The Washington Workshops Foundation is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan education foundation, founded in 1967, which annually presents week-long national government leadership seminars in Washington, D.C. for high school and junior high school students from across the nation.

The award-winning Washington Workshops seminars bring to life the lessons of American democracy. These six day programs seek to increase citizen participation in the electoral process while increasing students knowledge of contemporary events through informative, on site dialogue sessions with leaders from both the federal government and private sectors. To constantly seek out new information, to become involved and to find new answers are the timeless missions of youth and the goals of the Washington Workshops Foundation.

Each seminar enrolls an average of under 100 students. This gives participants an excellent opportunity for questioning seminar speakers and overall program participation—a different perspective indeed from many other Washington student programs enrolling hundreds of people per session. Washington Workshops seminars,
while always an enjoyable and memorable experience, are primarily a learning experience, with knowledge and excellence stressed throughout the seminar stay.

Through the years, thousands of young Americans have participated in Washington Workshops programs. Many have gone on to positions of leadership and accomplishment in their communities and chosen professions. Some are even now serving as members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Whatever a student's career objective—political science, law, journalism, the arts, medicine, finance—Washington Workshops offers a unique overview of the personalities and issues of contemporary America and the world beyond.

The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed seminars of the Washington Workshops Foundation on the Advisory List of National Contests and Activities for 2009-2010.