Internship Program

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is responsible for advising the President and Vice President on national and international environmental policy matters and ensuring that federal agencies operate efficiently in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Detailed information about CEQ's various roles and responsibilities can be found at our website at: www.whitehouse.gov/CEQ. Information on our internship program, including an application which can be downloaded, also can be found on the website.

THE PROGRAM: CEQ has a very competitive internship program. We receive approximately 75 applications per session from both undergraduate and graduate students from universities across the country. We typically accept only 12 students per session. CEQ's limited number of staff, coupled with its important responsibility of advising the President and Vice President on environmental policy matters, makes our internship program critical to the success of our office. We have unpaid internship opportunities available year round and are currently seeking interns for the Spring, Summer, and Fall sessions.

The CEQ staff consists of our Acting Chairman, George T. Frampton, Jr., three Special Assistants, and fifteen Associate Directors who are responsible for various environmental policy areas including:

  • Natural Resources
  • International Trade and Development
  • Sustainable Development
  • Environmental Justice
  • Air, Energy and Transportation
  • Environmental Technologies
  • Global Environment
  • NEPA Oversight
  • Toxics and Solid Waste
  • Correspondence and Special Events
  • Environmental Education
  • Communications/Outreach Strategy

    Interns serve primarily as support staff. This is an essential component of our office and consists of answering phones, distributing mail and participating in general office operations. This duty is shared by each and every intern. Additionally, interns have the opportunity to work closely with staff members in a variety of ways, such as:

  • Attending interagency working group meetings
  • Assisting with briefing materials for the Chairman
  • Responding to correspondence and phone calls in assigned policy areas
  • Compiling research on specific environmental topics
  • Tracking federal agency actions on certain environmental issues
  • Monitoring press and public interest on environmental issues
  • Updating the CEQ website
  • Attending Congressional hearings

    REQUIREMENTS: We are seeking undergraduates, graduates, recent graduates and law students who are committed to the preservation of our environment. Applicants must be highly motivated, willing to contribute where needed, and able to handle the pressures that come with working in an Executive Branch office. While there are no prerequisites for internships other than relevant classroom or work experience, we strongly prefer candidates who are available to work full time (four to five days per week). Our office can arrange for credit from colleges, universities and other institutions.

    APPLICATION PROCEDURE: Please include with your application a resume with two professional references, a brief writing sample, an unofficial transcript and a cover letter with your availability and interests to: David Spielfogel, Special Assistant for Policy and Administration, Council on Environmental Quality, Room 360, Old Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20502. Phone (202) 456-6224, Fax (202) 456-2710.

    Download an Application PDF Information (115 kb)


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