The Vandenberg Coalition seeks two summer interns to contribute to the organization’s policy and legislative efforts for the 10-week period from Monday, June 3, until Friday, August 2. Interns will receive a stipend of $3,000 for completing the program.  

The application deadline is Thursday, March 7, at 5PM EST. Essay responses, writing samples, and resume/references can be uploaded HERE.

Please reach out to TVC’s Director of Strategic Partnerships Sydney Novak at sydney@vandenbergcoalition.org with questions.  

Eligibility: 

Applicants must be current undergraduate students and/or just-graduated students (i.e., internship can take place the summer after their graduation); 

Applicants must have an expressed interest in foreign policy, but need not be specifically working toward a political science, public policy, or international relations degree; 

Applicants must hold shared values with the Vandenberg Coalition as articulated on our website; 

Applicants must maintain an average GPA of 3.0 and above; 

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and willing and able to work in DC for the summer; 

Applicants must complete the internship application and submit at least one reference.

Responsibilities: 

Interns at Vandenberg will have the opportunity to further develop their understanding of national security, the legislative process, campaigning, logistics and event planning, memo-writing, and of course, develop a comprehensive network in the foreign policy community. Their direct engagement in timely research may ultimately lead to publication and help identify opportunities for Vandenberg to amplify the critical work being done by other members of the DC foreign policy community. Day-to-day responsibilities will include but are not limited to the following: 

Policy Intern 

Long-term Research Projects: Interns will primarily work with leadership on summer-long projects that align with TVC’s policy goals, the team’s needs, and each intern’s personal interests. These projects will result in deliverables that can be used as professional writing samples in the future.

Beyond the Water’s Edge: Interns will assist the Research Associate in identifying articles and preparing Vandenberg’s weekly newsletter, Beyond the Water’s Edge. 

Research Assistance: Interns will be the first go-to for background research required for products we are producing for any audience, including one-pagers, letters, and other statements. 

Twitter Support: The internship will also have a communications component and interns will be tasked with coming up with tweets for the TVC team to review. 

Logistical Support: Interns may be asked to assist with planning and managing logistics for in-person and virtual events and briefings throughout the course of the summer. 

Legislative Intern 

Long-term Research Projects: In addition to their day-to-day projects, interns will work with senior leadership on summer-long projects that align with TVC’s policy goals, the team’s needs, and the intern’s personal interests. These projects will result in deliverables that can be used as professional writing samples in the future.

This Week on the Hill: Interns will assist the Government Affairs Manager by helping to draft a weekly newsletter on foreign policy developments on Capitol Hill. This would be a crash course in how the Hill works and memo writing.

Covering Hearings and Summarizing Legislation: Interns may be asked to cover major congressional hearings on foreign policy and national security and to draft legislative updates for Vandenberg’s Advisory Board members. Interns may also be asked to track legislation and draft bill summaries.  

Twitter Support: The internship will also have a communications component and interns will be tasked with coming up with tweets for the TVC team to review. 

Logistical Support:  Interns may be asked to assist with planning and managing logistics for in-person and virtual events and briefings throughout the course of the summer. 

General Structure:  

The interns will receive the following in addition to the stipend: 

Access to DC foreign policy think tank events and programming; 

Regular individual and small group meetings with major national security experts in our network;

Career guidance from Vandenberg senior staff via regular check-ins; 

Team building excursions in the DC-area with the Vandenberg team and select AB members; 

Briefings on national security topics to cover our major foreign policy principles.

What Is the Vandenberg Coalition? 

Founded in 2021, the Vandenberg Coalition (TVC) is a 501(c)(3), non-partisan network of foreign policy leaders, both experts and practitioners, that prepares current and future national security leaders with the context, network, and vision that harnesses principled American leadership to overcome the most significant national security challenges of our time. The network includes over 100 national security experts and former government officials who are collectively involved in the following:  

Hosting foreign policy and national security briefings for state and congressional leaders as well as candidates for federal office. 

Developing an “Experts Network” that can be offered to other institutions, the press, or candidates and Members of Congress to build out their expertise. 

Developing a network of young foreign policy experts who can staff incoming Congressional and Presidential offices/administrations. 

Organizing educational events with aligned organizations, think tanks, and scholars. 

Providing briefing papers and news-of-the-day bulletins on key national security topics to candidates and Members of Congress, and providing messaging to make these topics accessible to constituents. 

Serving as a connector for incoming Members of Congress and candidates for federal office with the D.C. think tank and educational communit