Civic Leadership Institute

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

Overview - About the Sites - Housing & Campus Facilities - Recreational Activities

Typical Daily Schedule - Safety & Conduct

Overview

In addition to their course work, Civic Leadership Institute participants enjoy a rich experience outside of the classroom. They live on a college campus in a unique urban neighborhood, and participate in a variety of fun afternoon and weekend activities. More importantly, they get to know other like-minded peers - diverse students who share their exceptional academic abilities, as well as their interest in learning about their communities and becoming more active citizens and leaders.   (Back to top)

About the Sites

Baltimore, Maryland
Held at Johns Hopkins University's Peabody Campus.

Chicago, Illinois
Held at the University of Illinois at Chicago

San Francisco, California
Held at San Francisco State University

The Civic Leadership Institutes are held at premier universities in three of the nation's most dynamic cities. In Baltimore, the Institute is based at Johns Hopkins UNiversity's Peabody Campus, home to the university's music conservatory, in historic Mount Vernon. In Chicago, the Institute is based at the University of Illinois at Chicago, one of the Midwest's top research institutions, located in the shadow of the Sears Tower in downtown Chicago. In San Francisco, the Institute is based at San Francisco State University, a spacious 106-acre campus just one mile from the Pacific Ocean in the southwest corner of the city. At all three campuses, Civic Leadership Institute participants experience the atmosphere of a top-tier university, amid the diversity and excitement of an urban setting. From a home base in the heart of each city, students have access to a myriad of educational and recreational opportunities.

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Housing & Campus Facilities

All Civic Leadership Institute participants live in one dormitory on campus, under the supervision of specially trained residential staff. Each resident assistant (RA) is responsible for a group of approximately 15 students. Students live on single-sex halls, typically in double rooms. Students on the same hall share bathrooms. Students eat with residential staff and other members of the university community in a dormitory dining hall on campus. Students also have limited access to other campus facilities, including libraries, computer labs, and recreational facilities.  

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Recreational Activities

Outside of class, students participate in a variety of activities facilitated by the residential staff, including sports, games, arts, and volunteer projects. Many afternoons, students also have the option of signing out in pairs or small groups to take short trips to recreational sites on and around campus, including parks, bookstores, and cafes. Activities are designed so that there is something for everyone, and students often have the option of relaxing in the residence hall instead. Weekends are spent on day trips to service or recreational sites throughout the city, including local tourist attractions, museums, and neighborhood tours. Weekend nights are dedicated to all-campus social events, such as dances, movies, and a talent show. In addition, there is free time each evening for students to socialize with their peers. Throughout the residential program, we focus on helping students have a good time in a safe, supervised environment.  

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Typical Daily Schedule

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Safety & Conduct

At all times, the safety of Civic Leadership Institute participants is paramount. We take every reasonable step to ensure the safety of our students on campus and in the field, including:

• Hiring skilled staff members. Our staff is a talented group of individuals brought together by their commitment to teaching highly able young people about civic engagement and social responsibility. Our recruiting process attracts outstanding instructors from public and private schools and universities, graduate students, and other education and youth development professionals. Our teaching assistants (TAs) and resident assistants (RAs) are typically older undergraduate students or recent college graduates. They are selected through a competitive process that weighs such factors as academic background, community service experience, and experience working with youth in a residential setting.
• Working with established and well-respected host agencies on field experiences. We ask each host agency to work with us to provide safe volunteer and learning environments. We also ask each agency to provide an orientation for our groups, educating the students about potential risks that may exist in their communities and precautions they can take to minimize this risk to the greatest extent possible.
• Making certain that participants are appropriately supervised. While students are ultimately responsible for their own conduct, our administrative, instructional, and residential staff all work together to provide clear guidelines and reasonable supervision. Each group of approximately 15 students is supervised during class time by an instructor and TA, and by the RA staff during evening and weekend hours. Administrative staff are also on site for extra support and supervision.
• Requiring high standards of student conduct. The Civic Leadership Institute is highly structured, and operates with a strict set of rules regarding appropriate boundaries and staff supervision. After students have been admitted to the program, students and parents receive a handbook with detailed information about the program rules and policies. These rules help to ensure the well-being of our students and staff, and all students who attend must be committed to respecting them. Students and parents also are asked to sign a copy of the program Honor Code, so that all participants are aware of the program's expectations and their personal responsibility to contribute to a positive learning environment.
• Safeguarding the health of all participants. Administrative staff keep health information about each participant on hand at all times and are available to screen student medical concerns and provide first aid. Local hospitals and clinics provide emergency health care services when needed. Families are responsible for all health costs incurred by their children during the program.

For more information on specific rules and policies, see individual program catalogs.

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