Our programs for high school students are built on the Abundance Equation:
Education + Innovation + Community = Abundance.
Through these carefully designed experiences, we equip young leaders with the tools to generate not just enough solutions, but an overflow of possibilities that tackle our world's most pressing problems with curiosity, commitment, and collective action.
Empowering Tomorrow's Leaders with an Abundance of Solutions
The Civic Innovators Fellowship
Where Curiosity Ignites Change
Your journey starts here. Our flagship program invites you to see beyond the conventional and imagine what's possible. This fully remote, 8-week intensive fellowship brings together 750 young leaders annually from across all 50 states and from over 80 countries to explore groundbreaking approaches to civic innovation.
During your fellowship journey, you'll:
Dive deep into case studies across critical sectors, from environmental justice to digital citizenship
Participate in hands-on Skill Labs covering essential capabilities like public speaking, project management, and organizing
Work in small groups to tackle real-world challenges through our Solvathon initiative
Develop a comprehensive Case Brief addressing a pressing issue in your own community
Where Commitment Takes Center Stage For Fellowship graduates ready to deepen their impact, our summer Academies offer intensive, week-long immersive experiences at prestigious university campuses across America. Each Academy location offers a unique focus aligned with local expertise and opportunities.
our academy locations
Georgetown (Washington, D.C.): Direct engagement with local and federal agencies
UCLA (Los Angeles): Climate and housing impact
Past locations in Austin and NYC, each with specialized focus areas
More locations in the works!
The only way to attend an Academy is to first complete our Fellowship.
The Civic Innovation Lab
Where Collaboration Creates Reality Launching in spring 2025, the Lab represents our most ambitious initiative yet. Selected fellows will move beyond theoretical solutions to build real-world civic innovations with full support from the CU team, Board, and network of supporters. This year-long building phase transforms promising ideas into tangible impact.
What to expect
Regular mentorship and guidance from civic leaders
Direct support from the CU team
Access to significant capital for implementation
Featured positioning across CU platforms
The opportunity to create lasting change in your chosen focus area
Are you a CU alumni and feeling out of the loop? Join our alumni Slack and email list—reach out to community@civicsunplugged.org to get connected!
Spotlight on Past Programs
Civics Unplugged Fellows’ Projects in Action
CU program
The Civic Innovators Fellowship
Through our unique combination of structured learning and real-world application, alumni have created an abundance of innovative solutions that continue to ripple through their communities long after the program ends. As one recent graduate put it: "The fellowship doesn't end after eight weeks—it's where your journey as a civic innovator truly begins.
