City of Fort Worth Internship 2027–2028: Deadlines & How to Apply

Last updated: November 2026

The City of Fort Worth's main paid internship gives you one short window. Applications for the 2026 NextGen Ambassador Program ran only from April 1 to 7, 2026, for an eight-week placement from June 2 to July 24 at $18.00 an hour, 20 hours a week. Earlier windows ran about three weeks, from mid-March to early April. NextGen is open to ages 17 to 22, so high school seniors apply alongside college students. On 12 November 2026 the City's Greenhouse job board listed no internships, and the summer 2027 posting isn't up yet. In plain words: you apply in spring 2027 and intern in summer 2027. College students who want policing or police-oversight experience can email two unpaid programs now.

Quick Facts

NextGen applications for summer 2027 are expected around mid-March to early April 2027, and the 2026 window lasted seven days. The unpaid police and police-oversight internships take email applications at any time.

Externships are short, remote programs where you finish a real project for a real company, most commonly over 8 weeks at 5 to 10 hours a week. The Juvenile Justice Policy Analyst Externship with CIYJ practices the research and policy writing the City's oversight office asks for, and the Health Research & Data Analytics Externship with ARCeH builds data analysis you can bring to any City department. Explore all Externships.

What Is a City of Fort Worth Internship?

A City of Fort Worth internship is a student role inside the municipal government of Fort Worth, Texas, which describes itself as "the 11th largest" US city with "more than 1 million residents." This page covers the City as an employer. The main route is the paid NextGen Ambassador Program, which the HR department calls its summer internship program: each Ambassador is "matched to one city department" for eight weeks, with a weekly professional development session. The 2026 form listed 19 departments, including Aviation, Code Compliance, Environmental Services, Fire, IT, the Public Library, Park and Recreation, Transportation & Public Works and Water. NextGen took 39 participants in 2023 and 37 in 2024. Two unpaid programs serve college students: the Police Department internship and the Office of the Police Oversight Monitor internship. Fort Worth Sister Cities International is a separate nonprofit.

When Do City of Fort Worth Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

NextGen has run on the same calendar for four summers, with one change. From 2023 to 2025 applications opened in mid-March and closed between April 7 and April 10 (March 17 to April 7 in 2025). In 2026 the window opened later and ran only April 1 to 7. Each program started in early June and ended in late July, so the lead from application to start is about two months. Applications for summer 2027 aren't announced. Based on those four cycles they're expected to open between mid-March and early April 2027 and close around April 7, 2027; the close date has held steady, the open date hasn't. The police and oversight internships have no window.

How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and daily posting data. Treat them as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The company's official careers page is always the most current source. If a role is posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.

Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open

NextGen is a short window with a firm cutoff. The 2026 posting named its deadline, "Tuesday, April 7, 2026," and the City's page gave the application period as April 1 to 7. That's seven days, down from about three weeks in 2023 to 2025. The job board also says the City "reserves the right to close a position without notice." There's one posting for the whole program, so if you miss the week you wait a year. Set an alert and apply the day the summer 2027 posting appears.

Which City of Fort Worth Internship Programs Should You Target?

The City runs one paid summer program and two unpaid internships for college students. Check pay, age limits and hours before you apply.

Details sit on the NextGen Ambassador Program page, the Police Department internship page and the oversight office's program description. Youth programs such as the Police Explorers and Rising Stars (ages 13 to 17) aren't internships.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Each program sets its own rules, and they differ a lot.

• Age, NextGen: "Young leaders 17 – 22 years of age." The 2026 form accepted high school, trade or college education, so this is a youth and young-adult program, not a college-only internship.

• Availability, NextGen: the 2026 form asked whether you could work 9 am to 1 pm, Monday through Friday, for the full program dates.

• Police Department: ages 18 to 32, enrolled in college with a GPA of 2.0 or higher, plus a resume, your current course list and the dates you want to intern. You must also pass the Human Resources process.

• Oversight office: undergraduates at sophomore level and above, master's or JD candidates, and graduates from the past two years in criminal justice, public administration, law, social sciences or related fields.

• Residency: no Fort Worth residency or local-school rule is published for any of the three programs.

• Work authorization: not stated on the program pages.

Is There a GPA Cutoff?

Only the Police Department publishes one: a GPA of 2.0 or higher. NextGen and the oversight office don't list a GPA. The oversight office asks for "Strong research, analytical, and writing skills" instead, and NextGen screens on age, availability and the departments you rank.

What Skills Does the City of Fort Worth Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

The City publishes three program texts rather than many job descriptions, so treat the counts as a sketch. Report writing and policy come up most: the oversight office lists "report writing, case review, and community outreach," and the Police Department names "report writing" and exposure to "policy, procedure, and supervision." Professionalism and community engagement follow, from the police page's "communication skills, teamwork, accountability, time management, and professionalism" to the oversight office's "Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and professionalism." NextGen itself is about municipal operations: its goal is "to introduce our future leaders to municipal operations."

