Many of our placements are In-Person Placements. The internship will be conducted fully on site. If you prefer an In-Person Placement, please indicate this on your cover letter and we will do our best to match you with an In-Person Placement.
We have many Remote Placements. This includes placements within our departments of government and agencies and within our Policy Team Based Internship that is conducted by our staff in coordination with the legislative policy office. If you prefer a Remote Placement, please indicate this on your cover letter and we will do our best to match you with a Remote Placement.
Some of our placements are open to Hybrid Interns. This means that a portion of your internship will be conducted on site and a portion off site. With these internships, you will coordinate the schedule with your Placement Supervisor. If you prefer a Hybrid Placement, please indicate this on your cover letter and we will do our best to match you with a Hybrid Placement.
Internships run in the Fall and Spring semesters and during the Summer breaks. Students are connected with internship experiences throughout the state government. This includes the Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches as well as state departments of government, municipal agencies and community and non-profit organizations. Students are placed in areas of interest where they work with their placement supervisor on a variety of projects and tasks that enable them to meet educational learning objectives. The Fall and Spring programs run 8-12 weeks, depending on academic requirements and placement needs. The Summer program runs 8 weeks.
**Please note that applications are accepted throughout the year and interviews are completed on a rolling basis. Please submit an application early in order to have greater placement selection.
Interviews are mandatory. We are currently conducting remote group interviews.
Summer 2024 Internship Session
Fall 2024 Internship Session
Spring 2025 Internship Session
Great Learning Experience
Career Exploration
Skills Development
Networking
Resume/Portfolio Enhancement/College Credit
Industry Insight
"I have made some wonderful connections and networked in a whole other sector than I previously would have thought. I definitely would recommend this internship to students in the future. Even with the challenges of being remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this internship is more than what I had hoped for. The entire process was very collaborative and we all worked so well together. I really enjoyed working with everyone on my team and I am so grateful for the connections I have made with them and everyone at the program."
"While we all would have hoped for a more in-person internship, I do agree that this virtual internship was very insightful as well as convenient for college students and an overall amazing experience with all of the staff involved."
"My time in RISGP was an eye-opening experience to the process of developing a policy. Before the internship I was not familiar with how policies were developed in the state of Rhode Island nor did I ever think I would be able to propose a policy in front of the House and Senate Policy Office members. However, doing this program allowed me to envision myself in a future where I can make changes which improve the lives of Rhode Islanders. Furthermore, the program showed me the importance of working in a team, as our unique life experiences and skills on a project can be used to develop creative answers for difficult topics such as food insecurity."
"The experience that I had when participating in the Rhode Island State Government Internship program was an informative and worthwhile one. One important skill that this internship taught me was how to work with people who were hundreds of miles away, and who shared different life experiences from my own. Working not only with a team comprised of people from all parts of the country, but to do so in a virtual setting is a lifelong skill that I developed when participating in this internship."
"I learned many things during my time as an intern. In addition to the material I learned regarding the legislative process and policy, I also learned a great deal about working in teams. I learned how to collaborate effectively with others; specifically, I learned the importance of compromise and organization."