Undergraduate Programs

Education & Conferences

Overseas Travel and Cultural Immersion

The Olmsted Foundation’s commitment to education goes beyond young military officers.  The Olmsted Foundation’s Undergraduate Program offers Overseas Travel and Cultural Immersion opportunities to Service Academy Cadets, Midshipmen, and ROTC students attending or associated with selected Title 10 Senior Military Colleges.

Like the Olmsted Scholar Program, this highly sought-after opportunity offers many future military officers their first overseas travel experience. These trips, typically 1-3 weeks in length, are conducted in non-English speaking countries with exposure to a national perspectives and a focus on the role of US policy in those regions.

The awarding of travel funds, itinerary approval, and program execution takes place through the specific staffs and program offices of the participating schools, not through The Olmsted Foundation. The Foundation encourages joint trips between different branches of service, although this is at the discretion of each participating institution.

Participating Schools

Currently, the following schools participate in the Overseas Travel and Cultural Immersion Program:

  • US Military Academy
  • US Naval Academy
  • US Air Force Academy
  • US Coast Guard Academy
  • Norwich University
  • Virginia Military Institute
  • Virginia Tech
  • Norfolk State University
  • University of North Georgia
  • Georgia State University
  • The Citadel

Points of Contact

For more information on how to apply, please contact the appropriate point of contact listed below:

Service Academy Foreign Affairs Conferences

The Olmsted Foundation also sponsors annual foreign affairs conferences at three of the nation’s Service Academies.  These multi-day conferences offer Cadets, Midshipmen and their civilian counterparts the opportunity to hear presentations and engage in robust discussions with subject matter experts on a wide range of topics related to national and foreign affairs.

The Foundation sponsors the following Service Academy foreign affairs conferences:

  • Academy Assembly, US Air Force Academy
  • Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference (NAFAC), US Naval Academy
  • Student Conference on United States Affairs (SCUSA), US Military Academy

In addition to its financial support, the Foundation offers the organizers of these conferences the participation of Olmsted Scholars whose recent or past experiences overseas may contribute significantly to a thoughtful discussion of issues related to those specific countries or regions, depending on the theme of each individual conference.

Academy Assembly (Air Force Academy)

The Air Force Academy’s Academy Assembly is held each October at the Academy in Colorado Springs.

The Assembly is centered around 10-member student roundtable discussions led by experts on an annual theme.  Attendees also attend a keynote address and presentations from roundtable experts in their areas of expertise.  Academy participants have multiple opportunities to hear and learn from a diverse group of today’s national policy experts including scholars, senior government executives, theorists and practitioners.

Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference (NAFAC)

The Naval Academy hosts its Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference every April in Annapolis.

The conference brings together the nation’s future Navy and Marine Corps officers with peers from colleges and universities, both civilian and military, from across the country and around the world. NAFAC delegates are given the opportunity to engage in discussions, listen to renowned experts on conference issues, share their own personal views on world events, and learn more about the US Naval Academy and the US Naval Service. Past conferences have focused on Africa, the Middle East, Terrorism and the Role of Technology in International Relations.

Former NAFAC speakers have included: President George H. W. Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Stephen Hadley, General Wesley Clark, Vice President Joseph Biden and Henry Kissinger.

Student Conference On United States Affairs (SCUSA) (West Point)

West Point’s Student Conference on United States Affairs (SCUSA) takes place every November at the US Military Academy.

The SCUSA is a four-day conference focused on interaction and discussion between student delegates to better understand the intricacies and challenges faced by the United States in today’s global society. West Point believes the Student Conference cultivates mutual understanding among potential civilian and military leaders, making a significant contribution toward the future security of the United States.

Today, the SCUSA hosts over 200 students from 125 schools across the US and Canada, 14 delegates from foreign military schools, 33 Fulbright Scholars, and 80 West Point Cadets.