Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government has announced a $1.5 million gift from local activist Barbara Lee to endow a program to train women for electoral office in the United States.

The Barbara Lee Women in U.S. Politics program and lecture series is part of From Harvard Square to the Oval Office, an initiative run by the school's Women and Public Policy Program. Oval Office, as it is known, provides a select group of female Harvard students with the training they need to succeed in the electoral process at the local, state, and national levels.

Lee said the program will ensure that women's equal representation in government remains a core component of the school's mission to prepare students for public leadership. "This is a terrific opportunity at a crucial time," said Kennedy School dean David T. Ellwood. "By training our best and brightest students to develop the skills necessary to succeed in the electoral process, we seek to create a cadre of top-level women leaders from across the United States and the globe who will run for office."