Calling all future leaders! Partnership for a Secure America, a nonprofit that works to promote bipartisanship in
foreign policy and national security, is creating an undergraduate discussion and skills workshop for you! We
propose an eight week workshop on Tuesdays, starting end of January. You will have the chance to learn and
discuss with professionals in the foreign policy and national security community. This program will provide the
skills and knowledge necessary for you, our future leaders, to learn to work across the aisle. Learn to negotiate
like a world class diplomat, speak like the president elect, and write memos like a boss from experienced
professionals.
Partnership for a Secure America (PSA)’s Back to Bipartisanship Program is a GWU Foreign Policy and
National Security Scholar Program. It will bring undergraduate students together to build skills and relationships
required to advance bipartisanship on national security and foreign policy issues. Through meet and greets,
networking, skills training, and debate sessions, this unique program aims to equip the next generation of foreign
policy and security experts to respect differences, build common ground and achieve US national interests.
Visit www.psaonline.org for more information on our organization.
THE SCHEDULE
The Back to Bipartisanship Program runs for eight weeks. Activities will include:
Introduction and Meet and Greet – Learn about program activities and meet fellow participants.
Networking on the Hill – Network with PSA’s current Congressional Partnership Program participants. Learn
about what it is like to work on the Hill and how they got to where they are today.
Skills Workshops – Participants will meet with GW professors to learn the basics of negotiating,
public speaking, memo writing, and how Congress influences foreign policy. There will also be
activities and guest lecturers in order to demonstrate the application of these skills in foreign policy.
These workshops will be completed in four sessions over a four week period.
Discussion and Debate – Participants will engage in a four session congressional style debate over a
four week period. During this time there will be open floor debate with Republicans and Democrats
seeking to establish what problem they are facing and which issues will be of upmost importance
when trying to establish a solution. After general debate each participant will be assigned to a
bipartisan committee based on demonstrated interest in the application. The committees will
each propose a solution to the assigned issue and there will be a general debate based on the
proposals. There will also be an ad hoc committee that will seek to integrate the proposals
while considering how to budget for the proposed solutions. After all the issue
committees present and debate, the ad hoc committee will present an integrated policy
solution that all participants will have to debate and then vote on. The end result will
be a bipartisan agreement for how to deal with the issue at hand.
Certificate Ceremony and Debriefing-Upon successful completion of all the
sessions, participants will be given a certificate and will engage in a brief
reflection on the experience.
Eligibility Requirements:
*A current junior or senior with a strong, demonstrated interest in working in national
security and/or foreign policy.
*Submission of application with a current resume to [email protected]
To request an application or more information, please email [email protected]