The Max Baucus Institute
 The Max Baucus Institute invites applications from undergraduate and graduate students attending Montana-based universities and colleges to be 2025 Baucus Leaders. This is a paid summer internship opportunity in Washington, DC. 

The Baucus Institute is a Montana-based nonprofit organization founded on Max's extensive public service career as the longest-serving U.S. Senator for Montana, and the U.S. Ambassador to China. We work to break down barriers so that Montana students can see, serve, and lead locally and throughout the world. We do this through three areas of focus: public service, climate, and U.S.-China relations.

Baucus Leaders DC Program
  The Baucus Leaders program is founded on Max's legacy as a U.S. Senator and his desire to get Montana students involved in public service. This program is generously supported by the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation. 

Baucus Leaders are placed with U.S. Senate offices as summer interns. The 2025 Baucus Leader placements are not yet finalized, but will be bipartisan, similar to previous years. Examples of partner DC offices include: 

• Senator Jon Tester (D–MT)
• Senator Steve Daines (R–MT)
• Senator Charles Grassley (R–IA)
• Senator Amy Klobuchar (D–MN)
• Senator Chuck Schumer (D–NY)
• Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID)
• The U.S. Senate Finance Committee
   

Dates & Funding
  Each internship will start on or around June 1 and end on or around August 1.  Baucus Leaders receive a $5,000 stipend to support travel and living expenses. The Baucus Leader will be solely responsible for any expenses incurred during the internship period over and above this amount.
 

Qualifications
  Baucus Leaders are selected based on commitment to service, academic performance, and interest in a public service career (working for a U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal government, or nonprofit organization). The program is open to all current undergraduate and graduate students at Montana-based colleges and universities. Students must be in good academic standing at the time of applying. Students must be enrolled full-time at a Montana public college or university during Spring Semester 2025. Students from BIPOC, LGBTQ+2S, and marginalized communities are highly encouraged to apply.

Application Materials

• 500 word statement about why you want to be a Baucus Leader and your commitment and interest in public service 
• Resume
• Academic Transcript (can be unofficial)
• Letter of Recommendation

Applicant Selection Process
  The Institute will select two to three finalists for each internship. Finalists will be notified by email of their selection in late February or early March. Finalists will likely be interviewed by the DC office either by phone or online, but there is no guarantee that an interview will be conducted as part of their selection process. The DC office has final selection of their Baucus Leader(s). A finalist may be required to submit additional application materials to that office.

Applications are due Thursday, January 23, 2025 at 11:59pm MST.
 

Please contact Deputy Director Mel Brittner Wells via email (mel@baucusinstitute.org) with any questions you have about the program. We look forward to reviewing your application.

The Max Baucus Institute
 The Max Baucus Institute invites applications from undergraduate and graduate students attending Montana-based universities and colleges to be 2025 Baucus Climate Scholars. This is a paid summer internship opportunity. 

The Baucus Institute is a Montana-based nonprofit founded on Max's extensive public service career as the longest-serving U.S. Senator for Montana, and the U.S. Ambassador to China. We work to break down barriers so that Montana students can see, serve, and lead locally and throughout the world. We do this through three areas of focus: public service, climate, and U.S.-China relations.

Baucus Climate Scholars Program
  The Baucus Climate Scholars program builds off of Senator Baucus's long and distinguished bipartisan legislative record in environmental and natural resources matters, including his sponsorship of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and his leadership in protecting wild lands along the Rocky Mountain Front. We want to continue this legacy by providing opportunities to students with an interest in natural resources and environmental and climate issues to work with organizations on the frontlines. 

Baucus Climate Scholars are placed with host organizations as summer interns. Climate Scholars work full-time for about two months. The placements are a mix of in-person, hybrid, and remote work, and will depend on each organization's preferences. 

The 2025 Climate Scholar placements is not yet finalized, but will be similar to previous years. Examples of partner organizations include: 

• The Nature Conservancy (Singapore)
• The Climate Reality Project (founded by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore)
• The International Energy Agency (Paris, France)
• The Nature Conservancy (Montana)
• The Atlantic Council (DC)
• The Climate Initiative (Maine)
• Northwestern Energy (Helena, MT)
• LanzaTech (carbon recycling tech, DC)
• Big Sky Sustainability Network (Big Sky, MT)
• Shanghai Disneyland

Projects that Baucus Climate Scholars have worked on include literature reviews, collaborating on original research, writing research reports and briefs, creating resource packets, creating maps, writing recommendations, and assisting with trainings/meetings. 

