Job Talents Program
A first-of-its-kind technology internship program for innovative students to solve pressing problems in federal agencies.
Civic Digital Fellows are mission-driven software engineers, data scientists, product managers, and designers who spend their summers innovating at the intersection of technology and public service.
As a Fellow, you’ll receive a $4,000+ stipend, housing, and travel to and from Washington, D.C. The nation’s capital will be your home for 10 weeks—from the first week of June until mid-August.
Fellows must be U.S. citizens (due to federal hiring regulations), enrolled full-time in an accredited institution of higher education, and graduating no earlier than Winter 2019.
Il Modello
High Impact Work
Make a difference. You’ll tackle high impact work at your host agency, building products and services on behalf of the American people. From machine learning models to UX overhauls, past Fellows’ projects have saved millions of dollars and cut years from production timelines. Discover what previous Fellows have created on GitHub.
Professional Development
Be inspired by new role models. You’ll learn from industry leaders on visits to organizations like the U.S. Digital Service, Mapbox, Federal Trade Commission, and the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. Additionally, you’ll meet with a mentor in the civic tech community to expand your network and build your skills.
Cohort-Based Community
Meet your new best friends. The Fellowship cohort is a dynamic and diverse collection of young people passionate about social impact technology. You’ll build a strong community together and form bonds that last long after the ten weeks end.
Ronak Shah
2019 Fellow
Health and Human Services
UC, San Diego
“There’s honestly nothing quite like working on software, only to go to the White House and see it launched to the American people. The entire experience…opened to me a whole world of innovation that I hadn’t known to exist just 10 weeks prior.”
Meet the Fellows
Hear about the Fellowship in their own words.
Want to learn more? Visit our blog to meet more of the 2017, 2018, and 2019 Fellows.
Mariam Baqai
2017 Fellow
Census Bureau
Mills College
“As someone from the Bay Area, I never would have expected to spend a summer working in government…I had to ask myself if I would I rather be working at a startup that caters to the top 5% or with a federal agency that literally counts every person in America. I was drawn to the possibility of creating technology for social impact.”
Loren Hinkson
2018 Fellow
Health and Human Services
University of Chicago
“The opportunities to meet people who are currently working in government and the civic tech space were really valuable. It helped me find out what opportunities are out there for when I graduate.”
Christian Moscardi
2018 Fellow
Census Bureau
New York University
“You have a lot of power to change things by virtue of your being here and people are really interested in hearing what you have to say and the ideas you bring to the table.”
Michell Li
2019 Fellow
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Carnegie Mellon University
“I was challenged to think about government as a powerful opportunity for innovation rather than a long-standing institution. I realized that government and technology are not mutually exclusive—but rather synonymous—and it's up to our generation to continue fostering that relationship.”
R Matthews
2018 Fellow
Veterans Affairs
Brandeis University
“For the people who are trying to figure out if they want to apply or not: just make the jump. The Civic Digital Fellowship is a great way to get exposure to something you wouldn’t normally get exposure to in school. Just jump.”
How to Apply
Dec - Jan / Apply
We encourage you to apply as early as possible, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Jan / Interview with our team
From December to January, our team will review every application that is submitted to us—no resume parsing algorithms here. We’ll invite you to a video interview if we think you may be a good fit for the Fellowship.
Feb / Interview with an agency
If your interests and skills are a match for a Fellowship position at one of our host agencies, you’ll have an opportunity to interview with that team and learn more about their work.
FAQ
I have interdisciplinary skills. Can I apply to multiple roles?
Fellows have the opportunity to wear many hats over the course of the summer and often use many different skill sets depending on agency, position, and project. As a result, there is only one application—and all members of our cohort are referred to as “Civic Digital Fellows.”
Will I get to choose which government agencies I am considered for?
No, we do the matching for applicants and host agencies. Fellowship placement is ultimately based on your skillset, interests, and the needs of the agency. If you have a particular background that you feel is relevant to the matching process, you are encouraged to include it in your application.
Can I start late or end early?
Due to security clearance and onboarding procedures, we are unable to change the Fellowship start or end dates. If you are a quarter-system student, we’ll work with you and your institution to make arrangements so that you can start on time with the rest of your cohort.
Are there opportunities for international students or non-U.S. citizens?
If you are ineligible to apply to the Fellowship, we encourage you to subscribe to our newsletter and join our Facebook group to learn about other opportunities that are open to citizens and non-citizens alike.
Is the Civic Digital Fellowship offered in the fall or spring?
The Fellowship is currently only offered in the summer.
How many Fellows will be accepted?
While we would love to offer a spot to all of our incredible applicants, we unfortunately have limited capacity. Since our launch in 2017, the Fellowship cohort has increased in size each summer—and our team expects continued growth in the coming years.
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