SPS 2018: Visit to Mount Vernon

What's a month in Washington without a visit to the estate of the Founding Father who gave the District its name?  Today the SPS Class of 2018 took a break from their in-depth exploration of current-day Washington D.C. to look back to the past with a visit to George Washington's estate, Mount Vernon.

SPS 2018: Visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture

Today the St. Albans School of Public Service class of 2018 was lucky enough to be able as a group to spend the morning at the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall.  The Museum was designed "to explore what it means to be an American and to share how American values like resiliency, optimism, and spirituality are reflected in African American history and culture," and, judging by the reaction of the SPS 2018 class, it more than succeeds in its aims.

SPS students meet South Korean Ambassador to the U.S.

This morning, interested students enjoyed a special opportunity to attend an international security conference hosted by the Institute of Politics to hear a panel discussion about the security challenges facing the Korean Peninsula. The panel paid focused on the recent nuclear agreement with North Korea. After the panel discussion, his excellency Cho Yoon-Je, South Korean Ambassador to the U.S., (pictured above, center) delivered lunchtime remarks, followed by a photo opportunity with the students in attendance.

SPS 2018: The Group Advocacy Project

This morning the St. Albans School of Public Service Class of 2018 began work on the group advocacy project which will continue throughout the session.  Working in small groups (there are six groups total), the SPS 2018 class will write mock legislation on a domestic policy issue such as health care or immigration; secure "Congressional sponsors" for their bill (negotiating any changes the sponsors seek -- the sponsors are the SPS faculty/staff); writing a press release to promote the bill; holding a mock press conference (with their classmates firing the questions as members of the media); and, finally, culminating in a mock Congressional debate.  Along the way, the SPS faculty will work with them on their written and oral advocacy skills.  We are excited to see what they come up with!

SPS 2018: Order in the Court! SPS Mock Supreme Court Argument

Although it takes real lawyers and Supreme Court Justices months to prepare to argue and decide a case, the talented members of the St. Albans School of Public Service took only 24 hours to research, formulate their arguments, argue, and decide the real life Supreme Court case of Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission.  Our students played the roles of lawyers on both sides of the case and the Supreme Court Justices, and judging from the legal talent on display we would not be surprised if one or more of our SPS 2018 students end up one day arguing before or sitting on the U.S. Supreme Court!

First Speaker of SPS 2018: Principal Deputy Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall

One of the main elements of the St. Albans School of Public Service program is our speaker program -- throughout the session we hear from many speakers at St. Albans School and visit others on our field trip.  On our first full day of the program, we welcomed our first speaker: Mr. Jeffrey Wall, Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the United States.   Mr. Wall is a particularly timely speaker, because the Solicitor General's Office represents the United States before the Supreme Court, and tomorrow the SPS students will be preparing and arguing a Supreme Court case from this year's Supreme Court session.  Only a few lawyers ever argue a case before the Supreme Court, so we are lucky to have Mr. Wall with us today.

Principal United States Deputy Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall

Our attentive SPS audience in the Trophy Room at St. Albans

SPS 2018: Ending Arrival Day With An Ice Cream Social on the Roof of St. Albans School

Pssssst . . . One of the secret benefits of coming to St. Albans School for four weeks to take part in the St. Albans School of Public Service is the amazing view of our Nation's Capital -- from the roof of St. Albans you can see the city stretching out before you, including the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument.  Pretty nice place for an after-dinner ice cream social to end Arrival Day at SPS.  With Bradford and the interns dishing out the ice cream sundaes, the SPS Class of 2018 had time to relax and get to know each other before a busy day tomorrow!

Bradford is an alum of the program, one of our interns, and can dish out the s'cream

Two thumbs up for ice cream from this crowd!

Right back at ya, boys!

SPS 2018: Alums Welcome New SPS Class on Arrival Day

One of the best things about the School of Public Service is how much our alumni love the program.  Every year, some of them volunteer to welcome the new students on arrival day.  (Pictured above: Jocelyn, Alexa, Bradford, Camilla, Tom and Medhanit, all recent SPS graduates now in college, and back to help us on Arrival Day.)

SPS 2018 is Officially Under Way: Student Number One is In the Building!

This year's title of Student Number One for the St. Albans School of Public Service 2018 program now belongs to Victor S., from California.  Buckle up for a great 28-day ride, SPS 2018!

The Iconic SPS "Student Number One" Photo Outside the Doors of the Lane-Johnston Building

SPS 2018 Countdown: Rare Sighting of the St. Albans School of Public Service Binder Elves

As the clock ticks down towards Arrival Day, Sunday June 24, 2018, at the St. Albans School of Public Service, we were able to get a rare action shot of the "Binder Elves."  The "SPS Binder," containing articles and case studies used throughout the four week program, is an iconic part of the SPS experience (many students take the binder home with them upon the conclusion of the program).  But these attractive and informative SPS accessories don't make themselves!  Program interns Bradford (left) and Tom (right), both alumni of the School of Public Service program, have been hard at work this week getting the binders ready for the SPS 2018 class. Less than 48 hours to go until SPS begins!