REGISTRATION: After you have your room assignment, program registration begins at 4:30pm in the hotel lobby, where you will pick up your arrival packets including your name tag and the most up-to-date schedule that we'll review during orientation this evening.

Please be aware that program activities and scheduled times could change due to local circumstances. In the event of any changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: Enjoy a buffet dinner in the hotel restaurant. Begin getting to know your fellow participants and find out what you share beyond a love of lifelong learning and discovery.

Evening: ORIENTATION: After dinner, you'll have an informative overview of the program plus an opportunity to meet the program staff and your fellow participants during an introductory get-acquainted session. We will review the updated schedule, responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. Orientation will last approximately an hour.

PRESENTATION: AFSA programs for Road Scholar begin with an introduction to the Foreign Service, embassies, the Department of State, and the work performed by diplomats around the world. Generally, the program administrator (a retired Foreign Service Officer) will make this presentation.

Established in 1924, AFSA (American Foreign Service Association) is the professional association of the United States Foreign Service. AFSA's principal missions are to enhance the effectiveness of the Foreign Service, to protect the professional interests of its members, to ensure the maintenance of high professional standards for both career diplomats and political appointees, and to promote understanding of the critical role of the Foreign Service in promoting America's national security and economic prosperity. Our particular focus in this program is the Mediterranean world: a focus of political intrigue for centuries.

Meals Included: Dinner

Presenters are active or retired diplomats who are experts on each topic. So that the subjects and areas being discussed will be as current and relevant as possible, speakers are not finalized until a few weeks before the program; however, you can expect AFSA experts in this program to address some or more of the following: Morocco, Libya, Islam, Egypt, Israel and Palestine, Turkey, Syria, Europe and Muslim immigration, Hamas and Hezbollah, and the politics of petroleum.

Lunch: Enjoy a lunch buffet in the hotel restaurant.

Afternoon: PRESENTATION: There will be another expert Foreign Service presentation from 1:00-2:30pm, following up or expanding on the morning discussions.

FREE AFTERNOON: You’ll have free time from 2:30-6:00pm to explore our nation’s capital on your own. We highly recommend some of the neighborhood attractions such as Washington National Cathedral, Dumbarton Oaks museum and gardens, and Embassy Row.

Dinner: Enjoy a dinner buffet at the hotel restaurant.

Evening: EVENING PROGRAM: From 7:00-8:30pm, you’ll hear from another Foreign Service expert on a topic of current interest followed by a film, typically documentary-style and related to the subject of the program. Films generally last 60-120 minutes.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

There are more than 170 foreign embassies in Washington, DC. Embassies usually comprise several facilities. An embassy "residence" is the ambassador's official home, while the "chancery" is where diplomatic offices are located. Other facilities might include a separate office for cultural or military attache or for consular operations. Whether an embassy or the headquarters of a special interest group, we will meet with officials who will tell you how they represent the interests of their nation or organization.

Lunch: We will return to the hotel in time for a buffet lunch in our regular location.

Afternoon: EXPERT PRESENTATIONS: There will be two more presentations from 1:00-2:20pm and 2:40-4:00pm, with a short break between each session. The politics of the Mediterranean world have repercussions far beyond geographical borders, and AFSA guest lecturers will speak to you from personal experience.

You?ll have free time from 4:00-6:00pm to do a bit of exploring on your own, talking with new friends, or just relaxing.

Dinner: Our closing dinner together in the hotel restaurant is generally a special meal.

Evening: EVENING PROGRAM: The evening features another expert-led topical discussion from 7:00-8:30pm, followed by an activity TBA.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

WRAP-UP SESSION: From 12:00-12:30pm, we'll review the highlights of what we have learned, address any lingering questions, and invite ideas from the group for improvement of the program.

Lunch: Our closing lunch will begin slightly later than usual, at approximately 12:30pm. If you need to depart early, the kitchen staff can provide you with a simple boxed lunch to go. The program concludes with lunch.

We hope you have enjoyed this exciting new program and will return for other rewarding Road Scholar learning adventures in the future. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch