For Immediate Release Contact: Liz Wainger
301-340-6831/301-461-3780 liz@waingergroup.com

(Washington, DC, June 16, 2003)…Thirty high school students from 13 states and the District of Columbia will arrive at the Cathedral Close in Washington on June 22nd for four weeks of total immersion into the art and science of public policy. The students were selected to participate in the highly competitive School of Public Service, an intensive summer program that combines rigorous academics with personal visits and meetings with leaders at the highest levels of government, media and business. The goal is to give students a thorough understanding of the challenges of shaping and implementing public policy.

“Now more than ever, our country needs talented people to enter the field of public service. At the School of Public Service, we hope to demonstrate that civic engagement is not only vital to the health and future of our country but exciting and worthwhile,” said SPS director, Mary Anne Waikart. “Through our unique combination of academics and hands-on experience, we hope to give these students the tools and confidence to go back to their communities and be engaged and involved citizens. We also hope that the program will inspire them to consider careers in public service.”

The students attending this program are among the best and brightest rising high school seniors. In order to ensure that any qualified student who wishes to participate may do so, SPS has a generous scholarship program, and this year more than 50% of the class will receive some financial aid .

While in Washington, the SPS students will follow a rigorous academic program that examines the presidency, the judicial system, the media and international affairs. The innovative curriculum uses the case method, so often used in graduate level studies, to allow the students to stand in the shoes of presidents, Supreme Court justices, journalists and diplomats and to experience the ethical, moral and political dilemmas associated with creating and implementing public policy. Students will participate in a mock election and have spirited discussions of policy issues with a variety of political and media leaders.

In addition to the academic programs, students will attend a reception at the Chinese Embassy and a mock official dinner to learn the formal customs of official Washington. Students will also take a number of field trips in and around Washington, DC.

The School of Public Service is housed at St. Albans School, located on the grounds of the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. Through a partnership with Harvard and other universities, the School of Public Service offers college-level academic courses. The School of Public Service’s connection to the St. Albans School offers its students extraordinary access to the people who are shaping and influencing government and policy every day. For more information on the School of Public Service, visit www.schoolofpublicservice.org.