International Student House of Washington, D.C.
The International Student House of Washington, D.C., abbreviated as ISH-DC, is a residence at 1825 R St. NW in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C., which houses primarily international students and young professionals studying or interning in the city.[3][4] It is run by a nonprofit organization, International Student House Inc. It is home to up to 96 people at any given time and has over 15,000 alumni.[6] The residence also hosts events for residents[7] and outside groups in its great hall, and serves breakfast and dinner to residents during weekdays.[8]
The exterior of ISH-DC's main building in winter. | |
Founded | 1936 |
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Type | 501(c)(3) Non-Profit |
Focus | Intercultural education |
Location |
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Coordinates | 38°54′46″N 77°2′32.4″W |
Area served | Worldwide |
Members | 96 current residents, over 15,000 alumni |
Key people |
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Budget (2018) | US$2 million[1] |
Website | ishdc |
Part of | Dupont Circle Historic District (ID78003056) |
Designated CP | July 21, 1978[2] |
History
ISH-DC was established in 1936 by a group of Quakers as part of the international student house movement spearheaded by the missionary Waldo Stevenson.[9] They sought to promote intercultural exchange and to aid international students of color unable to find housing due to racist housing norms prevalent in the city at the time.[9] The group was originally located at 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, but in 1946, it moved to its present location, a Tudor mansion built in 1912.[9] In 1967, an additional residential building, Van Slyck Hall, was constructed adjacent to the main building, and in the 1980s, ISH-DC purchased a residential building, now named Marpat Hall, located behind the main building.[9] The main building and Marpat Hall are listed as contributing properties to the Dupont Circle Historic District.[10]
Demographics
At full capacity, ISH houses 96 people. The house also has over 15,000 alumni.[6] Over the course of 2018, ISH hosted 194 residents from 48 countries.[11] Geographically, 38% of residents were from Europe, 28% from North America, 23% from Asia, 5% from Africa, 5% from South America, and 1% from Oceania.[11] Most ISH residents are in their 20s, with an average age of 27.
Operations
ISH supplements its income by renting its common spaces to external groups for events.[1] In June 2020, ISH ended its food services contract with Sodexo and switched to a local Nordic restaurant, Mikko.
See also
References
- "International Student House, Inc" (PDF). www.guidestar.org. GuideStar. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- Austermuhle, Martin (October 31, 2012). "International Student House Offers Roof and Relationships". The Washington Diplomat. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
- Ahmad, C. Naseer (July 9, 2016). "International Students House – Nurturing Leaders of Tomorrow". The Diplomatic Courier. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
- "About ISH". International Student House. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
- Gawel, Anna. "British Ambassador Fêtes International Student House of D.C." The Washington Diplomat. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
- Durrani, Anayat (July 18, 2017). "Find Global Student Community Via International Houses". U.S. News. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
- "Our History". International Student House. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
- "Dupont Cirlce HD Contributing Structures" (PDF). Washington, D.C. Office of Planning. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- "2018 Impact Report" (PDF). ISH-DC. Retrieved 9 October 2019.