Government/Policy/Politics Program in DC: St. Albans School of Public Service

Pre-College Issues Summer Programs
1

<p>Hi, all --</p>

<p>For any rising seniors who might be interested in government, public policy, and public service, we encourage you to take at look at the St. Albans School of Public Service ("SPS"), a small, four-week, co-ed, residential and day summer progam in the heart of Washington, DC. During SPS you use the case-study method to debate and dissect policy issues ranging from the use of drones in warfare to the ethics of undercover journalism; visit and talk with public servants from a U.S. Supreme Court Justice to a Teach for America participant right out of college; and get to hang out and explore DC with 35 like-minded peers from all over the USA and abroad. We have rolling admissions and do offer financial aid.</p>

<p>If you might be interested, you can check out:
1. Our website: St</a>. Albans School
2. Our Facebook page (lots of posts from last summer's program, June/July 2012): <a href="http://www.facebook.com/schoolofpublicservice#!/StAlbansSchoolOfPublicService%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.facebook.com/schoolofpublicservice#!/StAlbansSchoolOfPublicService&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br>
3. Our in-session blog from summer 2012, which has day by day descriptions with photo and video of life during the session: School</a> of Public Service Blog</p>

<p>I am hoping some of our alums might join this thread with reviews, but in the meantime, we are happy to answer any questions you might have about SPS itself or the application process.</p>

<p>Thanks and good luck planning for this summer,</p>

<p>The St. Albans School of Public Service
Washington, D.C.</p>

2

<p>I have done this program within the last couple of years. I absolutely loved it. I had not heard that much about it, because it is small (we had fewer than 40 kids in our program), but after hearing some great word of mouth and researching it on the web I applied and attended. I cannot believe how much we did in one month in DC, and how much I still think about some of the speakers or case studies or think tank panels I heard/participated in that summer. I loved getting a chance to ask a question of a Supreme Court justice in a fancy room at the Supreme Court with a chandelier, and talking to a State Department Foreign Service officer in her early 30s pretty much convinced me that that is what I want to be when I grow up, but the best part was everyone else and how much laughing and arguing and hanging out and having adventures we did in those weeks. I count my roommate from SPS, who lives 3000 miles away from me, as one of my best friends now. If you are a debate/Model Congress/Model UN/Young Democrats/Young Republicans type of kid, check this program out – it blows the other DC/government programs (I did some, and liked them too) out of the water.</p>

<p>I don’t always check CC so much anymore (just late night procrastinating), but if people have questions, private message me and I’ll try to answer pretty quickly. I’m like a crazy person about this program but it was that good.</p>

3

<p>I also am a past participant in the St. Albans School of Public Service program (SPS), and loved it – substantively meaningful for someone like me, who is interested in law school some day but interested in talking about a wider range of politics/international affairs type careers. Unbelievable speakers – some of whom I ended up contacting after the program for some career-related advice; really thought-provoking case studies (I loved debating the ins and outs of drone warfare, for example); and just a really great mix of “fun DC stuff” (outdoor film festivals) and “serious DC stuff” (touring the Capitol, getting a private tour of a Smithsonian Museum, going to programs on world affairs at top DC think tanks). I was busy but there was also a lot of time to relax and see if DC is somewhere I can imagine myself living someday. </p>

<p>I also don’t check CC all the time but would be happy to answer some questions (if you’re patient) from the point of view of a participant.</p>

4

<p>Over the summer between my junior and senior years, I also participated in a month-long academic program called the St. Albans School of Public Service (SPS). The program was designed for thirty-five rising seniors and focused on different forms of service in both the public and private sectors. I came into the program with no idea of what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised by just how fun and informative the program was (we even played laser-tag on Saturday afternoon). Over the four weeks, we met with senators, congressmen, a Supreme Court Justice, various lobbyists, and not-for-profit workers, all of whom took what little extra time they had to speak to a curious group of seventeen-year-olds. </p>

<p>I personally was most inspired by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island, who spoke of the Senate stalemate and of the polarization of political parties with such disgust that he went so far as to say he felt embarrassed to be a part of such an inactive and uncooperative legislative branch. Often throughout the program, I found my own beliefs called into question when my more conservative peers introduced a new way of looking at the same problem. I saw that when creating the best solution, both sides had to compromise, a capability that, according to Senator Whitehouse, the 112th United States Congress does not possess. </p>

