Our nation’s current and future challenges make it imperative that government identify, recruit and retain the next generation of public servants.
The Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program is an exciting, paid opportunity for students of all majors to gain professional experience in federal and state government. Since 2022, the program places highly skilled talent from across the country into government and offers students the opportunity to apply their educational training to work in a government agency.
Explore the available opportunities for Spring 2027 below.
Spring 2027 Application Now Open
Applications are now open for the Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Spring 2027 cohort.
Application Deadline: Friday, September 18, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET
Future Leaders University Partnerships and Spring 2027 Program Tracks
In Spring 2027, the Partnership for Public Service has established official partnerships for the Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program with the following universities and programs. Only students enrolled in these partner programs are eligible to apply:
Applicants must apply to both the Future Leaders program and The CALL Spring 2027 DC Semester to be considered through this partnership. Only students admitted to The CALL Spring 2027 DC Semester are eligible for Future Leaders placements.
The application deadline for The CALL’s Spring 2027 DC Semester is September 11, followed by the Future Leaders application deadline on September 18.
Selected students will receive a stipend of $3,500 for part-time positions (20 hours/week).
For questions about The CALL DC Semester program, please contact: thecall@georgetown.edu.
Applicants must apply to both the Future Leaders program and the Spring 2027 Wisconsin in Washington DC Internship Program to be considered through this partnership. Only students admitted to the Spring 2027 Wisconsin in Washington DC Internship Program are eligible for Future Leaders placements.
The application deadline for the Spring 2027 Wisconsin in Washington Program is September 11, followed by the Future Leaders application deadline on September 18.
Selected students will receive a stipend of $5,000 for full-time positions (32-40/hours per week).
For questions about the Wisconsin in Washington Program, please contact: wiwprogram@intl.wisc.edu.
University partners will provide funding directly to students placed with the Future Leaders program in Spring 2027.
Through these partnerships, students who attend these universities will be considered for government internships within the three program tracks listed below. Students from all majors are welcome to apply for these opportunities.
Data Science
Interested in using your data science skills for the public good? Agencies across the federal government need data scientists, and several previous Future Leaders internships focused on data science. This track is open to candidates from technical backgrounds, including: computer science; engineering; statistics; mathematics; economics; data analytics; data science; information technology; business, finance; biostatistics; data analytics in artificial intelligence or machine learning; and physics.
Public Administration
May include positions in finance, human resources, management/administration, or similar fields.
Public Interest Technology & AI
Public Interest Technology & AI positions may include a focus on operations technology-focused policy, federal AI policy, design, writing/editing, program management, data analysis, entrepreneurship and stakeholder management. This track is open to candidates from both technical and social science backgrounds, but candidates must be interested in technology innovation and harnessing the full potential of technology and AI for public good.
Agency Partners
This list will be continually updated as the Future Leaders team confirms agency participation. You are encouraged to apply to this program as agencies are added. There are opportunities in all fields available to students of all academic backgrounds for placements with federal and state agency partners.
Past Agency Partners (2022-2026)
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Commerce
- Department of Defense
- Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Department of Transportation
- General Services Administration
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- National Science Foundation
- Small Business Administration
- State of California
- State of Maine
- State of Maryland
- United States Geological Survey
What happens after candidates submit their application?
After the Future Leaders application closes, the Partnership will review all candidates. If candidates move to the next round, eligible candidates will receive communication from the Partnership, along with a list of participating agencies and their anticipated portfolios/placements. This information will help candidates prepare for potential agency interviews. Note that not all program tracks will be offered by multiple federal and state agencies — some tracks may only be available through a single agency.
Spring 2027 Timeline
- July 13, 2026: Application opens
- September 18, 2026: Application closes
- Week of October 19: Applicants are notified of eligibility status. Eligible applicants will receive instructions on next steps.
- October 19 – November 27: Virtual interviews conducted
- November 30, 2026: All offers extended
- November – December 2026: Background check process begins
- Early January 2027: Virtual Intern and Supervisor Orientations
- Week of January 25, 2027: Internship Begins
- Week of April 12, 2027: Internship Ends
- Internship end date is dependent on each student’s schedule and agreed upon with their supervisor.
Program Benefits
Selected participants will receive:
- A 12-week spring internship at a federal or state government agency.
- A stipend provided by the intern’s university (details in the UP section above)
- Professional development sessions, including orientation and networking events throughout the spring.
Program Eligibility
To apply to the program, candidates must be:
- U.S. citizens at the time of application submission.
- Enrolled at a Spring 2027 university partner institution for the Spring 2027 semester. Please review the specific eligibility requirements outlined above for each university partner. Students graduating in December 2026 are not eligible to apply; students with an expected graduation date of May 2027 are eligible.
- Able to demonstrate superior academic achievement and have a GPA above 2.5.
- Interested in at least one of the following career tracks. These focus areas are open to students of all majors and do not require students to be pursuing careers exclusively in tech.
- Data Science
- Public Administration
- Public Interest Technology & AI
IMPORTANT: Please check the specific conditions outlined above for university partner eligibility requirements.
FAQs - Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program
Applicants must be U.S. citizens at the time of application submission and enrolled at a Spring 2027 university partner institution for the Spring 2027 semester. Applicants must meet their university’s specific eligibility requirements, as outlined above. Students graduating in December 2026 are not eligible to apply; students with an expected graduation date of May 2027 are eligible. Applicants must also demonstrate strong academic achievement and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.
Unfortunately, any students who attend a non-university partner school are not able to apply for the Future Leaders program.
Optional reference letters may be uploaded directly through the application portal or emailed to internships@ourpublicservice.org with the applicant’s name referenced in the subject line.
All reference letters must be emailed by September 18, 2026, by 11:59 pm EST.
Spring stipends for students in Georgetown University’s The CALL are $3,500 for part-time placements (20 hours per week). Spring stipends for students in the Wisconsin in Washington, DC Internship Program are $5,000 for full-time placements (32-40 hours per week).
For Spring 2027, in-person internship opportunities are located in the Washington, DC metro area, including surrounding counties in Maryland and Virginia.
Fully remote internship options for Future Leaders may be limited as more government internship opportunities are now offered in-person or hybrid only. Government agencies will ultimately decide if an internship opportunity can be offered on a fully remote basis.
Participating agencies for the Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program vary by term and will be shared with eligible Spring 2027 candidates in mid-October, ahead of the start of interviews.
No, unfortunately, candidates cannot choose their agencies. Students apply to the Future Leaders program generally with an interest in federal or state government, rather than to a specific agency. Participating agencies will be confirmed by mid-October 2026.
The Partnership for Public Service does not provide housing for the Future Leaders program.
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