WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) launched a new program this week to help promote increased civic participation by young Armenian Americans and strengthen the role they will play in shaping public policy in Washington, DC.

The ANCA Capital Gateway Program builds on the successes of the ANCA Leo Sarkisian Summer Internship, now in its 20th year. Expanding from its traditional 6-week to an 8-week program, the Summer internship program provides student leaders and activists from across the U.S. intensive training in the skills necessary to effectively advance issues of concern to the Armenian American community on the federal, state and local level. Beginning this fall, the ANCA will also be accepting interns at its Washington, DC offices throughout the course of the year for 8-12 week periods.

In addition to the ANCA internship component, the Capital Gateway Program will place special emphasis in assisting qualified university and college students in securing internships on Capitol Hill throughout the year. Congressional internships provide a unique opportunity to understand the inner workings of Congress and encourage greater political participation in the future. The program will also urge students who attend universities with “Semester-In-Washington” programs to take advantage of those programs and assist in finding the internship best suited for them on Capitol Hill. A list of the most prominent of these university programs will be provided on the ANCA website in the near future.

Another core focus of the program will be to help professionals seeking full-time positions on Capitol Hill or at key Washington based think tanks by offering networking and job banking resources. In the competitive and challenging search for a career in Washington, this kind of support can help secure more opportunities that otherwise might be difficult to find.

The ANCA Capital Gateway Program is made possible through a grant from the Cafesjian Family Foundation, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “We very much appreciate the generous support of the Cafesjian Family Foundation and value their commitment to helping talented and motivated young Armenian Americans realize their potential in the public policy field,” said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. “We will, I am certain, continue to see far-reaching benefits from this program for years to come, as the young Armenians introduced to Washington, DC through Capital Gateway rise in influence and experience.”

Washington, DC native Arsineh Khachikian joined the ANCA staff recently to serve as director of the program. “We are very excited to start matching talented, energetic Armenians with challenging public policy internship and job opportunities here in Washington, DC,” explained Khachikian. “The Capital Gateway Program will open doors for the youth of our community to learn about, explore, and pursue careers in fields that directly impact Armenia and all aspects of our lives here in the United States.”

Detailed information for participating in this program will be provided on www.anca.org in the coming weeks.