For the past tes years, the Les Aspin Center has sponsored training programs for community leaders from Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Mali, Nigeria, and Tanzania in democracy principles and practice. The training program began in 1996 with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and has been extended since then.

The Democracy Training Program involves six weeks of lectures and discussions in a seminar setting. The participants also undertake site visits to experience directly and learn about the functioning of democracy and the public policy process.

Generally, the training starts with a one-week orientation seminar in the participants' own countries. The next five weeks are conducted at the Les Aspin Center in Washington, D.C. and at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In Washington, the participants, academic professionals, Congressional representatives and staff, and officials from non-governmental organizations discuss the American democratic process. In Wisconsin, the participants attend lectures by Marquette University personnel, state legislators, and church and media officials. The participants also visit local government facilities and engage in dialogue on local government issues with Wisconsin State and Milwaukee county government representatives.

The presenters and the participants discuss, compare, and critique the American and African political institutions and how these operate to produce and implement effective public policy.

The entire seminar experience enables the participants to understand and synthesize key insights that can be integrated into their country experience. This way, they can identify what is relevant for promoting effective democratic participation in their countries.