CivicAction for the West Suburban Consortium for Academic Excellence

Applications must be submitted by March 20, 2023. Space in the program is limited. Some preference may be given to applications received early in the process.

Application Details

• Within MyCTD, Students should select "WSCAE CivicAction" as their course selection.
• Students should select "Pre-qualified Review Applicant or Open Enrollment Applicant" as their registration method. Students do not need to supply any additional information (grade reports, test scores, etc.) with their application. 
• No payment is required at the time of registration.
• Students should select "No" to the question "Are you applying for financial aid?" and include the waiver code (issued by your School Nominator/Contact) beneath the financial aid question.

Notification
Students are notified via e-mail of the status of their application on or around March 27, 2023. Accepted students receive admissions materials via e-mail at that time, including a schedule, a list of things to bring, health information, and program rules and policies.

Late Applications
Late applications may be accepted and considered as space in the program permits. Once the program is filled to capacity, qualified applicants may be placed on a waitlist.

Timeline

March 1
Application Opens

March 20
Priority Application Deadline 

March 27
Admissions Materials E-mailed to Families 

April 3
Health Form Due 

April 14
CivicAction for West Consortium for Academic Excellence 

CivicAction programs bring together diverse groups of bright, motivated students with an interest in service and a desire to develop skills for leadership and civic engagement.

This CivicAction program is open to students who:

• are enrolled in grade 7 or 8 in a participating school district;
• were identified for their school district's gifted and talented program OR have demonstrated a high level of academic excellence OR were nominated by their school for outstanding student leadership; and
• have a sincere interest in learning about communities, social issues and civic engagement.

CivicAction 2023 Tuition: Please contact your School Administrator for Tuition Details
Tuition includes all program expenses:

• Program activities and materials
• Service project and speaker fees
• Staff instruction and supervision

Financial Support

• Financial support may be available through each school district. Contact your school principal for more information.

Payment Policies

• No tuition deposit is required at time of application.

Friday, April 14

7:45 – 8:00 am            Registration at Park Junior High School

Students receive their group assignments and a final itinerary. Civic Education Project staff are available to address any last minute questions.

8:00 – 9:00 am            Orientation

Students receive an orientation to the program philosophy, structure, rules and expectations, and participate in introductory team-building activities within their small groups.

9:00 – 10:00 am          Travel to Chicago (via School Bus)

10:00 – 3:00 pm          Service Project (with Lunch Break & Travel)

Each group visits a nonprofit organization that is addressing issues of urban poverty, often a homeless shelter, community center, or meal program. Students typically receive an orientation and tour from the volunteer coordinator, and then help complete a variety of hands-on service projects. Students might prepare and serve a meal, sort donations, lead recreational activities, or work on gardening or maintenance projects. After service, staff lead students in reflection activities on their experience before traveling back to the program site as a group.

3:00 – 4:00 pm            Faces of Homelessness Panel

The entire group participates in a panel discussion in which individuals who have experienced homelessness share their personal stories. Afterwards, staff facilitate student questions for panelists.

4:00 – 5:00 pm            Small Group Reflection & Closing 

Following the panel, staff facilitate individual and small group reflection activities designed to help students identify ways they can become more active in their schools and communities. 

5:00 – 5:15 pm            Check Out & Student Pick Up at Park Junior High School

CivicAction students learn through hands-on experiences, dialogue with peers, staff, and community leaders as they discover ways to create positive change.

CivicAction Components

Service-Learning
Projects range from serving a meal at a soup kitchen, to reading to children at a day care center, to working on an urban farm. Students contribute to the work of local nonprofit organizations while learning from clients, staff and community members.

Reflection
Through examining complex social problems and engaging in dialogue with peers and leaders, students sharpen communication and critical thinking skills and gain a broader perspective on the world.

Team-Building & Fun
CivicAction brings together diverse, like-minded peers from throughout the region. Through facilitated team-building activities, students build strong and lasting friendships and develop interpersonal and leadership skills. 

Service Hours
Participants earn 8 hours of service-learning credit (including 4 hours of direct service) towards school or extracurricular requirements. Following the program, each student receives a certificate documenting completion of the program and the service-learning hours awarded.

Student safety is paramount at all times during the program. We take careful steps to ensure the well-being of our students, including:

•    Hiring Experienced Staff Members
•    Working with Established and Well-Respected Host Agencies
•    Providing Careful Supervision
•    Requiring a High Standard of Student Conduct
•    Safeguarding Student Health
•    Ensuring Emergency Preparedness

• For questions regarding CivicAction Program admissions please contact:
  ctd-admissions@northwestern.edu
   
• For questions about current CEP Program enrollments, please contact:
  cep@northwestern.edu