do whatever she can to help President Obama get re-elected. So today, she flew out to Ohio to energize college students and African American voters as "one of millions of volunteers."

There's too much at stake to sit on the sidelines, she says. "I care about my community. I care about human rights, civil rights, women's rights. And when it comes to women's rights, there's no question: President Obama was raised by a powerful women, married a powerful woman, and is raising two powerful women. He gets women's issues." She cites President Obama's support for equal pay, the first bill he signed into law as president. "Mitt Romney refused to support equal pay, and Paul Ryan actually voted against it."

She says one thing in this election is certain: President Obama's the only candidate with a plan to keep us moving forward. We've come too far on the road to recovery to turn back—and that hits closer to home than you might think.

"My best friend is a mother of three with three jobs," says Ross. "She and her husband are still struggling to make ends meet. One of her jobs does not pay a ton, but it has health care for her family. There are families like hers across the country and here in Ohio with similar stories. So I have to ask you—we have to ask ourselves: Who truly cares about creating opportunities for you? Barack Obama."

At stops at Ohio State and Wright State, campaign offices, and outside a Dayton beauty shop, Ross's message was the same: You gotta vote.

"Voting is one of the ways I know I'm alive—one of the ways I know that I matter. I remind myself that I am enough to make a difference. No matter where I come from or who I am, my voice makes a difference. I hear from people, 'Oh, Mitt Romney has no chance.' Well, if you think that, he might. We have got to do our part because it's going to be close. Do you want to wake up November 7 wondering, 'What if I had done a little more?' Let's make sure we wake up joyous , not regretful."

If you want no regrets on November 7, find out how to vote in your state and sign up to volunteer.
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Resources

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Recent Action

Student Loan Debt Repayment Reform

October 28, 2011

In an effort to help put America back to work, President Obama refined the repayment process of federal loans allowing students to lower their rates to 10% of their discretionary income. The proposal will allow 1.6 million students to cap their loan payments making college more affordable than ever.

Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

The majority of the Armed Forces is comprised of Young Americans volunteering to defend this nation and its ideals. However, a sect of the population was forced to hide their sexual orientation in order to do so. President Obama lead the charge to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell allowing gay and lesbian members of the Armed Forces to serve openly for the first time in American history.

Health Care Reform for Young Americans

The Affordable Care Act opened access to health care to millions of Americans. Young Americans in particular saw change in the elimination of preexisting conditions for minors and the ability to stay on a parent or guardian’s health insurance plan until the age of 26 allowing them to finish school or search for a job without worrying about their health care.

Milestones

2011

October 1