10.23.2023 2024 OCA Summer Internship Program: Applications Now Live
We are now accepting applications for our 2024 summer internship program, which will be hosted in Washington, D.C. from June 3 to August 9, 2024. Undergraduate students (and recent grads) who identify as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander (AANHPI) are encouraged to apply.
For 35 years, OCA National Center has hosted the oldest and largest program for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander college students in the nation's capital.
Celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2024, the internship program seeks to cultivate future leadership for the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) community by providing opportunities to work in the public sector and learn about issues affecting AANHPIs. Based in the nation's capital, interns will learn to build relationships, meet with legislative officials, and engage in leadership development workshops.
The program has successfully led past interns to become more active on their college campus and increased the presence of the AANHPI community in local, state, and federal governments. OCA intern alumni have become executive directors, legislative staffers, OCA National Executive Council members, and are leaders in the private and public sector.
Selected applicants relocate to Washington, D.C. for the duration of their internship, where they are placed with nonprofits, federal agencies, and other organizations for a full-time internship. Each Friday, interns gather at the OCA National office to discuss issues and engage in workshops dedicated to AANHPI issues. We call these convenings "Sama Sama" which is Tagalog for "together." Interns also must attend and staff OCA's National Convention, an APIA-U: Leadership training, and participate in Advocacy Day, in which they'll be split into groups to meet with their respective members of Congress to advocate for causes important to the AANHPI community. In addition to these events, OCA interns are provided opportunities to build their professional, personal, and advocacy skills to create compassionate leaders in the AANHPI community.
The Priority Deadline to apply is Sunday, November 19, 2023 at 11:59 PM PT.
The Final Deadline to apply is Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at 11:59 PM PT.
By making a tax-deductible gift this holiday season, you can help us meet our $500,000 goal and ensure that there is a pipeline of AANHPI leaders for generations to come. A generous individual will match every dollar up to $50,000, so your contribution will have twice the impact.
Give $20 to Our Internship Program Today!
In Their Own words
Kirit Minhas, 2023 Intern: "This internship program was the spark I needed to understand the value of my Asian American identity, and the breadth of life experiences contained within the umbrella of that oversimplifying term. Via the support of OCA, I was able to understand the deeper impact of the work I was doing at my placement site, while also receiving many opportunities for vital professional development with other AANHPI leaders in the policy and advocacy community in our nation's capital."
Alexander Shinkawa, 2020 Intern: "This internship was all about meeting incredible people. Even though we worked remotely I still felt a closeness and friendship with the OCA staff and my fellow interns. I learned so much about activism and it was inspiring to meet so many other people who were passionate about seeking change in the world."
Ashley Rajavadee, 2019 Intern: "My OCA internship experience was unforgettable. I was able to discover career opportunities and learn so much about Asian American issues and nonprofit organizations, while also forming genuine friendships with the best cohort ever. OCA gave me the resources and confidence to be my best self."
