Inside Washington

Go inside the world of politics and policy. 

Inside Washington is a semester-long experience that provides participants with a deeper understanding of how politics and policy shape initiatives in the nation’s capital. Through in-person sessions in Washington DC, students will develop an understanding of the relationships between elected officials, government leaders, political parties, lobbyists, advocacy groups, and others tasked with getting things done in Washington. This semester’s program will specifically focus how these entities interact within the federal government's budget, authorization and appropriations process. Participants in this program will be introduced to key players within this process including Gettysburg alumni.

Students can expect:

• Biweekly sessions in Washington, D.C. with Gettysburg alumni who are Washington insiders. 

• Immersive trips to Washington, D.C. that will expose students to government institutions, and the breadth of public service careers in politics, advocacy, lobbying, and other fields.

• A project that will provide each student the opportunity to develop an understanding of the legislative process through researching an historic piece of legislation and its trajectory through Congress.

• An op-ed that will allow students to analyze policy developments and practice writing for a public audience through Ike's Anvil, the Eisenhower Institute’s student policy blog.

• Alumni mentorship opportunities that will help participants learn more about careers and think through how their academic work can translate to professional environments in politics, advocacy, lobbying, diplomacy, and other public service fields.

This program will highlight skills and experiences that prepare students for involvement in other Eisenhower Institute programs, and possible careers in Washington including civic engagement, networking, and professional writing. 

Inside Washington is led by a bipartisan team of Gettysburg College alumni: Ryan Woodward ’12, an experienced lobbyist and former Congressional aide, and Senate aide Jake Ecke ’18.

Schedule

Four regular sessions will take place on Friday afternoons in Washington, D.C. There are two additional sessions in Washington - a full-day during reading days, and an evening networking event. Transportation will be provided. Including travel, students must be available at the following dates and times. Students are expected to attend all sessions. It is each students' responsibility to ensure that class schedules do not conflict, or to make arrangements with professors to make up work.