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GSPM's Native American Scholarship Program is the First-of-its-Kind
GW News Release - June 22, 2005

WASHINGTON - The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management's (GSPM) Semester In Washington program has been awarded a $225,000 grant from the SBC Foundation, the philanthropic arm of SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE: SBC). The grant will fund a first-of-its-kind political leadership development scholarship program for Native American college students at the University.

U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., a former GSPM faculty member, led the drive to initiate the SBC Native American Political Leadership Program. The three-year grant will enable qualified Native American undergraduates to spend a semester taking classes at The George Washington University, complete a professional internship, and interact with top political and policy leaders. The grant also will support a professor of political management both to coordinate the SBC Native American Political Leadership Program and a series of seminars on Capitol Hill devoted to policy issues relevant to Native American communities.

"These students will return to their communities knowing what it takes to win elections, form coalitions, pass legislation, and influence public opinion," said Cole. "They will be better informed about how politics works and more aware of how they can influence those processes to improve their tribal governments and their communities."

Nationwide recruiting of students will take place in fall 2005. The first class of SBC Native American Scholars will begin their semester in Washington in January 2006. The SBC grant will fund tuition, housing, books, and other expenses for six students each year for three years.

"GSPM is delighted to partner with SBC in this important effort to educate Native American students in the field of practical politics," said GSPM Dean Christopher Arterton. "As politics has become increasingly technical and teachable, SBC's generous contribution will allow us to ensure that the next generation of political leaders includes strong representation of Native Americans."

"Participating Native American students will be immersed in the American political process and have the opportunities to learn how public policy decisions are made, how legislation is created, how our government operates, and how democratic policies function in a free society," said Don Cain, SBC Oklahoma president.

The Semester In Washington program at The George Washington University offers a unique and invaluable up-close view of Washington, D.C. - how decisions are made, power is wielded, and government is run - by putting undergraduates right at the epicenter of the process. Semester In Washington is a guided, hands-on tour of the workings of the nation's capital, providing students the opportunity to learn elements of political campaigns from message development and media production to voter targeting, direct mail, and fundraising.

The Graduate School of Political Management prepares students for participation in democratic politics, providing them with the critical thinking, knowledge, and skills necessary to succeed in professional careers in applied politics. GSPM also seeks to advance professionalism in politics by assisting the careers of its alumni, by generating knowledge in the field, by lauding appropriate professional conduct so as to promote ethics and professional standards, and by advancing awareness of democratic values and traditions of fair play.

Native American students interested in GW's Semester In Washington program should contact Greg Lebel at (202) 994-2526 or glebel@gwu.edu. For more news about GW, visit the GW News Center at www.gwnewscenter.org.

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