Young Fil-Ams invited to join IMPACT! Internship Program

Young Fil-Ams are highly encouraged to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve and lead. Courtesy of US-Asia Institute

LOS ANGELES – Young Filipino Americans are invited to join the IMPACT! Filipino American Internship Program for Summer 2024.

The IMPACT! Program is a nine-week professional development program created by the US-Asia Institute (USAI) in coordination with the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC and the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO).

The program provides young Filipino American adults a first-hand look at the US government in Washington DC, engage with government and political leaders and reflect on the role they, as future leaders, might play in strengthening Philippines-US relations.

According to the US-Asia Institute website, IMPACT! introduces young adults to their roles and responsibilities as they become engaged in their community and beyond.

The program provides them with the skills and knowledge to participate and transform into leaders in the democratic and electoral processes, as well as in civil society.

It includes a series of hands-on and interactive workshops, networking opportunities, placement in professional development/internship positions in Washington, DC, one-on-one mentorship and the completion of a civic engagement project.

The program provides young people with the opportunity to intern/shadow on a national level in various offices of elected officials, public agencies or in organizations involved in the political/government/policy influencing arena.

This opportunity helps develop a stronger understanding of how government and the political system work by experiencing it from an insider’s perspective.

Fil-Am participation in the civic arena

Additionally, the program prepares young leaders for participation in the civic arena, developing skills for those interested in public service and/or in becoming citizens involved in their communities.

Not only is this an invaluable professional experience, but it also benefits the Filipino American community by increasing the interest of Fil-Ams in American politics and civic engagement in the future.

The program also highlights professional development at its core. Each IMPACT! participant is matched with a mentor based on professional and career goals, offering individualized support and guidance to our program participants in helping them navigate their professional careers and expand their networks. The IMPACT! Program also features a variety of group and individual networking opportunities and professional development workshops.

In the United States, participation in the political process and being civically engaged are crucial to ensuring that a community’s needs and concerns are heard and addressed. The IMPACT! program is one way to achieve this objective by finding a more effective way to support the Fil-Am community’s new generation to represent their own community politically and civically.

The 2024 IMPACT! Program will run from June 3–Aug. 2, 2024.

The internship program is open to US citizens of Filipino descent and dual US/Philippine citizens, aged 18 to 25 years old, who are enrolled as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student with a good academic standing or have recently completed an undergraduate degree.

Selected participants will receive the “Filipino American Youth Political Leadership Award” in the form of a $2,000-stipend. They will be responsible for all expenses, including travel, housing (inexpensive housing options are available at the suggestion of the USAI), food and other expenses. After acceptance into the program, participants must also show proof of health insurance and sign a liability waiver.

Young Fil-Ams are highly encouraged to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve and lead. Interested candidates may apply here until Jan. 31, 2024, 9 p.m. Pacific Time (10 p.m. Mountain Time, 8 p.m. Alaska Time).

Those interested can also visit https://www.usasiainstitute.org/impactprogram for additional information, to learn about requirements and to sign up for email updates about the program.