Announcing a New Partnership

The partnership between the Public Leadership Education Network and the Washington Internship Institute will enable more college women to gain valuable experience and insights in the nation's capital.

The Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN) and the Washington Internship Institute have established a partnership to enhance their current programs and reach more students, institutions, and organizations. The partnership provides the organizations access to the other's partner institutions and guarantees discounts to students from those institutions for the organizations' programs.

"Both of our organizations emphasize the importance for college students to gain real-world experience and access to mentors in their field, so this partnership suits both organizations well," noted Greg Weight, President of the Washington Internship Institute.

The partnership provides PLEN's 18 member institutions with discounted tuition for their students who participate in the Washington Internship Institute internship program. Institutions who partner with the Washington Internship Institute will receive a discounted membership rate to PLEN and their students will receive discounted tuition for PLEN seminars.

Both organizations hope that this partnership is the start of a much deeper relationship: "I hope that we can explore other ways to collaborate, including how we can contribute to the Washington Internship Institute’s programming for students and faculty, and how the Washington Internship Institute can contribute to PLEN’s educational seminars,” added Sarah Bruno, PLEN’s Executive Director.

Founded in 1978, the mission of PLEN is to increase the number of women in top leadership positions influencing all aspects of the public policy process. Each year, PLEN brings hundreds of women students from colleges and universities across the country to Washington, D.C. They experience first-hand how public policy is shaped and implemented at the national level. They are better prepared to become the next generation of public policy decision makers.

Founded in 1990, the mission of the Washington Internship Institute is to foster students' intellectual, personal, and professional development through individually tailored, quality internships and challenging academic coursework that take full advantage of the opportunities available in the nation's capital and reflect the best practices of experiential learning and liberal education. Each year, dozens of students from around the country and the world and in a wide variety of majors participate in uniquely suited internships, complemented by relevant and rigorous coursework.