National Security & Intelligence Internship

Fight global terrorism

Program Information

Rising Freshman - Graduating Seniors

Georgetown University Washington, DC

Seven Days - Sunday to Saturday

~~July 23rd - July 29th, 2023~~*

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$3,500 USD

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*ANNOUNCEMENT: Each internship has a limited number of slots for enrollment. All slots for this program have been filled and we are no longer accepting new enrollments for this year. Visit lichangesummer.org/2024 for more information on next year's internships.

The Program

The National Security and Intelligence Internship is a first-of-its-kind program that allows students to work directly with national security experts, train in the latest intelligence tactics and implement security strategies to save lives.

In this rigorous internship, students will participate in combat training, tour military, and intelligence department headquarters, and work with professional security leaders from the FBI and Department Of Defense to design solutions for security issues facing real communities in the developing world. Students will work directly with security forces protecting communities from terrorism.

For their final project, students will design and propose a security strategy to save lives with the help and mentoring of security industry professionals for a real security company in the developing world. Participants will present these proposed strategies to a panel of experts, top strategies will be implemented over the following year.

Participants will receive hand-to-hand combat training from a former marine combat specialist. Interns will learn field tactics at a combat course by U.S. Army officials. Finally, students will receive intelligence gathering training from former FBI agents.

Security Training

Interns work with current and former experts from the Pentagon, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, Secret Service, National Security Agency, and State Department to assist in creating solutions for their security partner.

Work with Experts

Interns partner with a security agency with offices located in the developing world to create a security solution that will be implemented over the course of one year. These efforts will counter-terrorist activities in communities to save lives.

Security Experience

Program Highlights

Nick Abele

The Early College at Guilford

2021 National Security & Intelligence Internship

"Working in the National Security and Intelligence Internship with Leadership Initiatives has been an amazing experience for me. I worked with experts in the field of national security, from former FBI agents to former US Ambassadors. I got the opportunity to meet people, not only from all over the country but across the world. Most importantly, I got the chance to implement real change, developing potentially life-saving solutions for a university in Northern Nigeria. Working in this program has been a life-changing experience for me, and I would recommend it to anyone considering it."

Explore a career in security and international relations — before you graduate high school.

Program Director, Rusty Capps is a former FBI counter-terrorism expert and one of the country's leading instructors on counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and security awareness education. Rusty teaches for the FBI, CIA, and Pentagon on counter-security measures and created this internship program.

Additionally, students will receive training with leading representatives from the National Security Agency, CIA, FBI, Secret Service, West Point, the U.S. Department of State, Navy Seals and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Explore a career in security

Students choose how to implement a grant designed to assistant a security company in the developing world by creating security solutions for a community affected by the Boko Haram.

Interns will partner with specific mentors and gain hands-on security experience designing new counter-insurgency security solutions with leaders from the CIA, Pentagon, FBI, U.S. Military and more.

Explore a career in security.

Interns explore Washington, DC and take exclusive tours of the FBI and CIA, the Pentagon, the International Spy Museum, the State Department, and Various Embassy sites while getting to experience life as a Georgetown University student in the Nation’s Capitol.

Explore a career in security and international relations — before you graduate high school.

Students have the rare opportunity to attend Undergraduate Admissions and Security Recruitment Panels to provide students with a firsthand account of what universities look for in their accepted students. Students speak directly with Admissions Officers from Yale, Dartmouth, Brown, Georgetown, George Washington, and American University. Security recruitment officers from the FBI, CIA, Marines, Air Force, Army, and Navy will also be in attendance.

Explore a career in security

Undergraduate Admissions Panels

Intelligence School Admissions Panels

Throughout the program, students meet and network with leaders from top US organizations, with 2021 panelists including The Pentagon, the FBI, the CIA, the US Department of Defense, the US Department of State, and leading domestic and international private security organizations.

Explore a career in security and international relations — before you graduate high school.

All students who attend one of our Summer Internship Programs will receive free SAT/ACT training through TestRocker, one-on-one admissions consulting with a former admissions officer, essay editing assistance, two letters of recommendation, and scholarship application assistance. These benefits remain available for four years to allow nominations for rising freshmen through rising seniors.

Click on each academic benefit below to learn more :

1. SAT/ACT Training

2. Admissions Panels

3. College Essay Assistance

4. Letters of Recommendation

5. College Probability Modeling

6. Personalized Websites

Jumpstart your college experience.

Summer program students will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a college admissions expert. They will help walk students through the ins-and-outs of college applications, essay writing, and scholarships.

Students can speak directly with former admissions officers from schools such as Yale, Brown & UCLA. These individuals have a minimum of 15 years of experience in the field of college admissions.

Students are recommended to have their most pressing questions about the college application process ready so they can have them answered by someone who knows the application system inside and out.

Past students have used this time to hone in on their essay topics, decide on how many colleges to apply to, and create application time lines.

College Admissions Panel

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All Youth Development Program paticipants receive one-on-one essay editing assistance from Leadership Initiatives partner University Connection.

This offer is exclusive, and not available with any other institution or program!

