In 1968, with the rise of a strong youth voice in American politics, Presidential Classroom was chartered in Washington, D.C. Presidential Classroom followed in the tradition of U.S. Presidents who were interested in education (some were educators themselves), including Woodrow Wilson and Lyndon B. Johnson. President Kennedy, who challenged the young to public service, sponsored two pilot programs during his administration - “Widening Horizons” and the “White House Seminars.” During the Johnson Administration, Vice President Hubert Humphrey led the “Washington Briefings.” As the success of the idea became apparent and more students clamored to learn how their government worked in the nation’s capital, the blueprint for the program was transferred from the White House to a board of directors, comprised of prominent educators and citizens, to become Presidential Classroom.
In recent years, Presidential Classroom, a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) civic organization, has developed new programs to address issues concerning science and technology, business, national security, law and justice, news media and international relations. These programs, along with the flagship Presidential Classroom Scholars Program, now attract thousands of outstanding high school students to Washington annually.
(read less)In 1968, with the rise of a strong youth voice in American politics, Presidential Classroom was chartered in Washington, D.C. Presidential Classroom followed in the tradition of U.S. Presidents who were interested in education (some were educators themselves), including Woodrow Wilson and Lyndon B. Johnson. President Kennedy, who challenged the young to public service, sponsored two pilot programs during his administration - “Widening Horizons” and the “White House Seminars.” During the Johnson...
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