Internship Program

The Polish American Congress (PAC) is an umbrella organization representing 3,000 Polish American organizations, ranging from national fraternal benefit societies, such as the Polish National Alliance, Polish Women’s Alliance, Polish Roman Catholic Union, Polish Falcons and others, including veterans’, cultural, professional, religious and social associations, with an aggregate membership of over one million. The PAC seeks undergraduate, recent graduates or graduate students in good academic standing of Polish heritage for part-time internships in the Washington, DC Office. Internships are unpaid.

For information on internship terms and application deadlines, please e-mail Klara Wiśniewska at kwisniewska@pac1944.org.

Professionalism and dependability are a must. Also, our interns must possess strong oral and written communications skills, interpersonal skills, and be able to work both independently and as members of a team. They must have a strong interest in issues concerning Poland, Polonia and/or Central Europe. Language and computer skills are highly desired. Proficiency in the Polish language is a plus, but is not required. Each intern will receive a letter of recommendation upon completion of the internship program.

All internships last 3-4 months.

Note: We currently give preference to candidates who can work on site at the National Office of the PAC in Washington D.C. but some remote internships are available. 

Application Deadlines for 2023:

We currently have two onsite internship openings and two remote internship openings available for January – April 2023.

Deadline for Spring 2023: February 15, 2023

Deadline for Summer 2023: May 3, 2023

Communications Intern

Hours: 15-25 per week, possibility of working remotely

Supervisors: Administrator and Director of Policy Planning

Compensation: Unpaid

Communications Intern will provide research support and write articles or short commentaries about policy issues concerning Poland and Central and East European region, as well as Poland-U.S. relations. Topics will also include energy security, NATO, Three Seas Initiative and Russia-Ukraine war. This work can be done either at the National Office in Washington D.C. or remotely. The length of the internship is flexible depending on intern’s availability.

Qualifications:

  • Must have excellent writing skills
  • Must have an interest in policy and security issues
  • Must be able to follow directions well and work with minimal supervision
  • Working towards a degree in Journalism, Communications, Political Science, History, International Relations, Public Policy, Intelligence Studies or other writing intensive field
  • Ability to read and write in the Polish language is preferred

This internship program is open to all university students including college, graduate and doctoral degree candidates.

Fundraising and Marketing Intern
Hours: 25 hours per week
Supervisors: Administrator and Director of Policy Planning
Compensation: Unpaid

The internship program has three components: fundraising, research, and office support. Activities include research to identify potential donors; to assist with fundraising and marketing initiatives, especially a major fundraising campaign using social media and analytics; to create and update databases, and to participate in everyday office activities.

Depending on the semester and the number of interns in the office, the intern may be asked to work as a team member with other interns. A detailed, individualized program will be prepared to fit each intern’s interests.

Duties include but are not limited to:

  • Researching prospective sources of funding
  • Helping with reaching out to prospective donors
  • Assisting in a fundraising campaign using social media
  • Assisting in content creation for social media
  • Assisting staff in preparing materials for conferences

Qualifications:

  • Working towards a degree in Marketing, Digital Strategy, Analytics or other similar field
  • Experience in Facebook advertising is a plus
  • Must be creative and have a lot of initiative
    Must have excellent written and verbal communications skills, ability to prioritize effectively, and to pay attention to detail
  • Experience with analytics is a plus
  • Experience with graphic design is a plus but is not required

Graphic Design Intern

Hours: 10-25 hours per week

Supervisors: Administrator

Compensation: Unpaid

This internship is for an undergraduate or graduate student working towards Graphic Design degree or a student passionate about graphic design.

Depending on the semester and the number of interns in the office, the intern may be asked to work as a team member with other interns. A detailed, individualized program will be prepared to fit each intern’s interests.

Duties include but are not limited to:

  • Creating graphics for projects, printed materials, ads and announcements
  • Aiding in creation of graphics for the PAC website
  • Helping create visual presentations and info graphics
  • Ensuring all designs meet organization goals and legal standards

Qualifications and requirements:

  • Proficient in Canva and Photoshop
  • Creative mindset, conceptual abilities, and ability to create compelling visuals
  • Strong interest and motivation to work for a Polish American organization
  • Ability to learn new techniques and technologies
  • Candidates with the ability to read and write in the Polish language at minimum intermediate level preferred
  • Basic HTML and CSS skills a plus

If interested, please e-mail resume, cover letter, and a portfolio to the attention of Klara Z. Wisniewska at kwisniewska@pac1944.org.

Policy Intern 
Hours: 20-25 hours per week
Supervisors: Administrator and Director of Policy Planning
Compensation: Unpaid

The internship program is built upon four components: legislative research, opposition research, honing and publicizing the PAC’s message, and office support. Activities include researching legislative bills; meeting Members of Congress and their staffers; participating in press conferences, seminars, lectures etc.; updating databases, and participating in everyday office activities. After each event the intern will be asked to write a fair summary.

Depending on the semester and the number of interns in the office, the intern may be asked to work as a team member with other interns. A detailed, individualized program will be prepared to fit each intern’s interests.

Duties include but are not limited to:

  • Conducting research on legislation, particularly those matters affecting the Polish American community
  • Conducting projects relating to implementation of resolutions enacted by the PAC Council of National Directors.
  • Writing press releases
  • Attending various events such as Congressional Hearings, press conferences, lectures and briefings (e.g. organized by Heritage Foundation, Institute of World Politics, coalitions on immigration policy, East Central European ethnic groups, as well as other foundations and organizations);
  • Conducting research on various matters concerning Polish Americans and Poland,
  • Performing various office duties, as assigned.

Qualifications:

  • Must be fluent in English
  • Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Must have strong research skills
  • Working towards a degree in Political Science, History, International Relations, Public Policy, Security Studies or other relevant field
  • Ability to read, write and speak Polish is a plus

Note: We will accept an additional Policy Intern if there is no candidate matching IT and Digital Media Intern criteria.

Social Media Intern 
Hours: 15-25 hours per week
Supervisors: Administrator
Compensation: Unpaid

The Social Media Intern is responsible for coordinating and executing PAC’s social media strategy across key social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. This role will be instrumental in increasing our social media presence and gaining more visibility for PAC brand.

Depending on the semester and the number of interns in the office, the intern may be asked to work as a team member with other interns. A detailed, individualized program will be prepared to fit each intern’s interests.

Duties may include but are not limited to:

  • Creating social media posts
  • Understanding and monitoring social media analytics
  • Work on increasing the number of followers on our social media pages

Qualifications:

  • Must be fluent in English
  • Must have excellent writing skills
  • Must have strong research skills
  • Must have initiative and motivation to learn using tools for social media
  • Ability to read and write in Polish is a plus
  • Marketing skills or experience is a plus

If interested, please e-mail resume, cover letter, short writing sample (1-3 pages), and a recommendation letter to the attention of Klara Z. Wisniewska at kwisniewska@pac1944.org. For Policy and Communications internships a writing sample should pertain to one of the following topics: US-Poland relations, Polish diaspora, Polonia in the US, Poland (its current affairs or history), region of Central and Eastern Europe (its current affairs or history), NATO, Three Seas Initiative, Nord Stream 2, EU, Russia.

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