Each student essay will be edited to ensure it makes an excellent impression at every stage of the competitive application process. The editors will improve the style, clarity, sentence structure and coherence of your application so that your achievements are noticed.

Editors bring their experience in many different backgrounds, including Science and Technology, Commerce, Management, and the Humanities.

College Essay Review

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All participants in the Youth Development Programs will have the opportunity to have two written for them from any Leadership Initiatives staff member, including the Executive Director Marshall Bailly.

Students interns will also have the opportunity to have letters written by Leadership Initiatives partners from the International Business & Development Internship, International Public Health Internship, and International Law & Advocacy Internship.

These unique and complimentary letters are one of the most highly regarded benefits that Leadership Initiatives has. Below are sample letters from previous students:

Letters of Recommendation

Samantha Williams - Attending Harvard University

Meredith Karle - Full Scholarship to the University of North Carolina

transparent college probability modeling resized

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Leadership Initiatives creates a personalized website for each International Internship Program team highlighting their collaborative efforts with their partner in the International Business & Development Internship, International Law & Advocacy Internship, or International Public Health Internship.

The website displays your team's solutions, grant proposal, photos of your partners, and illustrates the impact your team has had on the life and community of your partners. The website link is included in your letters of recommendation, allowing colleges to independently explore the phenomenal work done by each and every student.

Personalized Website

Click here to view Youth Development Program websites.

Experience life as a student at one of the nation's most prestigious universities.

Experience life as a student at one of the nation's most prestigious universities.

Leadership Initiatives is committed to prioritizing the health and safety of our students, staff, and broader DC community. For this reason, we have gone above and beyond to ensure safety at all of our Youth Development Programs, including regular disinfection and health screenings, social distancing, specialized training, and maintaining all DC and CDC guidelines for COVID safety.

Click here to review our health and safety measures.

Experience life as a student at one of the nation's most prestigious universities.

Participants become a part of the Georgetown community of students and staff who live together in the New South Residence Hall. Students live in two-person rooms and may select their roommate upon enrolling in the program. Leadership Initiatives will provide bedding, towels, and pillows. Each dorm room is air-conditioned and includes a bed, study desk, closet & Wi-Fi. Lounges, game rooms, laundry facilities, and our offices are located in the residence hall. With afternoon activities in the Georgetown Quad and outings along famous M Street, participants are immersed in life as a student.

Experience life as a student at one of the nation's most prestigious universities.

Leadership Initiatives provides three meals, snacks, and drinks as a part of the program tuition. Students order meals on their mobile phones from a selection of local restaurants, including Chipotle, We the Pizza, Georgetown Gourmet, Subway, Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Falafel Inc., and Johnny Rockets. Meals are delivered directly to the students, and snacks and drinks are available in dorm lounges throughout the day.

Partnership Restaurants

Experience life as a student at one of the nation's most prestigious universities.

Students are responsible for the cost of travel to and from the internship. Leadership Initiatives provides program participants shuttle service between DCA or IAD airports and campus on the start and end dates of the program for a fee of $30 for DCA and $45 for IAD both ways. Upon acceptance, you will receive instructions on how to sign up for the airport shuttle service.

Leadership Initiatives staff members will meet the students at baggage claim and then escort students directly to registration at Georgetown University.

Program Tuition & Assistance

All-Inclusive Program Tuition

Student Fundraising Program

Assistance Scholarships

No-Interest Payment Plans

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Program tuition covers the cost of room and board, ground transportation during the program, a 5:1 student to faculty and staff ratio, all curriculum, and materials.

Education assistance covered by tuition includes one-on-one college admissions counseling sessions, lecture fees, mentor sessions with experts, workshops, and all academic benefits, including SAT/ACT training through TestRocker and college essay editing.

Scholarships, payment plans, and fundraising assistance are available.

All-Inclusive Tuition

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No-Interest Payment Plans

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Leadership Initiatives offers a variety of flexible options to pay for program tuition.

Zero-interest payment plans are available in three, six, nine, and twelve-month payment options.

Participants can opt to pay the entirety of their remaining tuition balance off at any point during the payment period.

Reserve a place today with a $100 refundable deposit here.

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Fundraising Assistance

Leadership Initiatives is dedicated to providing opportunities for everyone who shows drive, determination, and grit towards their future goals. We have created a fundraising department to help students participate in one of our summer internships.

If you choose the fundraising option, you will meet one-on-one with a fundraising coach who will assist in creating a comprehensive fundraising campaign.

Fundraising also allows participants to go on an 18-month payment plan with a deposit. Designed for students in financial need this fundraising option allows students to hold several fundraisers to pay for their tuition.

Click here to view the 2023 Fundraising Guide.

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Scholarships

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, all Leadership Initiatives programs are heavily subsidized by our sponsors allowing us to offer programs with academic benefits at a lower cost than for-profit institutions.

To apply for a scholarship click here to fill out the program interest form and indicate you are interested in a scholarship.

Please note scholarships do not stack (this means you can only use one scholarship per program).

Partners and Sponsors

Our office in Washington, DC is open seven days a week - give us a call! A phone conversation allows us to answer your specific questions and provide you with contact information for previous intership participants and their families so that you can get a first-hand perspective.

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Join us this summer!