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Civic Education Project

Online Leadership Intensive

Grades 7 - 10

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Application Open for Spring & Summer Courses

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Online

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Spring: 4/24/2024 - 6/5/2024
Summer: 
Session 1: June 24-July 5
Session 2 July 8-19
Session 3: July 22 - Aug 2

Tuition:
$635

Financial aid available for qualified students.

Tuition increases by $25 after the Early Application Tuition Discount Deadline. See the Fees information below for details.

Learn. Grow. Lead.

In the Leadership Intensive series, students examine traits and practices of leadership, assess their personal strengths and style, and learn from leaders across professional fields. Courses promote skill-building and socially responsible leadership where students put their strengths into action. 

Why Choose an Online Leadership Intensive Course?

Students will engage in a blend of weekly online synchronous class sessions and independent course work designed to develop higher-level thinking skills and build collaboration and communication with their peers. Explore ideas, challenge your thinking, and come away with a deeper understanding of your strengths and talents to reach your full potential!

Benefits Include:

  • A pre-college level asset-based curriculum that promotes self-reflection and goal-setting
  • Opportunities to build community and collaborate with other bright young leaders through live online class meetings
  • Flexible sessions to fit your schedule (6-week Fall, Winter, and Spring sessions, 2-week Summer sessions)

In addition to Online Leadership Intensive courses, CTD offers a diverse range of online program options; view a full list here. Explore Summer Leadership Intensive at Northwestern in-person course options here.

Through the Leadership Intensive series, courses can be taken individually, or students can use the Leadership Intensive course overview to create their own course pathway to fully cultivate their leadership development.

Application Process and Deadlines

Please note: For summer sessions, students should apply to programs and select courses based on the grade they will enter in fall of 2024.

With the launch of our new application system, our processes have changed and are more streamlined for your convenience.

From the Home page on your MyCTD account go to Courses.  If you do not yet have a MyCTD account, you can create one by clicking on MyCTD account from the upper right corner of our website. Please make sure to put your student or students into your account and make sure to select a STUDENT for each application.

You may use the filter to search for classes OR type in the class you wish to apply for in the search field.

Select the Apply Now button in the upper right corner of the course description card.

Select the student for whom you wish to create an application.

If your student’s school is not found with the search tool, please choose Other and provide your student’s school information in the space provided.

Please read through and sign the necessary release page.  The policies link at the top of the page includes the withdrawal and refund policies applicants agree to.  We ask that you make sure to review the policies for the program you are applying to carefully.

You may then choose to create a new application or proceed to the payments page.

On the payments page, select New Course Payment.

The Applications for Payment screen will allow you to make payment for the class AND shows the enrollment status of your application(s).  If the status is Under Review, no further action should be needed.  If the status reads Additional Information Needed, you will need to provide either qualifying test scores OR your student’s most recent report card/transcript and the name and email of their classroom teacher or the teacher whose class most closely relates to the course for which you are applying.

Please note, we have recently migrated to a new system and there may be some errors in our database. If you feel that your student’s Enrollment Status should read Under Review based on previous CTD classes, please email ctd-admissions@northwestern.edu .

If you would like to apply for need based financial aid, please make sure to read through our financial aid page to assess if you may qualify: https://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/financial-aid  If you indicate you are applying for financial aid you will receive the FACTS financial aid application in a follow-up email.  Your application to the course cannot be reviewed without a COMPLETED FACTS application in the FACTS system.

On the payment screen, please select the application or applications you wish to pay for.  Unless applying for financial aid, CTD requires full payment at the time of application for most programs. If your student is not accepted, or the class is cancelled, you will receive a full refund.

Once you have made payment you will be directed back to your dashboard.  Please select TO APPLICATION.

You may choose to complete your application at this time OR you may come back to it. Please keep in mind, paying for and submitting and application DOES NOT hold a spot for your student.  Classes are filled in the order that completed, qualifying applications are received.

COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION

You will receive a confirmation email upon submission of your payment. The email contains a link to more specific directions regarding how to complete your application, should additional information be needed.

To complete your student’s application with qualifying TEST SCORES, click on Upload Test Scores.  You may also use this button to upload a copy of your student’s grades if necessary to show proof of prerequisites.

To complete your student’s application with a TEACHER RECOMMENDATION and GRADES please provide the name and email address of your recommending teacher.  If you do not have the grades ready at the same time you will be able to return to provide them later by following the prompts in your MyCTD account.

If you have any prerequisites that are not documented on your report card or transcript, you will have the opportunity to upload them separately.

We kindly request that you do not upload the same documents multiple times.  Please also allow our team up to 7 business days to process any documents provided for your application.


Deadlines

Season & Session      Application Deadline     
Spring April 20, 2024
Summer  
Session 1 June 19, 2024
Session 2 July 3, 2024
Session 3 July 17, 2024

 

 

 

 

Eligibility

To qualify for Emerald tier Civic Education Project (CEP) Courses, students must be in grade 7 through 10 and must also provide one of the following:

  • Qualifying score of 90th  percentile or higher on a nationally normed grade-level assessment in the required qualifying subject area (Verbal/reading for CEP courses) for the desired course; OR
  • Successful completion of a CTD course, with the same qualifying subject area within the past two years; OR
  • Submission of a portfolio application, consisting of a teacher recommendation (available after submitting the application) and the student’s transcript or most recent report card, demonstrating that the student is performing exceptionally well in the qualifying subject area; OR
  • Participation in above grade-level testing such as the PSAT™8/9 test taken in grades 5 or 6, the ACT® or SAT® test taken in grades 6, 7, 8 or 9 (Above-Grade-Level Assessment)
Fees and Financial Aid

Tuition 

  • All courses: $635
  • Tuition increases by $25 after the Early Bird Rate Deadline, 10 days before the session start date.


