About the Future Leaders University Partner Model
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 has placed highly skilled talent from across the country into government internships. The program offers students the opportunity to work in a government agency, gain substantive experience and go through the Partnership’s professional development programming. As of Fall 2025, the program has placed over 650 interns into government internships.
In 2025, we launched the University Partnership Model to continue to operate the program. Through our university partnerships, students who apply from partner schools will be considered for public service internships across the following program tracks:
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.
Future Leaders University Partners – Summer 2026
- Atlanta University Center Consortium – Center for Excellence in Public/Government Service
- Binghamton University
- Denison University
- Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College
- The Pennsylvania State University
- Rutgers University
- St. Olaf College
- University of Chicago
- University of Cincinnati
- University of Pennsylvania – Fels Institute of Government
- University of Richmond
- Wellesley College
How does the Future Leaders in Public Service University Partner model work?
The Partnership for Public Service works with university partners to place student interns for a semester at no cost to the employing agency. The Partnership administers the following aspects of the internship program:
- Recruitment
- Application management
- Internship placement
- Onboarding support
- Program orientation
- Student support
- Professional development and networking events
The University Partner’s role includes marketing the opportunity to their students to recruit applicants and providing the internship stipends for their students. University partners must commit to the following:
- Share the Partnership’s mission in providing meaningful career opportunities in public service to their students to recruit the next generation of future leaders.
- Willingness to promote public interest technology and AI roles to their students, no matter their major.
- Provide stipends or total compensation of at least $5,000 for a minimum of 10 participating students.
- Total compensation may include a combination of stipends, housing, and other benefits.
We welcome collaboration with specific programs on campus that may already provide students with funding and/or additional infrastructure for internships.
We will start seeking university partners for Summer 2027 internships in late spring/summer 2026.