The Initiative on Faith & Public Life’s Summer Associates Program is a fully-funded summer internship program in Washington, DC for up to ten undergraduates who attend Christian colleges and have been accepted to the 2022 AEI Summer Honors Program (SHP). In addition to their participation in a week-long SHP course, students will remain in DC for a summer-long internship at AEI or a partner organization; participate in bi-weekly roundtable discussions about readings on Christian work, calling, and engagement in the public square; and attend three field studies in the DC area. Our goal is to make a summer internship experience in Washington financially feasible for students, while immersing them in intentional Christian community and giving them the chance to consider what it looks like to work and engage faithfully in contemporary public life.
Location
Washington, DC
Dates
June 2 – August 6, 2022
Funding
$2,500 living stipend + housing + reimbursement for travel to DC
The application for the 2022 Summer Associates Program has closed.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Program Components
Summer Honors Program: All students will participate in a one-week course through the 2022 AEI Summer Honors Program.
Internship: A core component of the program is a summer-long, DC-based internship. Students must apply separately for an internship (even those at AEI) and are responsible for securing their own internship at least three weeks before the program begins. The Faith & Public Life team will assist students throughout the application process, especially for internship positions at AEI or partner organizations.
Christian community: A unique feature of this program is its focus on intentional Christian community. We think this is especially valuable in cities like DC, where the stresses of work, achievement, and isolation are all too common. To cultivate this community, students will be housed together and have frequent group gatherings, as well as several excursions to notable locations in the DC area.
Roundtable discussions: Students will meet on seven occasions over the course of the summer to share meals and discuss readings with the Faith & Public Life team. Selected readings span literature, political philosophy, theology, and poetry, and topics that will be covered include: Christian work and calling, achievement and failure, and Christian participation in politics and secular society.
Mentorship: Each student will have the opportunity to network with 2-3 mid-career professionals over the course of the summer. Mentors are hand-picked professionals in our network, working in a wide range of sectors in Washington, DC.
Questions?
Contact the Initiative on Faith & Public Life team at [email protected].
2021 Summer Associates Program Cohort
From left to right, including their summer internship placement
Jason Meyer, Wheaton College, 2022
American Enterprise Institute – Public Economics Research
Abijah Crawford, Biola University, 2022
Institute on Religion and Democracy
Jacob Lange, Concordia University – Irvine, 2021
American Enterprise Institute – Initiative on Faith & Public Life
Natalie Nichols, Wheaton College, 2023
Center for Public Justice
Sydney Rennich, Samford University, 2022
American Enterprise Institute – Workforce Development
Meredith Teel, George Fox University, 2021
The Trinity Forum
Sam Rule, Patrick Henry College, 2022
Little Lights Ministry
Anna Claire Noblitt, Samford University, 2022
The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission
Eligibility
- Applicants must be a rising junior, senior, or recent graduate.
- Applicants must also submit a separate application for the AEI Summer Honors Program before the early decision deadline on December 21, 2021. Exception: If an applicant has already participated in an in-person Summer Honors Program course, he or she is still eligible to apply and need only submit the Summer Associates Program application located on this page by December 21, 2021.
- International students are eligible.
Application Instructions
- The Summer Honors Program application requires a cover letter, resume, unofficial transcript, three short answer responses, and one letter of recommendation. The application can be found at this link.
- In addition to the Summer Honors Program application, students must submit two 500-1,000 word essays: 1) The first essay must describe why you would like to participate in the Summer Associates Program, including: why you would like to spend the summer working in Washington, DC; how this program fits into your future plans; and why the financial support that this program provides would be particularly beneficial to you. 2) The second essay must describe your views on the role of Christians in contemporary politics and society. Why should Christians be actively involved in public life and what does faithful engagement entail?
