Every July, about 20 mid-career professionals convene at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs, hailing from locations as varied as Gaborone, Botswana; Dayton, Ohio; and London, United Kingdom. Each has a minimum of seven years of public or nonprofit sector work experience, with organizations such as the U.S. Department of State, Israel’s National Cyber Bureau and the New York City Police Department.

These rising leaders in international and domestic public policy — 22 in total for the 2016-17 academic year — leave behind their everyday lives for one year to hone their economic, policy and leadership skills and earn a Master in Public Policy (MPP) degree.

But first: They attend camp. Affectionately known as “math camp,” this three-week summer program includes two courses in statistics and microeconomics. Read More