Since its inception in 1999, CLIP has placed more than 300 students in various offices throughout the state, including the State Capitol. We accept sophomores, juniors and seniors from all academic disciplines.

To be placed in an internship, students undergo an application and interview process, as well as a mandatory orientation that includes what to expect at their internship sites, confidentiality and professional conduct, and how to fulfill the internship credit requirements.

One of the more unusual aspects of MU's Civic Leaders Internship Program is the amount of support the office also provides to internship sites. Before placing a student at a site, the internship coordinator makes every effort to meet with the supervisor to discuss the duties that an intern would carry out, the number of days and hours the intern should expect to work, and any other qualifications the intern should have. In this way, both the student and the internship site can be assured of a match that satisfies both of them.

CLIP strives to place students where they will not only be useful to the office where they intern, but also where they are respected as learners. Our best internship sites involve students in a variety of duties, give them increased responsibility as they deserve it, and are engaged directly by the elected or other official for whom they work.

CLIP works to support students as they are interning, as well as internship sites, if they have any questions or concerns. To that end, the internship coordinator visits each site at least once per semester or internship period (twice for legislative sites), and evaluations are sent out twice each semester. The site supervisor's final evaluation grade for each student counts toward a portion of the student's final academic grade for the internship.

Representative Mott-Oxford gives Joel Wessol a valuable lesson in civics.

Michael Kelchen and Representative Kathlyn Fares pose for photos.