<p>While Congress continued to show their failure to compromise, the students of SPS demonstrated our ability to do so through the discussion of the use of predator drones. The most liberal-minded of the group were at first strongly opposed to the use of unmanned killing vehicles, viewing such machines as dehumanizing and taking the dignity and fear out of warfare. The conservatives, however, believed that predator drones would save countless American lives and are more effective in tracking down the enemy. After arguing for the better half of the given hour, each side accepted the opinion of the other, and we, as a group, decided that while unmanned vehicles are acceptable for surveillance purposes, the vehicles should not be armed, leaving any true destruction to people in the warfront. </p>

<p>By the end of the month, I felt more informed and more open-minded on local, national and global issues. Since participating in the program, I continue to read articles and debate various topics of interest with my friends and family within reason. And, with the arrival of an election and my eighteenth birthday, I made sure to keep a close watch on the 2012 Presidential, Senate and House candidates.</p>

5

<p>Hello, all –
We are posting a recent review of our program from a 2012 participant (a young man from the Boston area). He does such a good job describing the program that we are thinking of having him re-write our brochure (not really joking there). If you are interested and might like to talk or email with a recent past participant, get in touch with us via private message on college confidential or email (our email address is on our main website, listed in the first post, and is listed on College Confidential on our user profile) and we can put you in touch with a student.</p>

<p>Admissions is rolling, so there is no firm deadline, but the program is very small (only 35-40 applicants) and every year we have many more applications than spots. Thus, if you think you want to apply it is a good idea to get in touch with us and let us know to expect your application.</p>

<p>Here’s the review:</p>

<p>"St. Albans SPS is definitely the perfect summer program for anyone interested in government, public service/policy, law, or economics. The program is comprised of case-studies from the Kennedy School of Gov, speakers from all facets of DC and political life, and curricular trips in and around the District. St Albans benefits both from the superb caliber of faculty and students (who are all not only smart, but in my experience were all also incredibly and genuinely interested) and also the big-name speakers it is able to pull. What defines the St Albans experience for me is that just a few days after arriving at the program, we were in a private meeting at the Supreme Court discussing Constitutional Law with Justice Elena Kagan. We were repeatedly given similar opportunities, where we would spend a few days on a given topic, and then meet the person(s) who were and are at the center of these issues today. The program does an excellent job of putting into concrete practice ideas and areas that you may have previously been only abstractly interested in, and can shape your interests more specifically while testing which ones you actually enjoy the most. Another great part of St. Albans is the simulations which are done frequently throughout. These scenarios had students playing the role of PAC Directors, lawyers and Supreme Court Justices, int’l diplomats and freshman congressman managing our reelection campaigns. All of these experiences were able to give us a flavor for the various sides of politics and government, without letting one necessarily dominate the focus. Activities out of the classroom are also a great part of SPS. Whether they were curricular trips (such as the US Congress or various DC Think-Tanks) or just fun weekend trips around DC, VA, and MD, the opportunities to explore the area are a vital part of St Albans. All the stuff that I had seen when visiting DC as a tourist was covered, but so too were quirky, lesser-known sites that made the trip unique. I would definitely recommend St Albans in the highest possible degree to anyone who’s considering a political or legal path, or who is just interesting in exploring these fields. Not only will the experience itself be well worth the investment, but everyone involved in the program will have a similar passion and a great camaraderie. "</p>

<p>–2012 Participant, Boston MA</p>

6

<p>Dear Class of 2015 (current juniors),</p>

<p>Here’s a quick bump of this thread for students who might be interested in D.C. summer programs. The St. Albans School of Public Service is a public policy/leadership/government program that has both residential and day students. It is very small – approximately 40 students – and offers a great look at DC, public service, and public policy. We tend to find that students who like Model UN, Model Congress, and mock trial particularly enjoy the program. </p>

<p>Our website ([St</a>. Albans School](<a href=“http://www.schoolofpublicservice.org%5DSt”>http://www.schoolofpublicservice.org)) and our summer 2013 in-session blog ([School</a> of Public Service Blog](<a href=“http://www.schoolofpublicservice.blogspot.com%5DSchool”>http://www.schoolofpublicservice.blogspot.com)) have much more information as well. We have rolling admissions but because the program is small it tends to fill up relatively quickly, so we encourage interested applicants not to wait until later in the spring to apply.</p>

<p>Happy New Year all!</p>

<p>Best wishes,</p>

<p>The St. Albans School of Public Service</p>