Exposing young students to leadership through the lens of Washington, D.C. is the basis of a program called Leadership and the American Presidency, explains Janet Tran, policy director at the Reagan Institute.

WorkingNation sat down with Tran at SXSW EDU in Austin.

As the director of The Center for Civics, Education, and Opportunity with the Institute, Tran says the hope is that this young generation will learn to collaborate with others despite their differences.

Says Tran, “We do strive for ideological diversity. We work with a lot of partners who are looking for instead of the Albert Einsteins or the Ivy leagues and just Chicago where most of the students come from – we’re looking for the first student to leave their hometown in Indiana or a son of a factory worker or a restaurant worker in Oakland. So really students who might not see themselves in Washington, D.C.”

Tran continues, “I think that mixing opportunities and empowering students who go through our programs [allows them to] bring those skill sets back and ensure that they have the ability to go on into their next career and bring that element of citizen leadership.”

Learn more about the Reagan Institute.
Learn more about The Center for Civics, Education, and Opportunity.
Learn more about Leadership and the American Presidency.