(2016-0392-F) White House Internship Program

The materials in 2016-0392-F are a selective body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related material. The White House Internship Program (WHIP) is designed to help aspiring young people with a desire to serve their country and work on acquiring leadership skills that will help them become adept in any number of professions. Individuals who are selected in this arduous process receive no compensation. To qualify for a position in the program applicants must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years of age, and satisfy one of the following requirements: (1) Are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate field of study at a college, community college, or university; (2) Have successfully completed an undergraduate or graduate field of study at a college, community college, or university within two years of the projected start date of their internship program; (3) Are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces who have received a high school diploma or its equivalent and been on active duty for any period of time within the two years preceding the projected start date of their internship program. Persons applying to be interns should clearly state what season—summer, fall, or spring—they wish to be considered for, and pick in order of preference four presidential departments that would suit their skills. During the Clinton Administration, the available offices were 16 in number and included Cabinet Affairs, Communications, Domestic Policy Council, National Economic Council, Digital Strategy, Legislative Affairs, Management & Administration, Political Strategy & Outreach, Presidential Correspondence, Public Engagement & Intergovernmental Affairs, First Lady, Vice President, White House Counsel, Presidential Personnel, Scheduling & Advance, and White House Fellows. There are several components to the WHIP. Every intern who gets picked to become a member of this highly competitive program is assigned to an office, usually one of the preferences listed on their application. They serve as full-time employees and must work 40 hours a week. Their duties ranged in nature. Tasks that could be handed out to them might include writing memos, conducting research, going to meetings, compiling daily briefing books, and going over daily media reports for stories about specific individuals or issues. Other opportunities opening up as part of the WHIP would encompass a speaker series aimed to some degree at the interests of the interns, tour packages to sites in and around Washington, D.C., and the possibility of volunteering in the community in the form of service projects at schools and non-profit organizations in the immediate area. All of the material relevant to this FOIA case can be found in the White House Staff and Office Files. Six departments—Cabinet Affairs, Council of Economic Advisors, Counsel’s Office, National Economic Council, Presidential Personnel, and Public Liaison—have pertinent information in the records that can be described as interrelated and comparable in composition. Applications for the WHIP with accompanying documents such as resumes, transcripts, and letters of recommendation turn up in all the offices. Memoranda concerning the needs of staffers for interns are prevalent throughout the collection. There are lists and charts that display the availability of interns. In a few instances evaluations from students and the like who have been through the WHIP can be located; they provide valuable feedback about the efficacy of the system in place. Sprinkled throughout the records are the minutes of the meetings of the WHIP Working Group. Prominent staff members such as Lynn Cutler and Maria Echaveste share suggestions on how learning experiences for interns might be improved. The goals of the WHIP come up for discussion. They finally get summarized as the following: “improve the quality of the program, diversify the program, and program assessment.” The majority of the records produced for this FOIA contain personnel file information which resulted in many closures related to personal privacy.