Call for OCA Summer Internship Program 2026 is open now!!!
For over 35 years, OCA National Center has hosted one of the longest-running internship programs in the nation’s capital for college students interested in uplifting the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community. Based in the nation’s capital, interns will learn to build relationships, meet with legislative officials, and engage in leadership development workshops.
Get the Youth Opportunities iOS App here for the fully-funded opportunities.
Interns must attend a mandatory in-person orientation on June 1, 2026, and commit to working up to 35 hours per week for ten weeks at their assigned placement site. Selected applicants relocate to Washington, D.C. for the duration of their internship, where they are placed to work full-time at nonprofits, federal agencies, congressional offices, for-profit corporations, and other organizations. Each Friday, interns gather at the OCA National office to discuss issues and engage in workshops dedicated to AANHPI issues. They 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. Failure to fulfill program requirements may result in removal from the program or a reduction of the stipend.
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1. Youth Opportunities: https://m.me/j/AbZTmgEzD1UchDte/
2. Fully Funded Conferences: https://m.me/j/AbZTfhFTiPCnXf2D/
3. Full Scholarships: https://m.me/j/AbbrjbkOMM6I68Cs/
4. Paid Internships/Jobs: https://m.me/j/AbaAskb6jFFnRser/
5. Circle: https://m.me/j/AbY0vVKSPJULUnE4/
Since 1989, nearly 600 students have participated in their paid, Washington, D.C.-based summer internships — which are designed to promote stronger participation in public service. The OCA Internship Program is generously sponsored by the William H.P. & Sinforosa Tan Kaung Internship Endowment Fund, The Robert S. Chao AAPI Advocacy Memorial Endowment, Cindy Tong Memorial Internship Fund, Stan Lou, and individual donors.
Location:
United StatesBenefits
- $5,250 stipend for the ten-week internship program (pre-tax)
- The stipend is pre-tax, meaning interns will be required to file taxes on this income the next tax filing season.
- On rare occasions, a placement site may choose to pay the OCA intern themselves, instead of relying on OCA’s stipend. In such cases, the placement site must at minimum match the amount of OCA’s stipend.
- Interns who do no complete ten (10) full weeks of the internship program will have their stipend reduced.
- Professional work experience
- Networking and leadership development
- Access to OCA alumni network
- One (1) year free OCA membership upon completion of the internship
Eligibilities
- Applicants must be full-time undergraduate students currently enrolled in an accredited educational institution. Recent graduates who have graduated within one year of the internship are also eligible.
- Applicants must be at least an incoming second-year college student by the start of the internship (i.e. must have completed their first year of college).
- Applicants must be interested in AANHPI issues.
- Applicants do not need to be a U.S. citizen. DACA students or undocumented students must have a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to be eligible for this internship. Non-U.S. citizens must be eligible to work by the first day of this internship program in order to be eligible. Some of their placements may require their assigned intern to be a citizen, so certain placement sites may be unavailable to non-citizens.
- Applicants must not be a former OCA National Summer Intern (OCA Chapter Interns can still apply).
- Applicants must not be a child or dependent of:
- an OCA National staff member,
- an OCA Executive Council member,
- or an OCA Business Advisory Council member.
Application Process
Apply online through Apply Now link
Application Requirements
- Professional Headshot
- Short Bio (in PDF format, 300 words max)
- Resume (in PDF format, 2 pages max)
- College Academic Transcript, Experiences (in PDF format)
- One (1) Short Answer Response (in PDF format, 300 words max)
- Two (2) Essay Responses (in PDF format, 500 words max each)
- Two (2) References (They are NOT asking for letters of recommendations)
Application Deadline: January 6, 2026 (2 Days Remaining)
Apply nowOfficial link