Dates & Funding
  Each internship will be full-time. Interns will start on or around June 1 and end on or around August 1. Baucus Climate Scholars will be given a $5,000 stipend to cover living and travel expenses during their internship. The Baucus Climate Scholar will be solely responsible for any expenses incurred during the internship period over and above this amount.

Qualifications
  Baucus Climate Scholars are selected based on commitment to public service, academic performance, and interest in climate change and environmental policy. The program is open to all current undergraduate and graduate students at Montana-based colleges and universities. Students must be in good academic standing at the time of applying and must be enrolled as full-time students at a Montana public college or university during Spring Semester 2025. Students from BIPOC, LGBTQ+2S, and under-resourced communities are highly encouraged to apply.

Application Materials

• Resume (upload) 
• 500 word statement about why you want to be a Baucus Climate Scholar & your commitment to/interest in climate change and environmental policy
• Academic Transcript (can be unofficial)
• Letter of recommendation

Applications are due Thursday, January 23, 2025 at 11:59pm (end of day) MST.
 

Please contact Deputy Director Mel Brittner Wells via email (mel@baucusinstitute.org) with any questions. We look forward to reviewing your application.

The Max Baucus Institute
The Max S. Baucus Institute invites from undergraduate and graduate students attending Montana-based universities and colleges to be 2025 Baucus Leaders MT. This is a paid summer internship opportunity. 

The Baucus Institute is a Montana-based nonprofit founded on Max's extensive public service career as the longest-serving U.S. Senator for Montana, and the U.S. Ambassador to China. We work to break down barriers so that Montana students can see, serve, and lead locally and throughout the world. We do this through three areas of focus: public service, climate, and U.S.-China relations.

Baucus Leaders MT Program
The Baucus Leaders MT program is modeled after our Baucus Leaders program in Washington, DC, but with a local focus. This program gives students opportunities to work with Montana-based governmental and nonprofit organizations. 

Examples of past student internships include:

• UM's American Indian Governance & Policy Institute
• Montana Budget & Policy Center
• Montana Nonprofit Association 
• Native American Development Corporation
• City of Missoula
• Montana League of Cities & Towns
• Montana World Affairs Council
• Missoula County

Dates & Funding
Each fellowship will start on or around June 1 and end on or around August 1. Baucus Leaders MT will be given a $3,000 stipend. The Baucus Leader will be solely responsible for any expenses incurred during the experience over and above this amount.

Qualifications
Baucus Leaders MT will be selected based on commitment to public service, academic performance, and interest in Montana's public sector. The program is open to all students currently enrolled (online or in-person) as undergrad or graduate students at a Montana-based college or university. Students must be in good academic standing and continue to be enrolled in Spring Semester 2024. Students from BIPOC, LGBTQ+2S, and under-resourced communities are highly encouraged to apply.
 

Application Materials

• 500 word statement about why you want to be a Baucus Leader MT and your commitment to and interest in public service
• Resume
• Academic transcript (can be unofficial)
• Letter of recommendation

Applications are due Thursday, January 23, 2025 at 11:59pm (end of day) MST.
Please contact Deputy Director Mel Brittner Wells via email (mel@baucusinstitute.org) with any questions you have about the program. We look forward to reviewing your application.

The Max Baucus Institute, the Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana, and the University College Cork collaborate on a Comparative Law course every spring. Students in this program will work directly with law faculty and other students from both law schools to analyze current legal issues through a comparative lens. This program includes lectures, skills exercises, and enrichment activities, including observing Irish court proceedings.

The program is inspired by Max's life and work experience building diplomatic bridges, both as a U.S. Senator for Montana and the U.S. Ambassador to China. The Baucus Institute works to break down barriers for students to have immersive, life-changing international experiences that will inspire them to engage in public service. The students, many of whom have never traveled internationally, engage in people-to-people diplomacy with students, professors, and leaders.

2025 Program: 

Dates: May 23 - June 6, 2025. (Students should plan to check in to lodging in Cork on Thursday, May 22, and check out on Saturday, June 7.) 

Focus: Comparative Constitutional Law - Persuading Agencies & Challenging Agency Actions

Credits: A 2-credit comparative law course. Grading will be credit/no credit. Students who successfully complete the course will also meet the Oral Advocacy Requirement required for all ABIII students.

