Mission

To develop student leaders who practice civility, cooperation & compromise as they seek common ground to confront the challenges of our diverse and evolving nation.

Throughout Wendell H. Ford’s successful thirty-three year political career, including terms as Kentucky State Senator, Lt. Governor, Governor and twenty-four years as a United States Senator, he mastered the principles by which he conducted his work: civil discourse, cooperation, and the willingness to compromise. Senator Ford believed that the future of our nation depends upon our young people understanding and appreciating the role of government including its structure and operation; and that the 3C’s are vital to solving the problems that confront our communities and nation. To that end, he established the Wendell H. Ford Government Education Center in his hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky, upon his retirement from the Senate in 1998.

At the Center, our students discuss the role of government, learn to identify credible sources of information, and examine issues facing our communities, states and nation.


They learn the importance of respecting opposing viewpoints and seeking common ground in order to craft solutions to problems. We serve both middle and high school students in a five-county area who engage in spirited, yet civil discussions, work on group projects, and learn to build consensus through cooperation and compromise. 

The Center is managed by its corporate board and is advised by a local council composed of citizens who believe in the mission envisioned by Senator Ford. Daily operation of the Center is the responsibility of our Executive Director, who is assisted by local citizen volunteers. The Center is a Kentucky non-profit corporation recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax exempt 501(c)3 organization. We are non-partisan and promote neither political positions of any kind nor the candidacy of any individual for any office. All funds disbursed are used to further the non-profit educational work of the center.