Government, debate, policy, and civic action opportunities for students who want impact.
Programs in this collection (10)
Generation Citizen Youth Leadership: Generation Citizen. Fellowship, USA. Youth civic leadership opportunities from Generation Citizen that give students training, support and leadership roles, often after its in-school Action Civics course. In Rhode Island, the Youth Voice and Youth Research Fellowships offer a year-long cohort in which students work on their own state civics policy. In New York City, the Civic Connections Fellowship places Action Civics alumni at a government agency, elected official's office or advocacy organization.
Girls / Boys State: American Legion. Fellowship, USA. American Legion Boys State is a civic leadership program for top high school juniors in which students run mock state governments. It is organized state by state, and in most cases schools recommend students to their local American Legion post, which interviews and selects the delegates. Two delegates from each Boys State program go on to Boys Nation in Washington, D.C., where they serve as U.S. senators in a week of mock sessions, party conventions and landmark visits.
Yale Young Global Scholars: Yale University. Summer Program, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. A two-week residential academic program on Yale's campus in New Haven for current high school sophomores and juniors from any country. Students choose academic tracks in science and technology, politics, law and economics, or global challenges, and attend one of three sessions in June and July. Tuition is $7,500 per session and covers on-campus housing, meals and materials but not travel. Need-based aid covers up to full tuition, and local commuters get a $1,000 discount.
National High School Model UN: NHSMUN. Competition, New York, USA. Secondary school students, most often ages 13 to 18, attend a Model UN conference in New York City as school delegations of up to 50 students. Sessions are held at the New York Hilton Midtown, with opening and closing ceremonies at UN Headquarters when space is available.
Harvard Model UN: Harvard University. Competition, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. A four-day international relations simulation for high school students held each year in downtown Boston, where delegates take on the roles of world leaders and work on global issues in general assembly, crisis and specialized committees. The conference draws more than 3,000 high school students from schools around the world and meets in January. A smaller online version with sessions in October and December is also offered for students who cannot travel to Boston.
Yale Model UN: Yale University. Competition, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. A four-day international relations simulation for high school students on Yale University's campus in New Haven, Connecticut, hosted by the Yale International Relations Association. Delegates debate in committees that meet in Yale classrooms and are led by over 240 Yale students, and most committees have no more than 30 delegates. Only delegates 18 and under may attend, financial aid is offered, and three virtual committees cost $30 per delegate.
YYGS Politics of Law & Economics: Yale Young Global Scholars. Summer Program, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. A two-week residential summer session of Yale Young Global Scholars for students ages 16 to 18 interested in economic theory, government and legal frameworks. Topics include public policy, human rights, market regulation, governance structures and international law, and students attend lectures by Yale faculty, seminars and breakout sessions and complete a group capstone project. It runs in each of three sessions from June through July, and no online sessions are offered.
Georgetown Summer Programs for High School Students: Georgetown University. Summer Program, Washington DC, USA. Georgetown offers high school students one- to three-week academies, a five-week residential College Prep program that includes a university course, and Summer College credit courses taken on campus, online or both. Minimum GPA and grade requirements vary by program.
Freedom and Citizenship: Columbia University. Fellowship, Manhattan, New York, USA. A free Columbia program for New York City students entering their senior year of high school, with preference for low-income and first-generation college applicants. Scholars take a summer seminar on political philosophy, get support with college applications, and complete a year-long civic leadership project. Scholars who complete the year receive a $2,500 stipend.
NSDA Speech & Debate: National Speech & Debate Association. Competition, USA. The National Speech & Debate Tournament is the annual national tournament of the National Speech & Debate Association for high school members. Students qualify mainly through their district's tournament series, where events are often held on different dates so students can enter several. Qualifiers need a paid NSDA membership and at least 25 Honor Society points. Students in grades 9 to 12 who miss out at districts can try the online Last-Chance Qualifier.