Withdrawals

Please see our withdrawal information for policies specific to this program.

Financial Aid

CTD offers need-based financial aid awarded as requests are received. Families are encouraged to apply early because the amount of aid available is limited. Please see the Financial Aid page for details. 

  • The deadline to complete a financial aid application is approximately two weeks prior to the course start date, specific to each session.
  • You will receive the FACTS application link in your application confirmation email once the $60 dollar tuition deposit is paid and the application is submitted.
  • It is imperative that you complete the financial aid application as soon as possible as it may take FACTS up to ten days to process your information.
  • If you previously completed a FACTS application for the 2022-2023 academic year for CTD, you must still attach the 2023-2024 FACTS application to your FACTS account. You will be able to link your FACTS account to this new FACTS information. You may need to update financial information.
  • If you experience difficulties with the FACTS process please call the FACTS helpline at 866/412-4637.
Curriculum Overview

Courses in the Leadership Intensive series focus on skill-building, exploring concepts within the practice and study of leadership, and a deep dive into subject-area specific topics. View sample syllabi to learn more. 

Leadership Intensive Curriculum Components

Class Meetings
Examine course themes and concepts through academic research and topic-focused presentations designed to build your skills. Dialogue with peers to identify diverse viewpoints and consider new ideas in your leadership development.

Independent Course Work
Dig into theories, models and current events that help you consider new ideas and ways of approaching your leadership development. Apply course material through guided questions and engaging assignments that broaden your perspective and build critical thinking skills.

Speakers
Meet with government, business, and nonprofit leaders at the top of their fields to hear their experiences and paths to socially responsible leadership.

Teambuilding
Build communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills with classmates through instructor-led activities.

Our Leadership Intensive courses draw from a diverse student body, and our inclusive class communities honor multiple perspectives and interpretations of leadership. Courses are appropriate for students at various comfort and skill levels, and instruction will be tailored to meet students of diverse backgrounds and talents.

Course Environment

Our online courses are designed to allow each student to explore their strengths and potential as an engaged and creative leader through:

  • Weekly live, online 105-minute class sessions, 7 p.m. - 8:45 p.m. CST  (Fall, Winter, & Spring courses)
  • Monday, Wednesday, Friday live, online 2-hour class sessions, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. CDT, unless otherwise noted (Summer courses)
  • Flexibly-paced assignments, lessons, and reflections
  • Guest speakers and online meetings with community organizations

Students will be engaged in pre-college level academically stimulating and engaging activities designed to develop higher-level thinking skills. To be successful in these courses, a student should have a keen interest in the subject, be eager to work through academic challenges, and have a desire to learn in an online environment.
 
Outside of live class sessions, students should expect to spend 2-3 hours (Fall, Winter, and Spring 6-week courses) and 6-7 hours (Summer 2-week courses) per week engaged in independent course work. Our dedicated instructors will initiate and guide online lessons and discussions. Students should possess effective communication skills, including proficient reading and writing skills, and feel comfortable asking questions to guide their learning. The course syllabi will guide pacing, and instructional staff office hours are available to help students process content and stay on track. 
 
Online class sessions will occur at a consistent time throughout the course; see course listings for class times. When attendance is not possible, students can access recordings of real-time class sessions any time after they occur.
 
After each live class session, students will have the opportunity to provide short feedback so instructional staff and program administrators can monitor student progress and adjust teaching methods accordingly to meet the needs of diverse learners.

Course Access and Orientation

Schoology, the learning management system used by CTD, is a user-friendly platform designed specifically for K-12 online learners, and is COPPA compliant.

Students will receive login information to Schoology via e-mail 24-48 hours before the course start date.

With their login information, students will receive information about a live, online orientation for all new Online Program students. (Returning students are also welcome to repeat the orientation.) The orientation will be recorded for students to view at a later time, if desired.

Access to course material begins on the course start date.

Evaluations

All students receive a detailed evaluation after completion of the program. The evaluation provides feedback on the student’s achievements during the course and outlines areas for further growth. Evaluations are sent via e-mail and able to be accessed via MyCTD.

Technology Requirements

All course work and communication (including instructor contact information, the course syllabus, and assignments) take place within the Schoology course site. Schoology can be accessed on a desktop or laptop computer, or with the Schoology mobile app for iOS or Android tablets and phones. While tablets may be sufficient for most course work, some web tools and/or websites may require the use of a computer.

Students need access to a stable internet connection and updated web browser.

Participation in “live” course activities or multimedia recordings may require a computer web camera, microphone or headset.

Contact Us
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Define Your Leadership Pathway

Embark on a journey of intellectual, emotional and social growth through personalized self-development and discovery. Learn more about CEP's Leadership Intensive course pathway.

 

"We learned how to use our leadership skills to make real change."
– Leadership Intensive Student

Get Started on Your Leadership Journey.

If you have found the program and course for you, we’d love for you to apply.

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