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Although our giving page is no longer active, you can still donate. If you would like to provide any additional support, please do so here.
CLICK HERE TO GIVE TO THE 2023 CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN!
Although our giving page is no longer active, you can still donate. If you would like to provide any additional support, please do so here.
The John Glenn College of Public Affairs has offered an exciting opportunity for Ohio State students to study and work in the nation's capital for 22 years! The Washington Academic Internship Program (WAIP) selects outstanding undergraduates from any major to spend a semester in Washington, D.C. as John Glenn Fellows.
The last 2 years have certainly been challenging, but as you know, we pivoted WAIP to a fully virtual format temporarily so students could still intern with a DC-based organization, gain professional development and build their network in Washington.
In the fall of 2021, with great excitement, we reopened our doors to students in DC once again. I’m proud to share we welcomed 12 Glenn Fellows back to DC in-person this fall.
How did we get through this challenging chapter of WAIP and still help future public servants access DC?
Because of you and this campaign, students were able to return to Washington for an in-person experience. Your donation offset the cost of housing, making the program accessible to students.
This year our goal is to bring the program back to pre-pandemic capacity and with nearly 30 students participating this summer, the need for scholarships is greater than ever. The pandemic has been challenging for us all. For Glenn Fellows, the challenges include less availability of jobs, parent job losses and fewer internship opportunities. Students still need your support. The students participating in WAIP this year have largely experienced college in a virtual and hybridized format; let’s get them to DC for a truly immersive, life-changing experience!
For the past 7 years, supporters of WAIP have come together every February to make the program more accessible for Ohio State students. Thanks to your support, we have:
We at WAIP remain committed to offering the program, and we believe our mission to train the next generation of public servants is greater than ever.
While in WAIP, John Glenn Fellows remain fully registered Ohio State students. Students earn academic credit hours for their internship, the research seminar in which a policy paper is developed and a course on policymaking and public service in the Washington community. Students will deepen their understanding of policy issues through weekly professional development workshops with experts. Friday study tours each week will also allow students to explore and experience different aspects of Washington.
Participants in the program meet policy professionals and interact with Ohio State alumni in the region. This interaction has value far beyond the semester in which the students are involved in the program. Real opportunities are presented for career advice, professional development and cross-generational exchange.
Many participants return to Washington after graduation and credit their early success in landing their first job out of college to WAIP. WAIP plays a critical role in the professional development of Buckeyes interested in public service. Help us ensure that every deserving student has the chance to participate.
Thank you for supporting our 7th annual WAIP crowdfunding campaign!
I wanted to share a change in how the alumni association is recognizing alumni donors. They have recently expanded alumni membership to include gifts of all sizes, with an emphasis on "life donor," which is an annual cumulative contribution of $150. I encourage you to take a moment to learn more about our membership levels here. Over the past 6 years, many of you have given at the $75 level, which has had a great impact on the scholarships we provide for our students. We hope you will consider still giving $75, it makes a huge difference!
On February 20, 1962, NASA astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth in his Mercury capsule Friendship 7.
Senator John Glenn served Ohio for 25 years in the U.S. Senate.
Senator Glenn was 77 the second time he returned to space in 1998. Though it had been more than 35 years since he had last suited up, Glenn was selected as part of the crew aboard the space shuttle Discovery.
If you took a roundtrip from the John Glenn College in Columbus to the John & Annie Glenn Museum in New Concord, Ohio, you would travel 150 miles. The museum features John Glenn's boyhood home where visitors can experience American history through the prism of the Glenns' lives. An annual cumulative contribution of $150 qualifies you to be a "life donor" to Ohio State. Make your gift in honor of Senator Glenn and his life today.
205 donations were made to the 2021 WAIP crowdfunding campaign, totaling $25,468!
John Glenn's Friendship 7 was in flight for 4 hours and 56 minutes, or 296 total minutes.
Approximately 982 students have participated in the Washington Academic Internship Program (WAIP) since the program started 22 years ago.