The Frank Church Institute

The School of Public Service is proud to be the Boise State home of the Frank Church Institute. Established in 1982, the institute seeks to honor the achievements and carry forward the principles and legacy of Senator Frank Church, one of Idaho’s most distinguished native sons.

In this edition of Public Interest, we’ll show you some of the ways this non-partisan institute is fulfilling its mission of promoting civic engagement and understanding of public policy with a focus on foreign relations. We’ll tell you about an exciting discussion series that is free and open to anyone. We’ll share how a generous gift is making it possible for high school students in Idaho to experience a broader horizon through the establishment of a Model United Nations program at Boise State. And most importantly, we’ll introduce you to seven student recipients of Frank Church Public Service Scholarships and share their exciting plans to put their education to work for the public good.

The Frank Church Institute provides a forum for open and informed discussion characterized by civility, tolerance, and compromise. In these rancorous times, the need for civility, tolerance and compromise has never been clearer. Please join us as we endeavor to carry forth the legacy of Sen. Church and work in the public interest.

Thanks for reading,

Andrew Giacomazzi
Interim Dean, School of Public Service
Boise State University

Boise State’s new Model United Nations program, funded through the largest philanthropic gift to the university’s Frank Church Institute, will soon give Idaho high school students expanded learning opportunities focusing on global issues.

Idaho businessman C. Fredrick Cornforth, a member of the institute’s board of directors, pledged $500,000 to help fund the Model UN diplomacy-based competition. The money will be used for program delivery and to subsidize high school students’ attendance at an annual competition to be held on the Boise State campus.

Frank Church Institute Board member Steven Feldstein has recently released his first book. The Rise of Digital Repression: How Technology Is Reshaping Power, Politics, and Resistance explores how governments are using digital technology to subdue opponents, suppress dissent, and maintain political power. Feldstein has spent nearly three years investigating the immense changes wrought by technology around the world and conducted field research in Thailand, the Philippines, Ethiopia, and Hong Kong and interviewed government officials, security agents, human rights activists, technologists, journalists, politicians, and tech companies.