Paid Internships for Minorities

Paid internships are tough to find, but a few are out there.  Some organizations have programs especially to develop the leadership skills and career prospects for minority students. One is an internship by Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute for Hispanic undergraduates. It provides 12 weeks (8 for the summer session) serving an internship in Congress, a stipend, and possibly credit for school—depending on which school they attend.  The deadline for application for fall session is April 27^th.

The Asian Pacific American Institute also has a summer internship in Washington that covers eight weeks in either Congress or another government office, such as the White House or cabinet.  Entry is closed for this year, but see their website for next year’s information.

In the hard sciences, the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering has internships in engineering for African American, Latino, and American Indian engineering students.  They also have scholarships and pre-college programs to encourage minorities to enter the field of engineering.

The J. Paul Getty Foundation offers a Multicultural Undergraduate Internship for African-American, Hispanic, American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander students that allows them to work for ten weeks, forty hours a week, in the arts.  Students need not be art majors.

A lot of books on the topic, sadly, are several years old.  For more up to date information on internships,  go to your local library and try the scholarship series by Gail Ann Schlachter and R. David Weber on scholarships.  There are volumes for African-Americans, Hispanics, women, Asian-Americans, and members of the military and their families.   You can also look in the Foundation Grants to Individuals Online using the term “internships.”  Another newer book is How to Land a Top-Paying Federal Job: Your Complete Guide to Opportunities, Internships, Resumes and Cover Letters, Networking, Interviews, Salaries, Promotions, and More! by Lily Madeleine Whiteman.