WASHINGTON – Five German students are currently in Washington, D.C. working for members of the United States House of Representatives for six weeks as part of the 19th class of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals’ Congressional Internship Program.

The Congressional Internship Program (CIP) provides German students and young professionals participating in the longstanding U.S.-German exchange program, which is joint funded by the German Bundestag and U.S. Department of State, with the opportunity to acquire real-world experience working in an office of a member of the U.S. Congress.

CIP is an invaluable opportunity for interns to acquire practical work experience at the level of the federal government while expanding knowledge of the legislative process and the responsibilities of a congressperson, while enhancing one’s own analytical, communication, and research skills.

The five CIP interns were selected from a group of 75 German CBYX Fellows currently studying and interning with U.S. hosts across the United States. Their internships will run through the end of February.

Since the inaugural internship cohort in 2000-01, more than 90 young German students and young professionals have taken part in the CBYX Congressional Internship Program.

The names and assignments of the 2019 CBYX Congressional Internship Program participants:

Participating Student	Congressperson
Alend Gravi	David Trone (MD-6)
Teresa Holly	Jose Serrano (NY-15)
Clara Kallich	John Shimkus (IL-15)
Theodor Schell	Joe Manchin (WV Senator)
Tanja Schwenkschuster	Steve Chabot (OH-1)

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals is a fellowship funded by the German Bundestag and U.S. Department of State that annually provides up to 75 American and 75 German young professionals, between the ages of 18-24, the opportunity to spend one year in each other’s countries, studying, interning, and living with hosts on a cultural immersion program.

Cultural Vistas has administered CBYX for Young Professionals since its inception in 1983, together with its German partner organization, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit. Learn more about the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals at cbyx.info.

About Cultural Vistas
Founded in 1963, Cultural Vistas is a nonprofit exchange organization promoting global understanding and collaboration among individuals and institutions. We develop international professional experiences that create more informed, skilled, and engaged citizens. Our programs empower people to drive positive change in themselves, their organizations, and society. Cultural Vistas is headquartered in New York with regional offices in Washington, D.C. and Berlin.

Follow @CulturalVistas and @CBYX_YP on Twitter.