Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Although Congress plays an essential role in determining and advancing U.S. interests around the world, relatively few of its members are well versed in the many complex foreign policy issues their decisions influence. They usually rely heavily on staff to help inform these decisions?staff who also often lack nuanced understanding of foreign policy. The Wilson Center’s Congressional Foreign Policy School would be the only program designed to give these staff members an intensive educational and leadership experience. It would also be among the few congressional programs in Washington specifically focused on the developing world, exploring issues such as development, democracy, security, and sustainability. This grant would enable the School to pilot a series of two six- to eight-week sessions for twenty to twenty-five staff, culminating in an annual study trip to give them a firsthand view of important issues facing the developing world.