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The Path Program identifies reliable internship opportunities across Washington, D.C., and provides recommendations to students pursuing careers in public service, political science, and law. The program was created in response to two realities: the enduring courage it takes to serve, and the growing challenges students face in today’s job market.
Washington, D.C.—the nation’s capital and home to some of the country’s most prestigious universities—attracts students passionate about public service. Yet many arrive hoping to gain meaningful internship experience, only to find the process more difficult than expected. While elite schools offer access to D.C., students—especially those with limited or no insider connections—struggle to navigate the competitive and often unstructured internship landscape. Too often, students assume their university will place them in a role, only to discover that success in D.C. requires independent effort, strategy, and local knowledge (Washington Post, 2023). This issue is not limited to D.C.—it reflects a broader national problem. According to a 2023 Gallup report, only four in ten college students complete internships before graduation. Within D.C., this gap is intensified by cost-of-living pressures, an over-saturation of applicants, and the continued prevalence of unpaid roles (NACE, 2023).Despite these challenges, D.C. remains one of the most opportunity-rich cities in the country. It is home to hundreds of legitimate internship placements across public, private, nonprofit, and international institutions. But many students unfamiliar with the city’s complex professional landscape find themselves overwhelmed and disconnected from those opportunities. CivicVisitors LLC launched The Path Program to bridge this gap—by guiding students to verified, high-quality internship listings and encouraging institutions to play a more active role in expanding undergraduate access to professional experiences.At CivicVisitors, we believe D.C.—as the nation’s capital and a city that hosts some of the best universities in the country—should serve as a national model for mobilizing internship access for undergraduate students. Through The Path Program, we are proud to take the lead in initiating that call to action—by supporting students and encouraging universities, authorities, and institutions to take proactive steps to expand meaningful internship opportunities. Explore the Path program fact sheet below to see the research findings that inspired this initiative. |
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Explore trusted D.C. internships curated for public service related fields.
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Partner with us to strengthen student access
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Join us expand student pathways—D.C. schools can support The Path activity here.
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