Professor Anna Goldfarb Shabsin and Dr Tammy Orahood took a group of 19 Brown School students to Washington, D.C. over spring break to study the policy eco-system. The field-based course used the opportunities provided by the nation’s capital to explore transdisciplinary policy practice in government, think tanks, and advocacy groups such as the AARP Foundation. There they met with alumna, Emily McDonald (VP, Business Integration) to explore issues surrounding reducing poverty with and for older adults.
During the rest of the trip, students learned from policy and advocacy experts, as well as from social science leaders in Congress and studied the basics of government and the legislative process, research-based advocacy, and how social scientists affect social policy around the world. The trip culminated with a trip to Capitol Hill where student advocated on a pre-selected topic and presented their fact sheets in appointments with the offices of Members of Congress.
Students meet with AARP Foundation during the DC field-based course
