American Studies Program

Your ASP story is valuable! We want to hear from you, Alumni!

We dug into the photo albums and found these beauties from the early 90’s & 2000’s. What was happening just out of frame? You tell us!

Share your memories from the recent or *vintage* past with us by using this link: https://cccuglobaled.org/american-studies-program-2023-24/

For more than 45 years, the American Studies Program (ASP) has encouraged active Christian engagement in the American political system. However, the Council for Christian College & Universities (CCCU), which oversees the operations of CCCU GlobalEd Student Programs, including ASP, has made the decision to discontinue running and operating ASP. This past spring was our final semester.

We celebrate the decades of stories and impact this program has provided, extend a deep gratitude to all who helped make this program successful, and rejoice in all that the Lord has used ASP to accomplish.

A full statement on this decision can be found at cccu.org/news-updates/american-studies-program-update-2023-24-academic-year/

Today we got to celebrate the baptism of our precious Bolu! We are are so overjoyed that today she took the public step of accepting God’s promise of grace and love. Happy Baptism Day, Bolu!
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And just like that we are entering the last week of the Spring 2023 semester! Time has flown by, and we are so thankful for this incredible group of students.
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Peak Cherry Blossom Weekend in Capitol Hill
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There’s nothing quite like a night ride down the national mall 🤩

✨Intern Highlight✨
Allie is junior at Messiah University, and is interning at the American Enterprise Institute! Scroll to see what Allie has to say about her internship and time in DC.
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Look at this wonderful bunch of students exploring Old Town Alexandria after a great visit with the Center for Public Justice.
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On Friday, ASP students visited the Center for Public Justice. is a non-partisan Christian think tank that works to secure the common good by educating citizens and providing research and advocacy to shape policy in four main areas:
1. Families valued: policies that support families, so that families can flourish.
2. Juvenile Justice: policies that advocate for the care and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders.
3. Institutional Religious Freedom: policies that support a healthy pluralistic society and acknowledge the freedom of religious institutions with a pluralistic society.
4. Just Lending: policies that combat predatory pay day loans.
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Just ASP students out and about exploring our city 😍
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Our program is located just a few minutes walk from the Capitol, and perfectly situated for walks down the national mall on these beautiful spring-like days we’ve been enjoying!
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We LOVE our ASP alumni. And on this week of , we’re focusing on the incredible people who have made ASP such a wonderful and impactful community over the years.
Stay tuned on our stories this week to see ASP memories!
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ASP 🤝US Commission on International Religious Freedom
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Such a good site visit!
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Yesterday was a day of intellectual and networking opportunity for our ASP students.
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In the morning, some of our students attended a thought provoking conversation on Christian Nationalism, hosted by and , featuring renowned scholars and persons of faith: and Peter Wehner.
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In the evening, our students attended a conversation on “The Politics of Forgiveness” hosted by our wonderful friends at , featuring , Bishop Claude Alexander, and Reverend Fleming Rutledge.
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Both events were excellent opportunities for our students to exercise deep, critical thinking, and to display both political and intellectual humility.
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Both events can be found online on Brookings Institute’s website and Baylor University’s website, respectively.
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A huge thank you to who always provides stellar tours for ASP. Austin’s knowledge of DC, it’s neighborhoods, and their history is unmatched, and his thoughtfulness is inspiring. We loved getting to know the Anacostia neighborhood better today and look forward to many future days soaking in its art, culture, activism, and food scene.

Pt. 2: Welcome to our Spring 2023 cohort of ASP students! We are so excited for what this semester holds for you.

Pt. 1: Welcome to our Spring 2023 cohort of ASP students! We are so excited for what this semester holds for you.

There's a lot going on in this picture of the Senate side of the Capitol, because there's a lot going on in the American Public Policy in Historical and Religious Frames class with Prof. Doug Koopman in the CCCU's American Studies Program. We start with the new "We The Fallen People" book, to illustrate the checks and balances, separation of powers, and federalism the Founders built and relied upon to balance democratic input and good governance. We also quickly to through Reformed, evangelical, and Catholics views of the state, and review basic public policy terms and processes. The main student work is writing pieces involved in real policy work. Always keeping in mind the goal of many of the checks is what Washington supposedly told Jefferson about the Senate--a "cooling saucer" for a hot House. Yes, that is real coffee in the pic, intentionally spilled.

There's a lot going on in this picture of the Senate side of the Capitol, because there's a lot going on in my American Public Policy in Historical and Religious Frames class in the CCCU's American Studies Program. We start with the new "We The Fallen People" book, to illustrate the checks and balances, separation of powers, and federalism the Founders built and relied upon to balance democratic input and good governance. We also quickly go through Reformed, evangelical, and Catholic views of the state, and review basic public policy terms and processes. The main student work is writing pieces involved in real policy work. Always keeping in mind the goal of many of the checks is what Washington supposedly told Jefferson about the Senate--a "cooling saucer" for a hot House. Yes, that is real coffee in the pic, intentionally spilled.

We’re eagerly awaiting the arrival of our Spring 2023 students, and also reflecting the happy memories we had this past semester. Stay tuned for more news from ASP!

What a fantastic semester with these students. They will be missed, but we’re so excited to see them do great things!
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As our semester draws to a close, we can’t help but think about how thankful we are for this group of students. They are compassionate and convicted, committed to serving their neighbors, and dedicated to bettering the world around them.
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Last night we got to celebrate them at the fabulous . We will certainly miss this cohort when they are gone, but we can’t wait to see the impact they will have on the communities in which they are planted!
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Autumn in DC >
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ASP is located in the beautiful Capitol Hill neighborhood, and these past few weeks we have been blessed with the colorful changes of the autumn season.
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A little food for thought as we watch the election results roll in. Taken from #43’s first inaugural address.
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And now enjoy the brief respite from robo calls and campaign emails.
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#43

Thank you to former Congressmen Tom Petri and Jim Slattery for reflecting on the wisdom you gained and exercised as you served in the U.S. House of Representatives. Your words of hope, caution and encouragement for the future of the United States were greatly appreciated.
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America may be a democratic republic, but the Dellenback is now a monarchy. Welcome Queen Josie, Dr. Koopman’s corgi, who will be taking up her royal residency at the American Studies Program for the remainder of the semester.
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Intern Highlight!
Mattie comes to the American Studies Program from and is interning at the where she has been getting hands-on experience integrating faith into the public sphere ( style)
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About her experience at the American Studies Program, Mattie says, “The American Studies Program has encouraged me to become an active participant in the [DC] community. Due to this, I have grown tremendously in expanding my worldview and my limited perspectives to now include a whole new group of people, and for this, I am forever grateful.”
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🍁Happy Fall from ASP🍁
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We love a good quote to encourage our students in their effort to think creatively, critically, and collaboratively about the Good.
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Intern highlight!
Sam is a senior from and is interning on The Hill in Senator Cantwell’s office.
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“The American Studies Program has taught me about civility and interacting with people who have different opinions than me, in a respectful and polite manner. That is going to be extraordinarily important going forward, because a job in politics is going to have you interacting with people every single day who don’t agree with you. Doing this program and learning these skills early in my career will be hugely beneficial.” - Sam
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We love having Sam at the American Studies Program and we look forward to seeing her future impact as a renewing presence in the political realm.
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On Friday our students met with The Baptist Joint Committee and learned about their commitment to faith freedom for all.
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Hard to beat mornings like this
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