Host an OCA Summer Intern

The official Summer Internship dates are June 1, 2026 to August 7, 2026.

We intend for all of our interns to adhere to the official program dates (June 1 to August 7), however, there may be some flexibility and we may allow interns to start and/or end their program earlier or later if their school schedule demands it. We will determine this on a case-by-case basis.

From our experience, the best intern experience involves project(s) the intern can start and finish within the timeframe of their internship (something they can “own”). Projects that are important to fulfilling the mission of the organization are good examples. Past interns have stated these types of projects, ones they feel will impact the organization long-term, are the most rewarding. They don’t like just doing “busy work.”

In addition, we recommend doing the following:

• Provide a temporary work email for the intern

• Contact the intern once they’ve been placed with you, and before their first day of work, to onboard them, go over work hours, attire, expectations, etc.

• Create a work plan and/or work with your intern upon their arrival to set responsibilities, projects, expectations, as well as learn what the intern’s personal goals are to see if you can help them reach these goals.

• Have weekly check-ins between the intern and supervisor

• Have clear communication and instructions from the supervisor to the intern

No, there is no cost for our placement partners. OCA provides a $5,250 stipend to each intern for the 10-week program. However, if your office chooses to pay the intern themselves, we will remove the OCA stipend from that intern. If your office chooses to pay the intern it must be at least $5,250 for the 10-week program.

Our selection committee undergoes two rounds of evaluations: the first round involves evaluating the application materials (transcript, resume, essays, short answers), and the second round involves interviews. The selection committee selects the most qualified interns that have room for growth and the interest, passion, and skills that align with our placement partners’ needs and OCA’s needs.

This internship is based in Washington, D.C. All OCA interns will be required to relocate to Washington, D.C. for the duration of the program. All internship placement sites are expected, but not required, to be within the Greater D.C. area in which interns can reasonably commute to and from work.

No. While all OCA interns will be relocating to Washington, D.C., placement sites do not need to be in D.C. If your office is located in a different state, the intern will have to work remotely from D.C.

If your office is not working in the office you may allow your intern to work from home. However, the intern will still be relocating to Washington, D.C. as required of the program in order to attend mandatory OCA programming. In addition, we want our interns to have the best professional work experience, which includes having meaningful relationships with their office team members. If your office is completely remote working, we encourage you to take steps to ensure a great working environment for the intern where they can grow both professionally and personally.

Yes, but it must not conflict with the aforementioned required OCA programming.

Unfortunately, no, we cannot guarantee your office an intern. We usually have more placement options than we do interns. We try our best to match interns with the placement that best matches their interests.

The types of students who usually apply to our internship program are interested in policy, advocacy, social justice, and/or Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) issues. If your office is able to provide an intern work in any or all of these areas, that would increase the likelihood of an intern being interested in your office. Interns also usually prefer placement sites where they can work with or get to know fellow staff members rather than working alone/independently. Based on past experiences, prospective placement hosts that don’t offer interviews are usually ranked lower, so it’s highly encouraged for your office to interview the potential interns.

In addition, we recommend you review the application form ahead of time so you know what to prepare for by the time you apply. Interns tend to rank offices higher if the job description and responsibilities for interns is more detailed or clear in their applications.

We expect to make final placement decisions no later than the end of March. If your office needs a decision earlier than this, we will try our best to accommodate.