“Public service is a noble calling, and we need men and women of character to believe that they can make a difference in their communities, in their states, and in their countries.”
Former President George H.W. Bush (U.S. House of Representatives Member, 1967-1971).
For more than 40 years, FMC’s flagship program, Congress to Campus, has provided college students with a unique civic education by engaging them in honest dialogue with bipartisan teams of Former Members of Congress, Congressional staff, and American diplomats. Whether sessions take place in-person on campus, or in a virtual format, these dialogues bring today’s issues to the forefront and showcase the benefits of healthy partisanship and civility within disagreement.
Congress to Campus dialogues also provide students with unparalleled insight into careers in public service, including how to run for political office, managing work/life balance on Capitol Hill and the thrill of debating legislation on the House or Senate floor. Program participants consistently say these sessions gave them a newfound appreciation for the dignity and excitement of public service.
Congress to Campus reaches thousands of college students each academic year.
To date, Congress to Campus sessions have been held on 140 campuses in 47 states and 5 countries.
On a typical two-day campus visit, teams meet with anywhere from 150 to 800 students in both classroom and extracurricular settings.
In 2020, Congress to Campus went virtual, holding 43 sessions on 35 campuses.
More than 1,300 students attended live virtual sessions.
Virtual programs were recorded so they could be replayed in classes, student group meetings and posted on campus websites.
In the past 10 years alone, Congress to Campus has reached 55,000 students!
Learn more about Congress to Campus
CONGRESS TO CAMPUS LEADERSHIP
Congress to Campus is run by FMC staff in partnership
with the Stennis Center for Public Service.
Larry LaRocco (D-ID, 1991-1995)
Tim Petri (R-WI, 1979-2015)
Bring Congress to Campus to Your School
Requirements for a Congress to Campus visit:
A Host
Each on-campus or virtual visit needs a campus host organization. Hosts can be departments, offices, student organizations (or a combination of these). The host organization must provide a staff or faculty liaison able to work with FMC staff on visit content and logistics.
An Idea
Before contacting FMC, talk with your host(s) about ideas for topics and format for the visit. Do you want a team onsite or would a virtual program work better? Our experienced staff can help you brainstorm, but the more ideas you have the better we can help you!
A Timeframe
How long will it take you and your team to plan a well-rounded program for your campus community? We typically need at least three weeks to coordinate planning an on-campus visit. Typically, virtual programs can be planned within about two weeks minimum. Our team is available during the academic year as well as summer session.
A Budget
The typical cost for hosting an in person two-day campus visit or a virtual program varies (prices announced soon). There may also be sponsors interested in supporting a program at your school, so if budget is a problem please contact FMC staff to discuss your options.
Kudos for Congress to Campus
Participating Schools
Abilene Christian University
AB Tech Community College
Alcorn State University
Allegheny College
Amherst College
Arizona State University
Baker University
Ball State University
Bismarck State College
Bluefield State College
Boise State University
Boston University
Bowie State University
Bradley University
Brevard Community College
Bridgewater State University
Brookdale Community College
California Community College
California State University
California State University – Channel Islands
Cameron University
Cape-Fear Community College
Carnegie Mellon University
Central Michigan University
Claremont McKenna College
Coast College District
Colby College
Colgate University
Columbia College
Concordia College
Cottey College
Cumberland University
Dakota Wesleyan University
Dalton State College
Dartmouth University
Denison University
Dickinson College
Dominican University
Drake University
East Carolina University
Eastern Michigan University
Edinboro University
Elon University
Emory University
Fitchburg State University
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Florida International University
Florida State University
Frostburg State University
Gannon University
George Mason University
Georgia College and State University
Goucher College
Hartwick College
High Point University
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Howard Payne University
Indiana State University
Indiana University, East
Indiana University, Kokomo
Indiana University, South Bend
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
James Madison University
Johns Hopkins University
Kansas University
Kennesaw State University
Kent State University
Lake Forest College
Macalester College
Manchester University
Mercer University
Meridian Community College
Metropolitan State University of Denver
Middle Georgia College
Middle Tennessee State University
Michigan State University
Millersville University
Millikin University
Millsaps College
Missouri Western State University
Mount St. Mary's University
Muhlenberg College
Murray State University
Napa Valley College
New Mexico State University
Nicholls State University
Northern Arizona University
Northwest Missouri State University
Norwich University
Nova Southeastern University
Oakland University
Ohio State University
Oregon State University
Palm Beach State College
Park University
Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University-Erie
Pepperdine School of Law
Principia College
Reinhardt University
Rhode Island College
Rhodes College
Roger Williams University
Sacred Heart University
Saginaw Valley State University
Saint Peter's College
Sandhills Community College
Siena College
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
St. Bonaventure University
St. John Fisher College
State University of New York
Suffolk University - Boston
Syracuse University
Union College
United States Coast Guard Academy
United States Naval Academy
University of Akron
University of Albany
University of Baltimore
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Central Florida
University of Georgia
University of Idaho
University of Maine
University of Maryland
University of North Carolina, Wilmington
University of North Dakota
University of North Florida
University of Northern Iowa
University of South Carolina
University of South Dakota
University of South Florida
University of the South (Sewanee)
University of Texas at Austin
University of Utah
University of Virginia
University of Western Oregon
University of William and Mary
University of Wyoming
Ursinus College
Vanderbilt University
Virginia Military Institute
Washburn University
Washington State University
Washington University in St. Louis
Waubonsee Community College
Weber State University
Wellesley College
Wesleyan University
West Virginia University
Western Carolina University
Western Kentucky University
Western Oregon University
Widener University
Wilkes University
Willamette University
Winthrop University
Wycombe Abbey
Xavier University

