Former Members of Congress Donate Time to Educate Students World-Wide

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Former Members of Congress Association's popular Congress to Campus program.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- While Congress' approval rating might be at the lowest point in recent U.S. history, that doesn’t hold true for more than 250,000 students around the world who, thanks to the Congress to Campus Program, think just the opposite.

For more than three decades, college students, have had the chance to personally interact with former Members of Congress via the Congress to Campus Program. The Program was started 35 years ago by the U. S. Association of Former Members of Congress Association (FMC), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting public service, the institution of Congress, and civility in our political discourse. Congress to Campus sends bi-partisan teams of former Members of Congress--who donate their time pro bono--to colleges and universities to encourage public service, and educate future leaders about the country's representative democracy. According to former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Dennis Hastert (R-IL), who is a frequent Congress to Campus volunteer, the experience for students is invaluable.

"One of the great benefits of a program like this is to be able to bring together Members of Congress, who have very different opinions and experiences, and demonstrate to young people how political dissent can actually be healthy and productive," he said. "In addition, it gives the students a very personal interaction with people they really only know through the mainstream and social media. We've found it to be tremendously life-changing for the students, and equally meaningful to us, too."

Since 1996, the Congress to Campus program has partnered with the Stennis Center for Public Service, which has helped expand the two and a half-day workshops to more than 45 states in the U.S.  As part of the visit, former Members also hold community forums, meet with teachers and students personally, and also visit with local high schools and community groups. And, to date, students from Canada, England, Mexico, Ireland, Germany and China have also had the opportunity to learn how American democracy works from former lawmakers who receive no honoraria, and are eager to get out and tout the virtues of public service.

Not only do the students gain a fresh perspective on what it's like to be a Member of Congress, but their professors appreciate the positive effect the visits have on their students. "The students realized that public officials are not the 'bad guys,' but, in fact, are true public servants dedicated to good decision-making," said Mary Pat Bierle, Instructor at the Political Science Department at the University of South Dakota. Another educator, Professor Steve Frantzich, at the Department of Political Science at U.S. Naval Academy, said: "From our perspective, the visit was a great success. It is important for students to see Members of Congress as real people, as opposed to caricatures. The buzz continued well after their visit."

Dennis Hertel (D-MI), president of (FMC), and advocate for the Congress to Campus Program, believes that it is critical to educate young people about their representative democracy, especially in the era of social media and 24/7 cable news. "One of the concerns we share as an organization is the proliference of non-traditional media that often inaccurately portrays Members of Congress in a negative light. I think when you have the chance to meet with students face-to-face, and talk to them about what public service is all about and why most of us got into this business in the first place, they become more thoughtful, educated adults," Hertel said.

Hertel added that in recognition of the 35th anniversary of the program, additional visits will be planned in the U.S. through 2012, as well as in other countries, including the United Kingdom. For more information on upcoming programs, or to inquire about arranging a program in the future, visit www.usafmc.org.

Interviews with Former Members of Congress are available upon request.

About FMC: The mission of FMC is to promote public service and strengthen democracy via domestic and international programs. FMC seeks to improve the public's understanding of the role of Congress as a unique institution, as well as the crucial importance of representative democracy as a system of government.  Former Members of Congress participate in many diverse pro-bono projects such as election monitoring abroad, outreach to high school and university students, and programs with current Members of Congress.

SOURCE Former Members of Congress Association