WHTC News...

Announcing the continuation of the
Geek Squad Academy - Women's High Tech Coalition Internship, brought to you in partnership by Best Buy, Geek Squad and the Women's High Tech Coalition.

• Inaugural winners head home from Washington after completing the Summer 2009 program.
• Winners from the Fall 2009 campaign benefit from their experience in Congress.

As lawmakers around the world become more engaged on Science and Technology policy, ensuring a robust and intelligent public debate around those issues becomes increasingly important. Providing the next generation of young women with the resources, information and experiences to pursue careers in these fields is also equally important. That's why we're announcing the inaugural Geek Squad Academy-Women's High Tech Coalition Internship, starting in the summer of 2009 to support Members of Congress.

This internship, founded in partnership with Best Buy, Geek Squad and WHTC, will award two college students the opportunity to support a member of Congress working on policy issues fundamental to the future of emerging science and technology. We're looking for female students who are passionate about science and technology, and want to spend the internship working on related public policy and learning more about Capitol Hill. The partners intend to continue this program on an ongoing basis to coincide with future academic years.
Click to read the press release introducing the program.

Program Overview

The Geek Squad Academy-Women's High Tech Coalition Internship will offer students with an interest in public policy and a passion for science and technology a unique opportunity to work with a member of Congress and their partners: Best Buy, Geek Squad and the Women's High Tech Coalition. The Internship program offers female undergraduate students (College Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors) the chance to contribute to the policy dialogue on these issues in a variety of ways, and to explore future academic and professional interests. This internship will also include a cash stipend.

General Guidelines
Program dates vary due to academic and Congressional schedules

Interns will be expected to:

• Work 40 hours per week during the selected internship period in Washington, DC. Four days a week will be spent in a Member of Congress's office, and one day will be spent working for the Women's High Tech Coalition.
  
  Part-Time applicants will be required to work 20 hours per week. The exact amount of time worked within the Congressional Office and the Women's High Tech Coalition will be determined during your orientation.
   
• Make substantive contributions to the work of the Member of Congress and the Women's High Tech Coalition, including conducting policy research and analysis; drafting reports and analyses; providing administrative support as requested, and participating in other advocacy activities.
   
• Complete a report on her internship experience by the end of the internship, criteria to be provided at a later date.

* We allow some flexibility to the program dates while we finalize arrangements with the Congressional offices.

Qualifications and Requirements:

To qualify, all female applicants must:

• Attend an accredited higher learning institution and be currently enrolled as an undergraduate student, sophomore or higher.
   
• Possess a 3.0 or higher GPA.
   
• Demonstrate her commitment to public policy and interest in science and/or technology.
   
• Possess an excellent extracurricular record consisting of professional and volunteer-related activities.
   
• Utilize first-rate analytical, communications, research and writing skills.
   
• Demonstrate her ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and efficiently, and to work smartly and resourcefully in a fast-paced environment.
   
• Fill out the online application.
   
• Submit a resume and 600-word essay and upload it with the application.
  
  

  Along with the completed online application, applicants are expected to submit a resume which highlights all academic, professional and extracurricular experiences, along with a 600-word essay that explains why she in interested in pursuing a career in public policy and/or science and technology.

How to apply?

Applications will be available prior to each program term and posted on this page. Interested applicants should fill out the form completely and accurately, being sure to follow all the document submission guidelines.

About the Partners

The Women's High Tech Coalition (WHTC) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3), non-partisan organization that promotes the exchange of ideas among women leaders in the public and private sectors whose focus is technology, innovation and the development of public policy related to technology.

Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. With more than 155,000 employees and operations in the United States, Canada, Europe and China, the Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $40 billion annual revenue and includes brands such as Geek Squad and many others.

Geek Squad is the first national 24-hour task force dedicated to solving the world's technology challenges. Geek Squad Academy is a multi-faceted program designed to ignite humanity's passion for technology through grassroots education and other support to youth and families. The program believes in "Demystifying technology and making lives easier through the use of technology."

* Exact program dates are finalized with Congressional Offices and winning applicants are notified.