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 / 38.91278°N 77.042333°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] |
The International Student House of Washington, D.C., abbreviated as ISH-DC (pronounced /ɪʃ/ ish), 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. [5] It is home to up to 96 people at any given time and has more than 15,000 alumni. [6] The residence also hosts events for residents [7] [8] and outside groups in its great hall, and serves breakfast and dinner to residents during weekdays. [9]
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. [10] [11] They sought to promote intercultural exchange [12] and to aid international students of color unable to find housing due to racist housing norms prevalent in the city at the time. [10] The group was originally located at 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, [13] [14] but in 1946, it moved to its present location, a Tudor mansion built in 1912 for Henri Meserve. [10] 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. [10] The main building and Marpat Hall are listed as contributing properties to the Dupont Circle Historic District. [15]
At full capacity, ISH houses 96 people. [6] The house also has over 15,000 alumni. [6] Over the course of 2018, ISH hosted 194 residents from 48 countries. [16] 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. [16] Most ISH residents are in their 20s, with an average age of 27. [6]
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. [17]