Trainings
The Program on Extremism at The George Washington University is proud to announce the expansion of its workshops, training courses and seminars tailored for law enforcement, community organizations, university leaders and other key audiences. The Program, which has conducted training activities since its founding in 2015, is now offering an enhanced selection of training modules aimed at providing fact-based and up-to-date analysis of the various extremist movements operating in America. The Program’s staff, which includes a diverse set of distinguished former law enforcement personnel and subject matter experts, provides a nuanced analysis of extremist groups and movements across the ideological spectrum.
Each module includes an overview of the core ideological foundations of the movement, a detailed examination of tactics, funding methods, and other operational indicators, and an explanation of the relevant symbols and terminology to aid in identification and response.
Topics offered
- Campus extremism and Hamas in the US: This module analyzes the history of Hamas in America, from its origins in the 1980s to its latest spinoffs, which have been key players in recent campus protests. Using internal Hamas documents and evidence used in a federal prosecution, the module highlights key players, tactics, and narratives essential for identifying and countering this network’s activities.
- Homegrown Violent Extremism/Jihadism: This module provides an overview of the recent global evolution of groups like ISIS and al Qaeda and patterns of jihadist radicalization within the US. Leveraging original Program research and data, it offers a complete overview of the homegrown violent extremist landscape and the current threat environment.
- Domestic Violent Extremism: This module examines the complex ecosystem of domestic extremist movements, from white supremacist and Neo-Nazi groups to anti-government militias, from Antifa and Black Hebrew Israelites to the growing phenomenon of hybrid ideologies.
- Antisemitism: This module analyzes current trends of antisemitism in America within the varied ideological currents from which it emanates - including the far right, far left, and Islamist ecosystems - and examines its tangible manifestations, including prominent symbols, tactics, and patterns in attacks against Jewish targets, offering practical tools for identifying and mitigating threats.
Flexible Training Options
The Program offers flexible combinations of the above modules, which can be delivered as stand-alone sessions (lasting 1-4 hours), or combined into a full day training. The full day format typically includes all four modules, presented in 90-minute segments. These workshops are tailored to meet the specific needs of professionals tasked with addressing these threats, providing practical and timely insights.
The Program has provided this training to dozens of federal, state, and local law enforcement entities nationwide, including Joint Terrorism Task Forces, Fusion Centers, administrators and law enforcement officials at higher education institutions. Feedback from these sessions underscores their value in improving intelligence gathering, threat assessment, and community protection efforts.
Our experts include
Dr. Lorenzo Vidino is the Program’s director. His research over the past 25 years has focused on the mobilization dynamics of jihadist networks and the activities of Muslim Brotherhood-inspired organizations in the West.
Lara Burns is the Program’s Head of Terrorism. She recently retired from the FBI after 23 years dedicated to leading teams in complex international terrorism investigations. At the outset of her career as an FBI Special Agent, she led the Department of Justice’s largest terrorism financing investigation and prosecution, United States v. Holy Land Foundation, et al., which led to the conviction of some of Hamas’ top fundraisers in America.
Jennifer Baker is a Senior Research Fellow at the Program on Extremism. She is an accomplished retired federal agent with 25 years of combined experience in the FBI and Department of Defense, specializing in complex criminal and national security investigations, including countering espionage activities by both domestic and foreign spies.
Dr. Omar Mohammed is a historian from Mosul, Iraq, known only recently as the anonymous blogger ‘Mosul Eye.’ Through Mosul Eye, Omar set out to inform the world about life under the Islamic State in his city. He is the head of the Program on Extremism’s Antisemitism Research Initiative.
Dr. Sergio Altuna is a Senior Research Fellow at the Program on Extremism. His areas of expertise include violent non-state actors in the Great Maghreb and the Sahel; contemporary Islamist thought; Islamist narratives; and the development of alternative narratives and counternarratives.
Jon Lewis is a Research Fellow at the Program on Extremism where he studies domestic terrorism, with a specialization in the evolution of white supremacist and anti-government movements in the United States and federal responses to the threat.
Luke Baumgartner is a Research Fellow at the Program on Extremism whose research interests include domestic violent extremism, white supremacist movements, Black Hebrew Israelites, and the role of military veterans in political violence.
The Program collaborates with trusted external experts and partners as needed to deliver specialized training on specific topics.
For more information on the training, please contact [email protected]