Location: University College Cork in Cork, Ireland. Lodging for 2025 will be at the UCC dorm The Crow's Nest, which is the nicest UCC housing available. It is a large part of the program cost. 

Cost: $3,950. This covers tuition, lodging, international health insurance, and program activities in Cork. Students must purchase their own flights and meals. A nonrefundable deposit of $500 is required to secure a spot in the program. (If the program is cancelled for any reason, the deposit will be refunded.) 

The deposit payment system is through University of Montana's Treasury Services. Mel Brittner Wells, Deputy Director at the Baucus Institute, will email applicants with specific instructions for paying the deposit. If you have questions, you can reach her at mel@baucusinstitute.org. 

Participants will be accepted on a rolling basis until the program cap of 20 participants is reached, or until February 15, 2025, whichever is first. Students must pay a $500 deposit to secure their spot.

NOTE: For the purposes of this program, the information included in this application will be shared with the Max Baucus Institute, a 501(c)(3), as well as the Alexander Blewett III School of Law. 

The Max Baucus Institute is planning to bring up to 15 students from Montana-based universities and colleges to China for a four-week academic exchange. The program includes many seminars and visits to high-tech, cultural, and rural sites, providing opportunities for students to learn about Chinese culture, green technology, environment, rural development, and language—while developing intercultural communication skills in an immersive setting. The Baucus Institute is offering scholarships that will cover flights, visas, and in-country program expenses for participating students. 

Please complete this short application (contact details and 300-word essay) and submit it no later than midnight on Thursday, January 23, 2025. See program details below.

Program Dates: May 23 to June 20, 2025. (Please plan to arrive in Beijing on or before May 22 and depart Shanghai on or after June 21).

Destinations: Beijing, Jinan, and Shanghai. Campus visits include Tsinghua University and Peking University in Beijing, Shandong University in Jinan, and Shanghai Ocean University in Shanghai.

Expenses: Nearly all expenses are covered, including lodging, in-country travel, international health insurance, and group meals. Each student will receive a $1,000 scholarship for flight expenses to and from China. Students should plan to pay for their own snacks, souvenirs, and other miscellaneous personal expenses.

Requirements: Be in good academic standing and enrolled at a Montana-based university or college in Spring 2025. Also, have a current passport that is valid through at least January 2026. 

If you have questions, please contact the Baucus Institute at hello@baucusinstitute.org. 

In Summer 2025, the Baucus Institute will bring up to 15 students from Montana-based colleges and universities to China for this month-long program. Students will be hosted on Hangzhou Wanxiang Polytechnic’s campus in Hangzhou, bookended with trips to Beijing and Shanghai. (Yes, the Beijing part usually includes a visit to the Great Wall and the Forbidden City.) This program has an emphasis on learning about China’s sustainability efforts, with lectures and site visits. Students will also participate in several cultural courses and day trips to culturally and historically significant sites. 

Please complete this short application (contact details and 300-word essay) and submit it no later than midnight on Thursday, January 23, 2025. See program details below.

Program Dates: June 29 to July 26, 2024. (Participants should plan to arrive in Beijing on or before June 28, and depart from Shanghai on or after July 27.) 

Host: Hangzhou Wanxiang Polytechnic and the Max S. Baucus Institute

Destinations: Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai, China

Program: NOT for credit, but for cultural exchange and learning about environmental and climate issues. To download an example itinerary from a previous year, please click here. 

Expenses: Almost none. Nearly all expenses are covered, including flights to/from China, in-country travel, lodging, travel insurance, and most meals. Participants will need to cover personal expenses such as souvenir purchases and snacks. 

Requirements: Have a passport that does NOT expire before January 2026. Be in good academic standing and enrolled at a Montana-based college or university in Spring 2025. 

Other details: This program has an emphasis on learning about China's sustainability efforts, with lectures and site visits to power plants, EV battery manufacturers, and the Wanxiang Innova Smart City project. Students will also participate in several cultural courses, likely including tea ceremonies, martial arts, language classes, calligraphy, making incense art, and woodblock printing. Day trips usually include visits to  a silk museum, the Xixi wetlands, a tea farm, and an evening canal cruise through Hangzhou. Lunches and dinners are group events, creating informal opportunities for American and Chinese students to learn about each other over shared meals.

   If you have questions, please contact the Baucus Institute at hello@baucusinstitute.org.