How Is Demand for Policy Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Each row ties a phrase from a City program text to a remote Externship that leaves you with a finished project to describe.

None of these Externships is connected to the City of Fort Worth. They help because a finished project gives you something concrete to list under work and activities on the NextGen form, or to send with an email to the oversight office.

What Is the City of Fort Worth Application and Interview Process Like?

These steps come from the 2026 NextGen posting and the two program pages.

1. Watch the City's job board from March 2027. The NextGen posting is a single listing on the City's Greenhouse board, linked from the NextGen page.

2. Fill in the NextGen form. In 2026 it asked you to confirm your age and date of birth, your availability for 9 am to 1 pm weekdays, a parent, guardian or emergency contact, your school and education level, your work and activities from the past two years, your strengths and your top three of 19 departments.

3. Attach a resume. A resume was required; a cover letter was optional.

4. Wait for contact. "Candidates will be contacted by a City representative for more details." Pre-employment checks could include a criminal background check, a drug screen and education verification.

5. For the unpaid internships, email directly. The Police Department asks for your resume, course list and dates, and says "If there are any available or open slots, you will be contacted for an interview." The oversight office takes applications at PoliceOversight@fortworthtexas.gov.

Questions about NextGen go to nextgen@fortworthtexas.gov. The police page names its own contacts; use the addresses listed there.

What Students on Reddit Say

Reddit has almost nothing first-hand on City of Fort Worth internships. These two threads, read in full and lightly paraphrased, are the closest we found; read them as background.

How Do You Stand Out for a City of Fort Worth Internship?

First, be on time: set a job alert before March, because the 2026 window lasted seven days. Second, rank your three departments with care, and use the strengths and activities questions to show why each fits you. Third, make sure you can work 9 am to 1 pm every weekday for all eight weeks, since the form asks. If you're a college student interested in criminal justice or policy, email the oversight office now; it offers academic credit with prior approval. The City publishes cohort sizes (39 in 2023, 37 in 2024) but no applicant counts or conversion rate.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Students applying to the City of Fort Worth often also look at these public-sector employers.

For more public-sector options and their timing, see our government internships summer 2027 guide.

FAQ

Can I still apply for a summer 2026 City of Fort Worth internship?

No. The 2026 NextGen window closed on April 7, 2026, and the program ran from June 2 to July 24, 2026. NextGen applications for summer 2027 are expected between mid-March and early April 2027. College students can email the Police Department or the oversight office about their unpaid internships now.

Does the City of Fort Worth pay interns?

NextGen Ambassadors are paid: $18.00 an hour in 2025 and 2026, up from $15.45 in 2024 and $15 in 2023. At 20 hours a week for eight weeks that's at most $2,880 (our calculation). The Police Department internship is unpaid, and the oversight office's is unpaid with academic credit possible.

When do NextGen applications for summer 2027 open?

The City hasn't announced them. Based on 2023 to 2026 they're expected between mid-March and early April 2027, closing around April 7. The open date is the least certain part: it moved from mid-March to April 1 in 2026, and the window shrank from about three weeks to seven days.

Who can apply to the NextGen Ambassador Program?

People aged 17 to 22, in the City's words "Young leaders 17 – 22 years of age." The 2026 form accepted high school, trade or college education, and past cohorts mixed high school students and young adults. No residency rule is published. You must be free 9 am to 1 pm on weekdays for the full program.

Are there City of Fort Worth internships just for college students?

Yes, two, both unpaid. The Police Department internship is for current college students aged 18 to 32 with a GPA of 2.0 or higher. The Office of the Police Oversight Monitor takes sophomores and above, master's or JD candidates and recent graduates, for 8 weeks to 12 months at 15 or more hours a week.

How do I apply for a City of Fort Worth internship?

For NextGen, apply on the City's Greenhouse job board during the spring window, with a resume and the form's questions on availability, education and your top three departments. For the police internship, email the contacts on its program page. For the oversight office, email PoliceOversight@fortworthtexas.gov.

Which departments host NextGen Ambassadors?

The 2026 form listed 19, including Aviation, Code Compliance, Development Services, Environmental Services, Fire, Human Resources, IT, the Public Library, the Mayor and City Manager's Office, Municipal Court, Park and Recreation, Police, Transportation & Public Works and Water. Each Ambassador is matched to one department for the summer.

Does a City of Fort Worth internship lead to a job?

It can, but the City publishes no conversion rate. The Police Department says its internships "serve as a pipeline" by familiarizing interns with department expectations, and NextGen aims to introduce participants to local government careers. Treat either as experience and a contact, not a guaranteed job offer.

NextGen applications for summer 2027 are expected in spring 2027 and may stay open only a week. If you want a finished project to list on the form before then, a remote Externship fits around classes at 5 to 10 hours a week.