Civic Leadership Institute

A summer service-learning program for outstanding students in grades 9-12

Overview - Course - Field Experience - Special Topics Seminars - Evening Colloquia

Credit & Service Hours - Evaluations & Transcripts - Sample Syllabus

Overview

News media and popular culture surround us with stories of violence, poverty, and urban decay. Political leaders exchange ideas about education, the economy, health care, and welfare reform. But what are all of these issues really about? What is life like for someone who is homeless or on welfare? Where have these problems come from? Most importantly, what can we do about them, as individual citizens and as a society?

Civic Leadership Institute students, through an introductory course in Civic Engagement & Contemporary Social Issues, explore the complex challenges that affect our communities today, and are introduced to tools and strategies for community development and positive social change.

Civic Leadership Institute participants:

• explore the root causes of and potential solutions to specific social problems
• understand the individual and institutional stakeholders that make up a community
• discover how to identify and mobilize community assets
• gain exposure to a wide range of community development and leadership theories
• analyze case studies on effective social change throughout history
• examine what it means to be a citizen and a leader in today’s complex world
• build concrete interpersonal and leadership skills, including communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving
• identify ways to become more active in their own schools and communities after the program concludes.

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Course

Civic Leadership Institute students are placed into course sections of approximately 15 talented high school students from around the country. Together with an outstanding instructor, students engage in both academic work and supervised field experiences.

In the classroom, students are active participants. They read and write about current events and theories of community development from both conceptual and practical perspectives. Our instructors engage students in complex discussions and debates about what they are reading and what they are experiencing in the field; they also facilitate interactive activities designed to explore leadership, teamwork, and group problem-solving. Through independent and small group projects, students have the opportunity to study social issues that impact their own communities.

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Field Experience

Several times each week, students travel to dynamic urban neighborhoods to engage in service-learning projects with respected local community organizations, and to visit with key community leaders and important institutions.

To ensure the safety of our participants, our staff and our community partners collaborate to provide appropriate orientation, preparation, and supervision for all field experiences. (For more information on safety precautions, see Safety & Conduct.)

The service projects are varied, but always allow meaningful opportunities for students to contribute to local organizations while interacting with clients, residents, and staff. For example, Institute participants may prepare and serve meals at a soup kitchen, read to children at a day care center, repair dilapidated low-income senior housing, or lead violence prevention workshops for youth. Through their interactions, students gain perspective into the complex factors operating in urban neighborhoods, the issues that influence people's lives, and the individuals and organizations that are making a difference.

Students are also exposed to the tremendous assets of a metropolitan area through meetings with community stakeholders. Students typically meet with political and business leaders, visit key institutions such as civic organizations, schools, and newspapers, and tour significant cultural and historical sites.  

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Special Topic Seminars

In addition to the core curriculum, students have the opportunity to engage in focused explorations of social issues of their choosing, through the Special Topic Seminar series. Once a week, instructors and TAs conduct a wide range of seminars on issues such as world poverty, public health, youth violence, criminal justice, and school reform. Students select topics that interest them most and participate in facilitated activities, speakers, discussions, and field experiences around each issue.

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Evening Colloquia

Another exciting element of the academic program are the Evening Colloquia. Each weekday evening, classes reconvene, sometimes as an entire campus, for two hours of academic enrichment activities. The Institute brings in outstanding guest speakers from a variety of fields, including political theorists, business leaders, local activists, and other people who are making an impact on their communities. Guest speakers give presentations, facilitate discussions, and engage students in activities designed to educate, challenge, and inspire. Additionally, instructors and TAs use evening class sessions for students to reflect on their service experiences, get extra help on assignments, or work on group projects.  

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Credit & Service Hours

Civic Leadership Institute participants may be eligible for one semester of high school credit and between 25 and 100 hours of service-learning credit at their schools (depending on school guidelines).

The acceptance of credit at the student's school depends on the student's successful completion of the course, and the school's institutional policy about the recognition of credit from outside schools. Students who wish to receive credit for a course at their home school should discuss this option with their academic counselor or school administrator before applying to the program. Students and parents may download a sample syllabus to share with school officials prior to the program.  

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Evaluations & Transcripts

All students receive a narrative evaluation after the completion of the course. The evaluation includes grades (if applicable), number of high school credits and service-learning hours awarded, comments on the student's performance in class, and recommendations for future study. Students also receive an official transcript or certificate of completion. School officials typically require copies of these materials to grant proper credit. Many students also choose to include them in their college applications.

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Sample Syllabus

A sample syllabus for the Civic Leadership Institute is available online, to give students, parents, and teachers an idea of what has been done in this course in the past. Actual lessons, readings, and activities may differ. The syllabus can be downloaded using Adobe Acrobat from the link below.  

Civic Leadership Institute Sample Syllabus

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