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"Presidential Classroom was an invaluable experience for me as a student. Now I have several PC alumni working in my office as staffers and interns. I can't think of a better way to experience Washington and democracy in action."
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Excellence in Civic Education Since 1968
Our mission is to prepare young leaders for responsible citizenship and provide outstanding high school students the chance to explore the political process firsthand. Every year, students travel to Washington, D.C., from the United States and abroad, to witness the federal government at work through Presidential Classroom. More than 115,000 scholars have passed through Presidential Classroom’s doors since 1968.
Our faculty – who serve as Volunteer Instructors – is comprised of professionals in the government, law, business, academia and the military. Our Interns are carefully selected from leading colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. Aimed at the high-achieving student, our programs are unique and challenging leadership development experiences. Presidential Classroom Scholars must be high school sophomores, juniors or seniors with a minimum 3.0 grade point average. Presidential Classroom is approved by the National Association of Secondary School Principals List of Activities and endorsed by the National Education Association, Congressional Youth Award, and Who’s Who Among American High School Students. We offer 18 week-long programs from February to March (Winter Session) and June through July (Summer Session). Our 2008 programs include:
Presidential Classroom History In 1968, with the rise of a strong youth voice in American politics, Presidential Classroom was chartered in Washington, D.C. Presidential Classroom followed in the tradition of U.S. Presidents who were interested in education (some were educators themselves), including Woodrow Wilson and Lyndon B. Johnson. President Kennedy, who challenged the young to public service, sponsored two pilot programs during his administration - “Widening Horizons” and the “White House Seminars.” During the Johnson Administration, Vice President Hubert Humphrey led the “Washington Briefings.” As the success of the idea became apparent and more students clamored to learn how their government worked in the nation’s capital, the blueprint for the program was transferred from the White House to a board of directors, comprised of prominent educators and citizens, to become Presidential Classroom. In recent years, Presidential Classroom, a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) civic organization, has developed new programs to address issues concerning science and technology, business, national security, law and justice, news media and international relations. These programs, along with the flagship Presidential Classroom Scholars Program, now attract thousands of outstanding high school students to Washington annually. |
Presidential Classroom provides the next generation of civic leaders with an extraordinary academic and leadership development experience in Washington, D.C. High School
sophomores, juniors and seniors observe the federal government at work, witness the development of public policy and explore the roles of citizens, lawmakers, experts and businesses in the world’s most successful democracy. Presidential Classroom takes students behind the scenes of our nation’s capital for seminars and discussions featuring members of Congress, presidential appointees, senior military officials, top business leaders and journalists. Students also observe the United States Congress in action, visit the renowned sites of our nation’s capital and debate key issues with their peers. Many PC Scholars mark their week in Washington as a turning point in the search for their future role in society. Presidential Classroom Scholars (PC Scholars) from the United States and abroad:
Recent speakers include: Former Secretary of State General Colin Powell, Vice President Richard Cheney; Cabinet Secretaries Elaine Chao and Mike Johanns; Secret Service Director, Mark J. Sullivan; U.S. Marshals Director, John Clark; special assistant to the President, Frances Townsend; former presidential candidate Ralph Nader; DNC Chairman, Howard Dean; inventor Dean Kamen; Vice President of