Action Items

• Get Involved: Register to host a high school intern during the 2025-2026 school year by Aug. 15. 
  
  
• Learn about AEF’s 15 Career Ready Interns (CRI) who AEF hosted this summer. Thank you to all the partners who contributed to their work-based learning experience. 
  
  
• We also appreciate everyone who joined us for the annual July 4th VIP Celebration.  Thanks to your participation in the event, raffle and auction, we raised over $24,000 to benefit DC high school student programs.    

AEF's CRIs participated in a project-based internship to gain invaluable experience and research all aspects of DC’s hospitality industry. 

Join us in congratulating our interns on a packed six-week experience.

"Destination DC and AEF allowed me to show up as my authentic self. Through my presentations every Thursday, I’ve been able to speak on topics I'm extremely passionate about and develop my public speaking. I was able to network with individuals that truly want to see the next generation succeed and offer so many opportunities for young students. I've been able to connect with people who helped me prepare for college applications and guide me along the way. Thank you to my colleagues who made work so enjoyable. Seeing such a diverse group of people work so well together makes me so pleased for all of their futures." – Micah Bracey, AEF CRI Intern, Jackson-Reed High School '26

Thank you to the professionals who generously volunteered to provide valuable feedback during the interns' weekly presentations and to our work-based learning partners:  

• Anacostia Park Skating Pavillion
• Anacostia Riverkeepers
• Ben's Chili Bowl
• Black Broadway Tours
• Care First Arena
• City Cruises 
• Concord Hospitality
• Conrad Washington, DC
• Convene 
• DC Bird Alliance
• DC Public Library  
• Destination DC
• Donohoe Hospitality
• Embassy Suites by Hilton Washington DC Convention Center
• Events DC
• Fogo De Chao 

• Go Go Museum & Café
• International Spy Museum
• Marianne’s by DC Central Kitchen
• Moxy Washington, DC Downtown
• National Arboretum 
• National Bonsai and Penjing Museum 
• National Portrait Gallery
• NPR 
• Planet Word
• ROCKLANDS Barbeque and Grilling Company
• Smithsonian Folklife Festival
• Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art
• Sycamore & Oak
• The Point
• USA Guided Tours 

Be among the first to hear about host employer opportunities for the upcoming school year. Share your expertise by reviewing resumes, leading mock interviews or offering behind-the-scenes tours of your workplace. 

Thank you for an incredible July 4th VIP Celebration!

With your support, AEF raised over $24,000 to inspire, train and educate our next generation of DC leaders.

Thanks to our partners who helped make the celebration a success.

• American Pharmacists Association 
• Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association (WANADA)
• Hargrove
• American Society of Association Executives (ASAE)
• NFP
• LINK Strategic Partners 
• Destination DC
• Ridgewells Catering
• Revolution Event Design and Production 
• Encore 

• Uncorked DC
• District Winery
• The Headliner Group 
• Derek Lamar Studios
• Bialek’s Music
• Here’s The Scoop
• Smiley Jump
• A Mother's Prayer Placement 
• Designs R Us 
• Alphagraphics
• PMI Parking

Support students ahead of the 2025-26 school year and be a part of their college and career journey.

Help create meaningful opportunities for high school seniors in the Academies of Hospitality & Tourism, Culinary Arts and Mass Media throughout the year as they seek to gain experience in the hospitality industry. 

Interns are paid by the Office of the State Superintendent for Educuation's (OSSE) Advanced Internship Program, so there is no cost to your company. Internships are 8-12 hours per week and run from Nov. 12, 2025 – May 22, 2026.

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