Program Overview

Washington Leadership Program

The Washington Leadership Program (WLP) offers students a unique opportunity to live, work, and learn in Washington, D.C. for a semester. As part of the program, students intern full-time in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors, completing substantive assignments that provide valuable hands-on experience.

Program Details

• Students typically participate in WLP in the fall or spring semester of their junior or senior year.
• Admission is open to all IU Bloomington and IU Indianapolis students.
• While students are responsible for researching and securing their internships, the O'Neill Career Hub supports them throughout the process, offering guidance on applications, navigating security clearances, and providing career advice.
• In addition to professional growth, students earn academic credit and build their professional network by engaging with O'Neill alumni working in and around the nation's capital.

Program Benefits

• WLP participants serve as IU ambassadors in the nation's capital and represent the O'Neill School as a future generation of leaders.
• The program provides students with a unique perspective on what it's like to be a civil servant living in the nation's capital and offers hands-on experiences working within the federal government.

Testimonial

"WLP defined what I want to do in my career. It allowed me to get a perspective of what it's like to be a civil servant living in our nation's capital, and it allowed me to get hands on experiences working within the federal government at the U.S. Department of State. My experience was so formative that I decided to stay for the summer." -- Sophia Osterberg, BSPA'23, Energy, Sustainability, and Infrastructure Consultant, Guidehouse, Washington, D.C.