Intern, Congressional Program

ABOUT US

Aspen Institute

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Since its founding in 1949, the Institute has been driving change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most critical challenges facing communities in the United States and around the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

To achieve our mission of a more free, just, and equitable society, we commit to working proactively to advance the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion across our myriad endeavors such as the recruitment, compensation, training, and advancement of staff. The best people-serving institutions make this commitment, and we seek to be a leader in the ways that we do so and learn from others. Visit our website to learn more about our commitment and recent actions taken toward building and nurturing a diverse and inclusive environment.

Congressional Program

The Aspen Institute Congressional Program is a nonpartisan neutral convener of world-renowned scholars and leaders and Republican and Democratic Members of Congress to focus on the pressing foreign policy issues of our time. Through our educational programs, bipartisan, bicameral groups of Members of Congress work with policy experts to discuss, civilly debate, and develop policy solutions in private, off-the-record sessions conducted in the United States Capitol and all over the world.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

The Congressional Program Intern is part of a five-person small, but mighty, team working together to provide programming highly valued by Members of Congress and congressional staff members who attend our events. The Intern will be responsible for crafting policy briefing books for our international conferences and will assist with other policy writing as needed, will collaborate closely with other team members to develop our domestic and international events for Members of Congress and congressional staff, and complete other tasks as needed. The Intern will get the opportunity to attend our regular breakfast series with Members of Congress and staff lunch series with senior congressional staff. The Intern will also get the opportunity to travel with the team to international destinations during our conferences should it work for their schedule.

This position reports directly to the Senior Manager of Congressional Engagement. The expectation is to work 15-30 hours a week, at an hourly range of $20 - $21/hr, for 6 months (with the potential to extend depending on budget and manager approval).The expectancy is for this role to work hybrid out of the Washington, D.C. office, dependent on the Intern's schedule. 
 

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

The Aspen Institute Congressional Program Intern will develop invaluable skills in verbal communication and writing, particularly with and for a bipartisan audience of members of Congress. The Intern will also learn congressional research skills (legislation tracking, creating targeted invite lists dependent on policy interest, and more), events planning and execution skills, and teamwork within an integrated program. The Intern will also be given the opportunity to apply skills gained in the classroom by writing policy memos for our team and outside audiences and will learn more about our organization’s programs, operating procedures, and concepts. The Intern will be given the unique opportunity to network and connect with Members of Congress, their congr