LEADER
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Negotiator, Debater, Peacemaker
This section is for the future politician, international business
leader, foreign relations specialist, corporate head,
community leader, and even president of a local rotary club.
Leadership is an outstanding quality. A strong and effective
leader should have excellent negotiation skills and be an
effective debater, someone who gets their point across and is
a good communicator. In today’s world, peacemaking skills
are also important for any leader. Resolving conflict is an art
and a skill that can be fine tuned with training.
Presidential Classroom is a remarkable experience for a
teenager. Located in Washington, DC, the program teaches
the mechanics of American government. Students learn how
to legislate, as they meet with members of congress and legislative
officials and witness the process in action. Through
direct experience and seminars, this program teaches future
leaders the arts of negotiation, debating, and peacemaking,
as well as other subjects essential to leadership.
The National Debate Institute offers a program dedicated
to the art of debate. It is effective in teaching future leaders
to think on their feet, in giving them the confidence to speak in
front of a group, and in showing them how to get their points
across successfully.
JUNIOR STATESMAN SUMMER SCHOOL
Government and politics camp
Preeta Nayak, Director
Junior Statesman Foundation
400 South El Camino Real
San Mateo, CA 94402
(650) 347-1600
QUICK TAKE: This camp focuses on all parts of the government.
It helps kids hone their leadership skills, gain an
awareness of politics, and develop their speaking skills. The
camp is intense, but your kid can leave with high school
credit because a few AP and Honors classes are included in
the program.
AGE REQUIREMENT: 14–18
FEES: The Boarding program is $3,300, but financial aid is
available.
DATE: 27 days from June to July
SPONSORSHIP/OWNERSHIP/ACCREDITATION: Stanford University
BACKGROUND: The Junior Statesman Program is held at a
number of colleges, including Georgetown University in DC
and Princeton University in New Jersey. The program has
been active for sixty years and provides kids with an appreciation
of American government, along with leadership skills
needed to contribute to society.
DESCRIPTION: The curriculum is tough: classes six days a
week, with AP classes in American government, economics,
and comparative government. Classes are taught by professors
of government, and guest speakers provide other points
of view and enhance the discussion. The camp provides
recreational activities, including dances for the students on
weekends.
OUR TAKE: An amazing opportunity for any student with an interest
in leadership and in learning more about our government.
This is an excellent opportunity for the student who is
up to the challenge.
OUR RECOMMENDATION: There are many excellent colleges
with this program, so there’s a good chance of finding one
near you.
NATIONAL DEBATE INSTITUTE
Debate camp
Robert Thomas, Associate Director
California National Debate Institute
Education Unlimited
1700 Shattuck Avenue #205
Berkeley, CA
(510) 548-4800
www.educationunlimited.com
QUICK TAKE: This program is really dedicated to the improvement
and development of debating skills among young adults.
If your kid has an interest in law or business, this is an excellent
way to learn that skill. Two simultaneous programs run
over the summer, one in California at Berkeley and another
on the campus of the University of Maryland. Students who
attend are serious about competing in debate and are there
to prepare for various national competitions,
AGE REQUIREMENT: 14–18
SPONSORSHIP/OWNERSHIP/ACCREDITATION: Public Speaking
Institute
DATES: Two sessions per year, which last 14 to 18 days
FEES: Application fee, $85. University of Maryland program,
$2,300; Berkeley program, $950/week. Financial aid is available.
BACKGROUND: The Public Speaking Institute began this academic
program in 1995 to provide students with a greater
understanding of the fundamentals of public speaking and
communication skills. The Public Speaking Institute holds
camps of this nature in several excellent colleges such as
Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley,
where it is called the California National Debate Institute, and
at the University of Maryland in College Park under the name
of the National Debate Institute.
DESCRIPTION: The program is for successful students (GPA
above 3.0) with a desire to understand and improve their
competitive debate skills. Students will live in college housing
and experience the competitive atmosphere at this higher
level of learning. The topics range from ecology and politics
to philosophy and government.
OUR TAKE: Although this is a great program for the child considering
competitive debating or a career in law or business,
every child will benefit from learning these skills. If a kid is
committed to overcoming shyness, this program might be the
answer, but note that these debate devotees take it very seriously.
Most professionals require strong speaking skills and
the ability to speak effectively in front of large groups. This
program is an excellent way to hone the skills necessary to
craft a debating position and develop more fluid speech.
OUR RECOMMENDATION: The camp will definitely be a positive
on college applications, but, more importantly, it will test
children’s thinking skills as well as their abilities as debaters.
It can be a very positive experience for the prepared student.
PRESIDENTIAL CLASSROOM
Jann Hoag, Vice President of Programs
119 Oronoco Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-2015
(800) 441-6433
info@presidentialclassroom.org
QUICK TAKE: This program is for students interested in the
mechanics of American government. Presidential Classroom
provides the exemplary student with the opportunity to spend
a week in Washington, DC, with more access to government
institutions than is usually afforded.
AGE REQUIREMENT: The student must be a high school junior
or a senior, with either a B average or a ranking in the top 25%
of his/her class. One-week programs are offered from January
to March and in June and July.
BACKGROUND OF THE PROGRAM: Presidential Classroom is
based on a series of educational initiatives implemented by
leaders in Washington, DC, who were interested in challenging
American youth. President John F. Kennedy initiated the
first programs in the two series: “Widening Horizons” and the
“White House Seminars.” Vice President Hubert Humphrey
followed with “Washington Briefings.” The success of the
programs and the increasing number of young people who
wished to be involved led to the charter of the Presidential
Classroom in 1968. Students are housed at Georgetown University,
where they meet in the Conference Center. Seminars
are held in notable government institutions all over our Nation’s
Capitol.
DESCRIPTION: The program’s motto is “Not Your Typical Week
in Washington,” and through its well-established relationships
with different parts of the Federal government, the Presidential
Classroom ensures the week will be anything but typical.
Students visit the House and Senate floors and various embassies,
receive a CIA briefing, and gain access to the State
Department. Locations vary according to which program is
chosen. The original scholars’ program has been augmented
with at least six special seminars that concentrate on specific
topics (such as national security, science/technology, and pub-
lic policy) that explore the relationship of these subjects to
government policy. Not just an all-access tour of our nation’s
capital, but a gathering of leaders among students from all
around the country, Presidential Classroom allows for a significant
amount of peer exchange within a formidable setting.
OUR TAKE: Presidential Classroom is an exceptional way of
bringing the study of government to life. Apart from the visits
to government offices and institutions, students participate
in a mock presidential election and debate domestic
and international issues. These forms of peer exchange, in
addition to the many private conversations among students,
encourage the development of self-confidence, esteem, and
communication skills. Another impressive feature of Presidential
Classroom—one that has a profound effect on the
kids—is the appointment set up between the students and
their member of congress. There is no better way for a student
to understand that our government is operated “by the
People” and “for the People.”
OUR RECOMMENDATION: This program is exceptional for the
following reasons: peer exchange; student participation in
debates, lectures, and programs that are designed to illustrate
and give students a “hands-on” feeling for the way government
works; personal interaction with government officials,
and visits to the formidable offices and buildings of our nation’s
capital. It teaches students negotiation “first-hand” by a
free and equal exchange of ideas through mock summits.
Presidential Classroom is the best way to give a kid a sense
of what “national leadership” entails. The downside is that
the programs only last one week.