Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program – U.S. Department of Agriculture, Tribal Agriculture and Food
The Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program offers students at all levels of higher education opportunities to work in government.
The Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program – U.S. Department of Agriculture, Tribal Agriculture and Food is a distinct paid opportunity for undergraduate, graduate, and law students to gain specialized career experience in the Office of Tribal Relations and with Department of Agriculture mission areas.
During the summer of 2025, interns will work on programs that benefit Indian Country and relate to USDA tribal agriculture and food policy programs.
Summer 2025 application deadline: November 22, 2024 by 11:59 pm EST
Opportunity Overview
The Future Leaders – USDA Tribal Agriculture and Food Program pairs selected interns with USDA staff whose internship areas focus on a range of topics. Placements for summer 2025 will be added in coming months, but confirmed internship focus areas include:
- Food and nutrition.
- Forest Service.
- Indigenous Food Sovereignty.
- Tribal Community and Economic Development.
What happens after candidates submit their application to the Future Leaders – USDA Tribal Agriculture & Food Program?
After the application closes, the Partnership will review all candidates. If candidates move to the next round, they will receive a communication from the Partnership confirming their interest for summer 2025. At that time, candidates’ applications will go to the USDA Office of Tribal Relations for review.
Summer 2025 timeline
- September 3, 2024: Applications for the Summer 2025 cohort open.
- November 22, 2024: Application closes.
- January 31, 2025: Applicants are notified of eligibility status. Eligible applicants will receive instructions on next steps.
- February 14 – mid-April, 2025: Virtual interviews conducted.
- February – May 2025: Background check process begins.
- May 15, 2025: Virtual Orientation.
- June 9, 2025: Internship Begins.
- August 15-29, 2025: End of internship.
- Internship end date is dependent on each student’s schedule and agreed upon with their supervisor.
Program Benefits
Selected participants for the Future Leaders – USDA Tribal Agriculture and Food Program will receive:
- A 10-12-week summer internship at USDA focused on tribal agriculture and food.
- A stipend of $7,500 for full-time positions (40 hours/week), and up to $4,500 for housing and travel expenses.
- Professional development sessions, including orientation and networking events throughout the summer.
Program Eligibility
To apply to the program, candidates must be:
- U.S. citizens at the time of application submission.
- Currently enrolled at an accredited educational institution in an undergraduate or graduate program for the entire 2024-2025 academic year. Undergraduates must be rising second-year students/sophomores and above.
- Students with an expected graduation of May/June 2025 are also eligible to apply.
- Students with a graduation date of December 2024 are not eligible for the Summer 2025 program.
- Able to demonstrate superior academic achievement and have a GPA above 2.5.
- Able to demonstrate an interest and a willingness to work in areas related to tribal agriculture and food.
Accepted students must complete a background check before beginning the internship in June 2025.
Learn More
Read more from a Summer 2024 intern, Celeste Lucero, a USDA Tribal Policy Intern working with USDA Rural Development’s Tribal Relations.
Check out photos from Summer 2024 below!
Photos provided by the Office of Tribal Relations, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
FAQs
U.S. citizens currently enrolled at an accredited educational institution in an undergraduate (current second-year year students/sophomores and above) or graduate program with a GPA over 2.5 are eligible to apply.
Students must also be interested in tribal agriculture, natural resources and food systems (see the internship focus areas above).
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 November 22, 2024 by 11:59 pm EST.
Interns receive a stipend of $7,500 for full-time positions (40 hours/week), and up to $4,500 for housing and travel expenses.
In-person internship opportunities in the Washington, D.C., area and fully virtual internships are available. Interns can be fully remote within the U.S. for the duration of their internship. However, internships cannot be completed abroad.
Students will be placed in internships focused on tribal agriculture and food policy. Placements for summer 2025 will be added in coming months, but confirmed internship focus areas in the Office of Tribal Relations include:
- Food and nutrition.
- Forest Service.
- Indigenous Food Sovereignty.
- Tribal Community and Economic Development.
Applicants can review the sample placements and state a preference for specific internships in the essay portion of their application. Applicants may also express policy interests, which will be taken into account when matched with placements in the Office of Tribal Relations or other USDA agencies. Applicants will learn which placement(s) they are being considered for when the USDA conducts virtual interviews.