Sunsetting the First Branch Intern Project
Just as internships must end to allow young professionals to grow in new employment opportunities, the First Branch Intern Project and weekly Intern Update newsletter are coming to a close after a fantastic four-year run. Founded during the COVID-19 pandemic with a goal to improve the Congressional internship experience, the First Branch Intern Project is sunsetting now after successfully incubating initiatives to grow Congressional capacity and create new pathways to public service.
The First Branch Intern Project began as the “Virtual Intern Project” in April 2020, when several organizations responded to an urgent need to support Capitol Hill interns as Congress began to operate remotely at the start of the pandemic. The project then evolved into an ongoing collaboration primarily focused on providing resources and networking opportunities for Congressional interns and to support outreach to underrepresented groups to grow the Congressional talent pipeline.
Through its must-attend “Internapalooza” events — created in collaboration with the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress and the Committee on House Administration — the First Branch Intern Project provided a welcoming orientation to help thousands of Congressional interns launch their careers with community support. For interns, Internapalooza provided helpful guidance on the legislative process and how to succeed on the Hill, as well as opportunities for networking, community building, and professional development. For civil society, it demonstrated the success of an approach to “de-risk” institutional change through prototypes and collaboration with Congress.
Following these successful efforts, in 2024, Congressional intern orientation became a key element of the newly formed House Intern Resource Office (HIRO), successfully sunsetting outside efforts with the institutional adoption of what started as a “pie-in-the-sky idea” among nonprofits looking to support interns as Congress went remote during the COVID-19 pandemic.
POPVOX Foundation is dedicated to ensuring a modern, functional, and safe work environment for Congressional staff and interns, both on Capitol Hill and in district and state offices. It continues to champion fair pay, professional upskilling and development opportunities, and new, yet-to-be-dreamed ideas to support Congressional staff and interns.
More information and resources on supporting the modern Congressional intern, including links to previous Internapalooza event videos and First Branch Intern Project resources are available on POPVOX Foundation’s website.
We would like to thank all of the individuals and organizations who contributed to the First Branch Intern Project, including:
APAICS
Black Women’s Congressional Alliance
Bipartisan Policy Center
Bipartisan Policy Center Action
College to Congress
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
Congressional Institute
Congressional Management Foundation
DemandProgress
Democracy Fund
Issue One
Modernization Staff Association
Partnership for Public Service
Pay Our Interns
ProLegis
TourTrackr
US Capitol Historical Society
Victory Institute
