IMPACT! Filipino American National Internship Program – US-Asia Institute

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Nov 19

Written By NYSEAN

THE PROGRAM

The IMPACT! Program for Filipino-Americans is a nine-week professional development program created by the US-Asia Institute (USAI) in coordination with the Embassy of the Philippines in Washington, DC and the Filipino Young Leaders Program– it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Filipino-American young adults to gain a firsthand look at the American government and political system in Washington DC, to engage civically, and to reflect on the role they, as future leaders, might play in strengthening the US-Philippine relationship.

USAI launched its IMPACT! Leadership Exchange and Training programs to empower future leaders. The program

Inspires, Motivates, and Prepares for Action towards Civic Transformation

IMPACT! introduces young adults to their roles and responsibilities in becoming engaged in their community and beyond. It provides them with the skills and knowledge to participate in and transform into leaders in the democratic and electoral processes as well as civil society through a series of hands-on and interactive workshops, networking opportunities, placement in professional development/internship positions in Washington, D.C, one-on-one mentorship, and the completion of a civic engagement project.

This program provides these young people with the opportunity to intern/shadow on a national level in various offices of elected officials, public agencies or in organizations involved in the political/government/policy influencing arena. This opportunity helps develop a stronger understanding of how government and the political system work by experiencing it from an insider’s perspective. Further, the program prepares these young leaders to participate in the civic arena, developing skills for those interested in public service and/or in becoming citizens involved in their communities. Not only is this an invaluable professional experience, but also benefits the Filipino-American community by increasing the interest of Filipino-Americans in American politics and civic engagement in the future.

The Program also highlights professional development at its core. Each IMPACT! participant is matched with a mentor (see details below) based on professional and career goals, offering individualized support and guidance to our program participants in helping them navigate their professional careers and expand their networks. The IMPACT! Program also features a variety of group and individual networking opportunities and professional development workshops.

In the United States, participation in the political process and being civically engaged are crucial to ensuring that a community’s needs and concerns are heard and addressed. The IMPACT! program is one way to achieve this objective by finding a more effective way to support the Filipino-American community’s new generation to represent their own community politically and civically.

Click here to view the IMPACT! informational one-pager.

The 2026 IMPACT! Program will run from June 1 - July 31, 2026. For application requirements and deadlines, please click visit their webpage.

Apply Here