• The Olmsted Foundation

    Shaping
    Future Leaders

Cultural Immersion

For US military officers, living in a foreign culture as an Olmsted Scholar delivers two years of constant surprises, intimidating at first and then exhilarating. Overcoming challenges, large and small, develops a new kind of confidence that never goes away.
Years later, Scholars recognize that they earned their readiness to face the unknown from the Olmsted experience.
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“The greatest leaders must be educated broadly.”


​General George Olmsted

  • “The Olmsted experience helped create a foundation of understanding and insight that served me well as I went on my mission to the International Space Station with an international crew of diverse backgrounds.”


    Colonel Michael Hopkins, NASA Astronaut
    OSC '03 Parma, Italy

  • “The Olmsted experience works because it attracts and promotes cultural curiosity. This is something I apply everyday in interacting with others onboard.”


    Lieutenant Commander Emily Bassett
    Executive Officer, USS Arlington
    OSC '09 Cadiz, Spain

  • “The Olmsted experience prepared me to rapidly adapt to new environments, which is why I thought it possible to launch a campaign for the Iowa House of Representatives with no previous political experience.”


    Representative Kenneth Rizer, Colonel (Ret.)
    OSC '98 Stockholm, Sweden

  • “The Olmsted experience helped create a foundation of understanding and insight that served me well as I went on my mission to the International Space Station with an international crew of diverse backgrounds.”


    Colonel Michael Hopkins,
    NASA Astronaut
    OSC '03 Parma, Italy

  • “The Olmsted experience works because it attracts and promotes cultural curiosity. This is something I apply everyday in interacting with others onboard.”


    Lieutenant Commander Emily Bassett
    Executive Officer, USS Arlington
    OSC '09 Cadiz, Spain

  • “The Olmsted experience prepared me to rapidly adapt to new environments, which is why I thought it possible to launch a campaign for the Iowa House of Representatives with no previous political experience.”


    Representative Kenneth Rizer,
    Colonel (Ret.)
    OSC '98 Stockholm, Sweden

News & Events

16-Sep-2015

Always Remembered

On Saturday, October 3rd, the Olmsted Foundation will walk for the seventh consecutive year in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk. The Olmsted team will walk in remembrance of Colonel Bob Yablonski (OSC ’80) and Captain Steve Murphy (OSC ’96).

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22-Jun-2015

Air Force Promotes Twelve Olmsted Scholars

Earlier this month, the Air Force released the O-5 promotion board results and twelve Olmsted Scholars were selected for promotion, including six 2 years BTZ and one 1 year BTZ. Congratulations to the following:

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30-Apr-2015

Locations Announced for OSC 2016

Since the Olmsted Foundation started, Scholars have moved to over 60 countries, learned about 40 languages and attended 200 universities. We are excited to announce the locations for our next class of Scholars as they each begin to prepare to start the program.

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